The most valuable book I own

The most valuable book I own is my five-year diary. I write a few short lines in it each day about what I've done that day, who I've seen, how I've felt.

This week I hit one year of entries in it. This means my entries are now stacking underneath what I was doing this time last year, in June 2025.

This June I'm settling into my new role as a product designer at Granola. Last June I was sailing around Croatia to celebrate my 30th with some of my dearest friends .

Looking back on my year of entries reminds me just how fortunate I am. As well as that sailing holiday, I've travelled around North Vietnam, spent a few days in Bangkok, celebrated the weddings of close family and friends, made a few YouTube videos, landed a few job offers, and eaten a lot of delicious food.

But on the everyday days, mostly my entries have been a few lines about how work went, what we had for dinner or watched on telly.

I started writing after watching this video by Pete McKinnon..

For a while I hadn't worked out the best time to write. I'd go a few days without an entry, then scramble a few days later to update what I'd missed; I'd check calendars, photos and Whatsapp messages, to try and remember what I'd done on each of the days that had since blurred together.

I've now found a routine. I've settled into writing in the mornings, with a shot of coffee, before my cycle to work.

And, now that I've been going at it for so long, I'm driven to keep going with it — mostly just to avoid having gaps.

The journal I chose after a wee bit of research is this lovely one by Tamara Shopsin.

I'm no stationery connisseuer — but to me the paper is lovely (I'm currently using a 0.5mm Muji gel pen), the cloth cover is minimal, the only additional pages contain a nice world map and a list of books you've read (which is also a nice touch, as I never manage to keep track). And most importantly, it's a good size, making it easy to take with me as I travel.

I've tried and paused other writing endeavours over this year (I had been working on a novel but the big new job got in the way) but this brief writing habit is one I've kept going.

I suppose I should write about how it's changed me. Mostly it's just been nice to have a little morning habit to look forward to, to reflect on the day behind, and on occasion to flick through and spend a bit longer pausing and reflecting on what's happened.

Anyway, I would highly recommend picking up a multi-year diary, treating yourself to a nice pen, and starting writing daily.