Hi guys, new member here and loving the discussions in the forum. I'm wondering if anyone has experience journaling with ZK or other methods. I want to learn how I can create my own methods to express and understand my emotions and thoughts.
Welcome to the forum, @mchangxe! I write journal entries in my note system, and I think this comment by @Sascha in the previous discussion "Journal and zettelkasten" (October 2022) is good advice. Especially step three of Sascha's advice is what will bring the power of the ZK to your journaling.
@Andy said:
Welcome to the forum, @mchangxe! I write journal entries in my note system, and I think this comment by @Sascha in the previous discussion "Journal and zettelkasten" (October 2022) is good advice. Especially step three of Sascha's advice is what will bring the power of the ZK to your journaling.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. This thread has a lot to unpack and seems like a gold mine!
@mchangxe said:
Hi guys, new member here and loving the discussions in the forum. I'm wondering if anyone has experience journaling with ZK or other methods. I want to learn how I can create my own methods to express and understand my emotions and thoughts.
I use Logseq for my Zettelkasten. One of its powerful features is built-in journalling. I'm moving this weekend but will be happy to respond more in a couple of days.
A zettelkasten and a journal have two different functions. Zettelkasten for knowledge work and a journal for personal reflection on life (personal reflection on knowledge work belongs in your zettelkasten). This all lies within the spectrum, which is somewhat nebulous. A little isolation from each other is a good thing. I think it makes it easy to share knowledge work without sharing personal journaling. I don't use my zettelkasten as a journal. I prefer to keep my journal and my knowledge work separate. This makes it easier to share my knowledge work.
Most zettelnauts on the forum will not agree with this way of working and freely mix journaling and knowledge work. You might say it is a matter of style. I'm a journaled first and zettelnaut second. This is my style.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. kestrelcreek.com
I use some forms of journaling, in bullet list format, for the first stages of my Zettelkasten (extracting knowledge and thoughts consuming an article, a book, a video or a discussion, or as the place for my reflections).
I use journal notes as the embodiment of fleeting notes/literature notes, in the end. From these I then develop my zettels (and I often go back and forward).
Want a smarter thinking workflow? Connect the best journaling and Zettelkasten tools.
Let ideas flow between the two. A journal entry can spark a question, lead to a zettel, and evolve into something bigger. Likewise, a zettel can trace back to its emotional or situational roots in your journal. The Archive handles a Zettelkasten with this two-way linking like a champ. Pair it with a solid journaling app, and you have a system that turns reflections into insights.
Journaling is where many ideas start. Zettelkasten is where they get serious.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. kestrelcreek.com
The separation between "personal reflection on life" and "personal reflection on knowledge work" that @Will recommends is not what I do, but it is good advice if you have a reason to share your Zettelkasten publicly on the web or with colleagues. I can't share my note system publicly because it's so personal. If you keep the personal stuff separate, you can easily "work with the garage door open" and put your note system on the web.
I said in a comment in the previous discussion "Incorporate or separate personal development from research topics?" (August 2024): "If I were to start over with a new note system today, I would do it that way [i.e. separating personal/private from impersonal/public writing]. I may start over for this reason." But it's much easier to say "I may start over" than to do it, so I'd advise to carefully consider this issue if you are starting now.
You can separate journaling by using two different apps as in @Will's workflow, or just by using two different folders or something like that.
@Will said:
Want a smarter thinking workflow? Connect the best journaling and Zettelkasten tools.
Let ideas flow between the two. A journal entry can spark a question, lead to a zettel, and evolve into something bigger. Likewise, a zettel can trace back to its emotional or situational roots in your journal. The Archive handles a Zettelkasten with this two-way linking like a champ. Pair it with a solid journaling app, and you have a system that turns reflections into insights.
Journaling is where many ideas start. Zettelkasten is where they get serious.
Further to a brief comment I posted here on April 1 (no, it wasn't an April Fools' day post), @Will has accurately captured what I do, all within Logseq. The Logseq tool set allows you to keep a comprehensive journal as well as a full Zettelkasten. There is no need to keep the two separate; they both have their own text files and exist side-by-side quite happily. If you want to connect something in your daily journal to an existing zettel, that is of course simple, but you don't have to. Logseq also allows you to enter plans, todos, etc., on future dates, and that is again a place where you can link to a zettel or past journal entry. It's both flexible and powerful. It took a few weeks of use to get accustomed to this integrated environment, but I'd have a hard time going back to separate Zettelkasten and journal.
I maintain my Zettelkasten and journal in separate apps because they serve different purposes: one is for thinking, while the other focuses on the emotional processing of life's minutiae. Switching apps enables me to switch gears mentally.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time. kestrelcreek.com
@mchangxe said:
to express and understand my emotions and thoughts.
The best thing is probably just to start and make adjustments along the way. Your choices will naturally converge on a personal methodology that works best for you. Choose a tool with little to no lock-in to make it easier to make such adjustments.
As you can see here, there's some debate about the need to separate the personal and the private. If you have one app that works well for you, I don't really see any objective reason why you shouldn't use it for everything. You can use tags, folders, etc. to separate domains—a totally different app really isn't necessary. The only caveat has to do with how it feels to you, i.e. if you feel better using two apps, then do that, if not, then don't. Some people just don't like when their work stuff touches their private stuff (ewww!), some don't care. Some might want certain features for personal stuff, and other features for private stuff. Just try things out and you'll discover your own preferences.
