This Documenting Passion of Mine

A friend of mine has been pushing me to better define what it is that I do – basically asking (in a variety of ways) what my passion is.

I have an insatiable passion to document.

This has been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. In first grade when learning how to read, I wanted to capture that learning experience by keeping a list of what words I knew I could read without having to sound them out. But it turned out I knew more than I realized – and that night when starting that list, I fully understood I could read.

I think this was the first time I realized how documenting gives insights and understanding.

It’s powerful stuff.

Throughout my life, I’ve kept journals on and off – nobody else I knew really kept a journal, so it was a slower process to embrace this part of myself. But I fell in love with words and writing (and pens, ink and paper) at an early age.

Even when I was teaching, I kept field notes on each child in my class. These helped me stay on top of the next step for every one of them and made parent-teacher-child conferences richer and more effective. I made the kids lead those conferences known as child-led conferences. They helped the kids take responsibility for their learning. It was incredible watching 2nd graders run their first business meeting (but I digress).

11 Journals I keep

A bullet journal – for everyday captures of what to do, what I notice, quotes, anything and everything goes in here. I don’t spend a lot of time making this pretty. Function definitely comes before form for me. (Learn more about bullet journaling)

• Yellowstone field notes – a small notebook that I use on each trip I take to the park.
• My photo collection – photos are simply another type of field notes.
• A field journal of the heart – also known as Morning Pages. This is where thoughts get dumped that just need to leave my head. It’s also where ideas about life get explored and teased apart and how I shift my attitudes for the better.
• A commonplace journal – also known as a home for quotes and sayings. In a way, this is a type of field notes for writing and exploring various thoughts in my field journal of the heart.
• Business journal – a place to explore thoughts about my business and ponder the next steps to take. Basically, when I find myself spinning my wheels a bit, writing in here gets me going forward again.
• 2016 stories – a scrapbook. I find by documenting how I live my life, I make better choices and live my life more deliberately.
• Phenology/Nature journal – a formal write up of my field notes about nature, organized chronologically. This also includes trip reports.
• Species accounts – I use the word ‘species’ loosely here – because there are sections in this journal for clouds, and frost and other things that catch my fancy. But also mountain lions, pelicans and such.
• Geyser Watch journal – this is where I break apart the notes into separate sections for each geyser or hot spring. It’s another “species” accounts journal with a specific focus. This one is also slated for a huge overhaul this winter.
• The Daily – a list of what what was accomplished each day – what happened written in a bullet list.

Most of these follow the field journaling protocol at least loosely.

I find I need these different ‘boxes‘ for all I do. At one point I mixed it all up and just have to say that didn’t work. And for a long time I felt like having this many journals going was overkill. And that’s probably the case for most people.

For me, though, it’s the structure I need to give me variety and freedom to live more intentionally. Each topic I want to explore and develop has a home and that keeps me focused.

There’s magic in field journaling because it works for any subject.