There aren’t very many things that I stick to for more than a few months, much less a year. But there is one practice I’ve kept up with for the last ten years, and I have my childhood friend Emily to thank for that.
For my 20th birthday, Emily gifted me a blue, gold-trimmed book with a matching bookmark ribbon. At first I thought she’d gifted me a bible because of how fancy and elegant it looked, but my consternation soon morphed into delight when I read the cover.
One Line A Day: A five-year memory book.
I loved the idea and its simplicity. Just one sentence to record whatever I wanted to remember about that day in that year. Each page had five rows so I could quickly compare what I’d been doing on that exact day in different years.
It didn’t ask much of me in my day to day, but over time, this catalog of memories became priceless.
I now have three of these books. I have every day of my 20s recorded because of them. They remind me of cherished moments with friends (like that time I thought my friend had gifted me a bible for my birthday). What was happening in the world. What I was going through, questioning, and learning. Everything that really mattered to me.
Every night since I received my first book, I’ve recorded at least one line a day. It’s become a sacred practice—in a way I did receive my own personal bible—the easiest habit to build, and one of my most cherished possessions.
On days when I feel like I haven’t accomplished very much, these remind me that everything we do in the day to day inevitably goes a long way.
I still remember seeing it in the store and thinking you'd be the type of person to keep up with something like that, but I never would have imagined a ten year habit! That's really incredible, and I hope Deep Blue Sea will someday have ten years worth of memories for you.
Also, I'm sorry for making you think I'd gotten you a bible LOL