Journal entry dating

[sidheblessed]

Hi all,

 

Lately I've been noticing how differently people date the entries in their journals. Some use a very simplistic system, such as my husband who just writes something like 16/03/11. I prefer to write out the full date, for example Wednesday, 16 March 2011. I've noticed some people include the full date, time and location, even the weather. I've definitely noticed the inclusion of the location more often in older published journals I've read.

 

So, what do you do? I guess I'm really asking what information you begin each journal entry with - just the numerical date, the full date or even more detail?

 

Thanks for indulging my tedious questioning.

[jBeckett]

I use "year month day (weekday)" similar to the Japanese notation but using a / in place of the kanji as a separator. It just seems the most logical to me because when you're looking up a page you start with the year first, then the month.

[USMCMom]

I just write out the full date.

[JakeTx]

"16 March 2011" I like the English (often known as part of the MLA format to American students) system of dating.

[rollerboy]

2011-03-16 08:58

[Speck]

I write out everything "Wednesday, March 16, 2011" because I often get the date off by a day but never get the day of the week wrong. I don't abbreviate either the day of the week or the month.

 

If I have to turn the page to continue an entry, I write out the complete date again followed by "(con't)."

 

If I'm away from home I add "@ Somewherelse, AR" after the date. That's a holdover from the days of keeping a business diary.

 

I also note holidays, special birthdays, or extreme weather: high temps over 100°, lows under 20°, or number of days of drought or deluge.

[sidheblessed]

I write out everything "Wednesday, March 16, 2011" because I often get the date off by a day but never get the day of the week wrong. I don't abbreviate either the day of the week or the month.

 

If I have to turn the page to continue an entry, I write out the complete date again followed by "(con't)."

 

If I'm away from home I add "@ Somewherelse, AR" after the date. That's a holdover from the days of keeping a business diary.

 

I also note holidays, special birthdays, or extreme weather: high temps over 100°, lows under 20°, or number of days of drought or deluge.

 

I like your style!

[caligatia]

My format is: Wed. 3/16/11 9:16am

 

I tend to write more than once a day, so subsequent entries for the same day just get the time.

[sidheblessed]

My format is: Wed. 3/16/11 9:16am

 

I tend to write more than once a day, so subsequent entries for the same day just get the time.

 

I do something similar. If I write more than once per day, the new portion is preceeded by the time. For example:

 

Thursday, 17 March, 2011

 

Insert original entry here.

 

~

 

12:30pm

 

Insert more writing here.

[Chris]

Trouble with some abbreviated systems is that they imply there are more than twelve months in the year

 

Chris

[farseer911]

todays date 20110316

[ethernautrix]

My format is: Wed. 3/16/11 9:16am

 

I tend to write more than once a day, so subsequent entries for the same day just get the time.

 

 

I do this, more or less. I include the pen code; for instance, "(NDPk.)" translates to "Nakaya Desk Pen, kuro tamenuri." If I don't recognize the Noodler's Black (heh), then I can refer to the most recent Pens & Inks list (around which I draw a box, to catch my eye).

[douknowbinh]

March. 16. 2011. Wednesday

Chicago. IL. UIC.

 

UIC = University of Illinois in Chicago

[wallylynn]

In my journal, just Month ##.

 

No "con't" since I don't interleave entries. No location because it'll be noted in the entry if I'm traveling. No weather because today's weather is usually the same as yesterday's weather. If it's unusual, it'll be noted in the entry (12 in of snow today...) Occasionally I'll put a timestamp like "Finally, going to bed at 4AM"

 

For notes, I'll be more detailed yyyy-mm-dd, pg/pg, or cont'd, etc.

[opitzs]

2010-06-25, Fr, 18:37 Uhr, Duesseldorf(, Deutschland), Regen

 

translated:

 

2010-06-25, Fr, 6:37pm, Duesseldorf(, Germany), Rain

 

(copied from my journal)

I include City only when I am not at home, and Country only when I am in a different country. Rain is mentioned, because it features in the journal entry. There can be more/other special occurrences at the end, but then I mention them in the journal entry, too.

 

Weekday is sometimes omitted, as I usually know the date, but am not always sure of the weekday.

 

If I continue on the next page, I put "2010-06-25, Cont" in the header. This does not change with the number of entries for that day. So in extreme cases there could be 3 or more pages with this header.

[KrazyIvan]

March 16, 2011 followed by Pen, nib, and ink. I have also used Star Dates being the geek that I am.

 

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2009/05/stardates-in-google-calendar.html

Edited March 16, 2011 by KrazyIvan

[Journaleur]

I use this system: "Wednesday, March 16, 2011" in the upper left, tending toward the center. I then put down the time I begin the entry: "1:37 p.m." In the upper right hand corner I number the page: "1/". On succeeding pages, I use the abbreviated date "3/16/11" in the upper right, followed after about a one inch space, the next page number: "2/". When I complete the entry I then put the finishing time following the end of the last sentence. If I have an additional entry for that day (rarely) I skip a line, write in the beginning time of the new entry at the left end of the line and then continue writing. I continue the pagination as before, then I write in the ending time, as above. I enter the place where I journal only if it is not at my home, usually at my desk. Thus, I may note that the entry was done at McDonald's (I frequently have a coffee there) or at the Hesburgh (the Notre Dame Library), etc.

 

I do not know when I began the timing system. It dates back to when I first began to journal, well over 25 years ago. I think I may have begun it as a way of knowing how much time I spent on the entry, or perhaps when I was doing timed journaling exercises, again many years ago.

 

Interesting question. Thanks for asking it. By the way, my nom d'forum refers to my work on the development of a theory of the function of the "reflective journal" in personal development, the resolution of psychosocial difficulties, and the formation of self-identity. We know that the journal is effective in these and many other areas, but I have found no good account of "how" the journal does this.

 

I would be interested in correspondence with anyone who wishes to discuss this. Please PM me or email me at "journaleur@gmail.com".

[Joe in Seattle]

Usually just month and date, i.e. 16th. My journals usually last 7 or 8 weeks, so the year is needed only on the first entry.

[Roberto_Notecardo]

3/16/11 - Wednesday

[cubic archon]

Whenever I make an entry on a new day, I draw a squiggle and then write out the full date with the day, "Wednesday 16th March 2011". Then after that, everything I write, I precede with the time, underlined (and usually I mention where I'm writing it, but not formally). Sometimes I write the time in the margin as well as I go along if I spend a long time writing.

 

Also, on each page, I put the page number in the top outer corner (I've been numbering my pages sequentially between journals for a few months now) and an abbreviated date on the bottom outer corner - usually just "Wed 16th". This is because I found that, when days stretched across a number of pages, when I was going back and reviewing things and found something worth transcribing, it was hard to tell the date without flicking backwards.

 

 

 

 

A note on the latter part: I review my journal after writing it, at my leisure - going over the pages and re-reading them, seeing if anything there are ideas or plans or observations worth typing up or turning into tasks. Sometimes I make notes about things that I've written in the journal itself. If I do something with anything written there I make a quick note by it to say what it was and when e.g. if I wrote "must remember to buy beans" last week, and then re-read it this week and added "buy beans" to my to-do list, I'd write "16/3 tasked" there. ETA: fairly consistently using a Sailor Procolor with Empire Red, at the moment.

Edited March 16, 2011 by cubic archon