Use Apple Shortcuts to Build the Ultimate Daily Digital Journal

I began journaling in 2019. It isn’t that I like keeping a journal, precisely. It is extra that I discover my mind works higher if I spend slightly time dumping its contents onto paper each morning. This apply obtained me by way of 2020, a particularly tough yr, and I’ve stored it up ever since.

My journal is not superior. I’ve obtained a couple of sections advisable by my therapist from across the time I began—there is a part I fill in daily with issues I am wanting ahead to, for instance. I take advantage of one other part to suppose by way of what I will eat and different issues I am going to try this day. All of that is simple; I simply use a template that features headers for these issues.

However there is a bit of data I like to collect and embrace. Every day’s climate, for instance. I’ve seen that I am typically in a nasty temper on wet, grey days, so recording the climate together with my ideas offers me some useful context once I’m reviewing entries later. I additionally wish to know what time I wrote my entry, the place I used to be once I wrote it, and—if attainable—embrace a quote of the day or one thing else to replicate on.

I may collect all the above info myself manually, each morning. However I’ve discovered it is so much sooner to make use of Apple Shortcuts for the job. This software, which comes preinstalled on each Mac, iPhone, and iPad, can routinely pull in every kind of data and format it properly for my journal. I run a customized automation each morning. This is how I constructed it.

The Date, Climate, and Location

Hearth up Apple Shortcuts in your machine of alternative and make a brand new shortcut. This software program generally is a little complicated, however don’t be concerned, I will speak you thru every little thing. In the fitting column you will notice various completely different tiny automations you may run. Drag as many of those as you need to the principle column, which is on the left. I wish to seek for what I am searching for, however in the event you choose, you may manually discover the choices to get a way of what Shortcuts can do.