Document (your) life ✍️
I always think I have a good memory, yet, I never seem to be able to recall what I had for dinner last week.
Time has this relentless way of moving forward, often faster than we’d like. Our memories—moments we cherish, milestones reached, even the everyday simplicity—can start to blur, and before we know it, what once felt vivid starts to slip.
I’m realizing more and more how crucial it is to actively document life, creating a personal archive that we can return to anytime, as often as we need.
For years now, I’ve been documenting my life. I journal daily in Obsidian, capturing thoughts, insights, and moments that matter to me. While out and about with the family I take as many photos as I can. Some I even pair with brief texts in Day One, acting as memory bank. This way, I have a running log of what happened on each date—down to the little details.
As a bonus, apps like Day One and Obsidian offer an “On This Day” view as a way to look back. The photos app, via a widget, surprises me with memories. All bringing past moments to the surface in a meaningful way.
It’s easy to forget why we document in the first place. I know some people think I might be overdoing it, taking too many photos or writing down too much. But having this documentation means I can always go back to that memory, like when we went to a specific place or had a unique experience.
We may think we’ll remember everything, but the truth is, that time has a way of letting memories fade. And it’s those small, often overlooked moments that can become the most meaningful later on.
Another way I like to preserve memories is by compiling a yearly highlight video. Each year, I go back through the photos and videos I’ve taken and select clips that represent the best of that year.
This weekend, for example, I created a new video with snippets from moments that might otherwise have gone unremembered. These videos have become a family tradition—we watch them together, reminding ourselves of all the big and small things we’ve done. There’s something powerful in seeing how much life is packed into a year, and it makes me glad I took the time to capture it all.
The message I take from all this?
Keep documenting, and maybe even document more.
Life is fast, and memories can be fragile. If a moment ever feels irrelevant, I can always delete it later—but once it’s missed, it’s gone. So, I remind myself daily to take that extra photo, write down that little moment, and continue creating all those records. It’s an archive of my life, yes, but also a record of everything I’ve done with the people I love.
Documenting life isn’t just about the past. It’s a gift to my future self, my future family. And it’s a way to keep time from moving quite so quickly.
And you can do this as well. You don't have to go to the same extent as I do.
Start small, and see where it takes you.
- Take more photos and add its widget to your home screen
- Use your default notes app and log briefly of what you did each day (can be 1 sentence)