Thread by @mar15sa

I've been tracking my emotions and a daily memory for 1,230 days in a row (over 3 years 🤯).

Here are 5 lessons learned:

1. The 1st year is the hardest

You're not yet seeing the benefits and you don't have enough data to make helpful life changes.

Once I started getting the 'On This Day' notifications, they acted as an automatic notification that also included why I was doing it. This is powerful

2. Having a daily reminder of where you were vs now is a huge motivator

On my lowest days, I would get a reminder of moments in the past where I was working hard to make it to exactly where I am now and that filled me with pride for how far I'd come.

3. Remembering increases empathy

Over the years, I've had a meteoric rise up the career ladder and have significantly upgraded my financial standing. Being reminded of worries and challenges of past years helped me continue to relate to others at different life stages

4. Relationship between stress and sickness

I can clearly see in my data that getting sick is usually preceded by consecutive stressful days. Maybe my immune system is compromised or my body is forcing me to chill, but it shows what I'm risking when I don't prioritize self care

5. Small things matter

I previously had no idea, but there are certain things that if I do or don't do, they define how my day is going to go. Daily memories also show that the big things were always built by a bunch of small decisions, choices, and actions.

It's not uncommon that I react to a memory notification with "I totally forgot about that" or "I can't believe that was 3 years ago".

I'm so happy that I started my daily tracking when I did, but I also wonder how much I'm missing from all of those previous years.

Yesterday was the best time to start, but today is the next best.

I use the @dayoneapp for memory keeping and @hellodaylio for mood tracking.

My top tip is to not make it difficult. It can be as simple one sentence a day. I can't wait to see what you learn about yourself!