Forgot to mention: One thing I like about using Zk for journaling is that I can keep things short and simple. I'm not someone who always wants to write a text with a beginning, middle, and end—"Dear diary...". Zk is very forgiving in that regard, especially the digital sort.
@vvirr said:
Forgot to mention: One thing I like about using Zk for journaling is that I can keep things short and simple. I'm not someone who always wants to write a text with a beginning, middle, and end—"Dear diary...". Zk is very forgiving in that regard, especially the digital sort.
Yes, I agree. I also like the flexibility and ease with which one can review and modify any entry, journal or "normal" zettel, when the Zettelkasten is electronic.
Comments
Welcome to the forum, @mchangxe! I write journal entries in my note system, and I think this comment by @Sascha in the previous discussion "Journal and zettelkasten" (October 2022) is good advice. Especially step three of Sascha's advice is what will bring the power of the ZK to your journaling.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. This thread has a lot to unpack and seems like a gold mine!
I use Logseq for my Zettelkasten. One of its powerful features is built-in journalling. I'm moving this weekend but will be happy to respond more in a couple of days.
A zettelkasten and a journal have two different functions. Zettelkasten for knowledge work and a journal for personal reflection on life (personal reflection on knowledge work belongs in your zettelkasten). This all lies within the spectrum, which is somewhat nebulous. A little isolation from each other is a good thing. I think it makes it easy to share knowledge work without sharing personal journaling. I don't use my zettelkasten as a journal. I prefer to keep my journal and my knowledge work separate. This makes it easier to share my knowledge work.
Most zettelnauts on the forum will not agree with this way of working and freely mix journaling and knowledge work. You might say it is a matter of style. I'm a journaled first and zettelnaut second. This is my style.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
kestrelcreek.com
I use some forms of journaling, in bullet list format, for the first stages of my Zettelkasten (extracting knowledge and thoughts consuming an article, a book, a video or a discussion, or as the place for my reflections).
I use journal notes as the embodiment of fleeting notes/literature notes, in the end. From these I then develop my zettels (and I often go back and forward).
Want a smarter thinking workflow? Connect the best journaling and Zettelkasten tools.
Let ideas flow between the two. A journal entry can spark a question, lead to a zettel, and evolve into something bigger. Likewise, a zettel can trace back to its emotional or situational roots in your journal. The Archive handles a Zettelkasten with this two-way linking like a champ. Pair it with a solid journaling app, and you have a system that turns reflections into insights.
Journaling is where many ideas start. Zettelkasten is where they get serious.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
kestrelcreek.com
The separation between "personal reflection on life" and "personal reflection on knowledge work" that @Will recommends is not what I do, but it is good advice if you have a reason to share your Zettelkasten publicly on the web or with colleagues. I can't share my note system publicly because it's so personal. If you keep the personal stuff separate, you can easily "work with the garage door open" and put your note system on the web.
I said in a comment in the previous discussion "Incorporate or separate personal development from research topics?" (August 2024): "If I were to start over with a new note system today, I would do it that way [i.e. separating personal/private from impersonal/public writing]. I may start over for this reason." But it's much easier to say "I may start over" than to do it, so I'd advise to carefully consider this issue if you are starting now.
You can separate journaling by using two different apps as in @Will's workflow, or just by using two different folders or something like that.
Further to a brief comment I posted here on April 1 (no, it wasn't an April Fools' day post), @Will has accurately captured what I do, all within Logseq. The Logseq tool set allows you to keep a comprehensive journal as well as a full Zettelkasten. There is no need to keep the two separate; they both have their own text files and exist side-by-side quite happily. If you want to connect something in your daily journal to an existing zettel, that is of course simple, but you don't have to. Logseq also allows you to enter plans, todos, etc., on future dates, and that is again a place where you can link to a zettel or past journal entry. It's both flexible and powerful. It took a few weeks of use to get accustomed to this integrated environment, but I'd have a hard time going back to separate Zettelkasten and journal.
I started doing the same with Absurdian using Weekly notes.
GitHub. Erdős #2. Problems worthy of attack / prove their worth by hitting back. -- Piet Hein. Alter ego: Erel Dogg (not the first). CC BY-SA 4.0.
I maintain my Zettelkasten and journal in separate apps because they serve different purposes: one is for thinking, while the other focuses on the emotional processing of life's minutiae. Switching apps enables me to switch gears mentally.
Will Simpson
My peak cognition is behind me. One day soon, I will read my last book, write my last note, eat my last meal, and kiss my sweetie for the last time.
kestrelcreek.com
The best thing is probably just to start and make adjustments along the way. Your choices will naturally converge on a personal methodology that works best for you. Choose a tool with little to no lock-in to make it easier to make such adjustments.
As you can see here, there's some debate about the need to separate the personal and the private. If you have one app that works well for you, I don't really see any objective reason why you shouldn't use it for everything. You can use tags, folders, etc. to separate domains—a totally different app really isn't necessary. The only caveat has to do with how it feels to you, i.e. if you feel better using two apps, then do that, if not, then don't. Some people just don't like when their work stuff touches their private stuff (ewww!), some don't care. Some might want certain features for personal stuff, and other features for private stuff. Just try things out and you'll discover your own preferences.
Forgot to mention: One thing I like about using Zk for journaling is that I can keep things short and simple. I'm not someone who always wants to write a text with a beginning, middle, and end—"Dear diary...". Zk is very forgiving in that regard, especially the digital sort.
Yes, I agree. I also like the flexibility and ease with which one can review and modify any entry, journal or "normal" zettel, when the Zettelkasten is electronic.