## Intro [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=0s) - A journal is imagined that never ends, a single diary that grows with the user and stays with them forever, capturing life as it happens and resurfacing previous events and memories automatically [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=0s). - This concept may seem impossible, but a method will be shown to start this endless journal in 2025 and maintain it forever [(00:00:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=11s). - The goal is to help users begin this continuous journaling process in 2025 and stick with it long-term [(00:00:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=13s). ## What is the Forever Diary [(00:00:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=18s) - A "Forever Diary" is a type of diary that is easy to start and maintain over a long period, differing from a standard journal in its time reference, which is based on days rather than years [(00:00:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=32s). - In a standard diary, entries are written for an entire year, and when the year is over, a new diary is started, and the previous one is archived, making it unlikely to revisit past memories [(00:00:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=41s). - In contrast, a Forever Diary allows users to keep writing on the same day over multiple years, with each year's entries being added to the same page, enabling users to reflect on past memories [(00:01:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=78s). - The Forever Diary also allows users to easily write entries for past years, which is difficult or impossible with standard journals [(00:01:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=95s). - The Forever Diary can be set up using [[Google Docs]], which is available cross-platform and online, allowing users to edit their diary from anywhere [(00:02:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=126s). - To set up a Forever Diary in Google Docs, users create a folder structure with 12 folders, one for each month, and within each folder, create a file for each day of the month [(00:02:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=142s). - The folder structure can be created manually over time, and once set up, it does not need to be changed, allowing users to focus on writing entries [(00:02:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=173s). ## Writing an entry [(00:03:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=188s) - To write an entry for a specific date, such as January 1st, a new file is opened in Google Docs, which is initially empty, and the first step is to name the file with the date and change the style to title for clarity [(00:03:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=204s). - A header is added to the entry, including the year, weekday, and location, which is then converted to a heading two for consistency [(00:03:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=231s). - The diary entry can be as long and detailed as desired, and additional entries for the same date in previous years can be added below, following the same style [(00:04:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=261s). - In addition to writing, pictures or videos can be attached to the entry, and if using a [[MacOS | Mac]], photos can be dragged directly from the Photos app [(00:05:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=302s). - [[Google Docs]] allows multiple pictures to be attached and a custom layout can be defined, enabling users to resize and arrange the images as desired [(00:05:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=322s). - The benefit of this setup is that every time an entry is written on a specific date, all previous entries for that date will be visible, allowing users to reflect on past experiences and add new information at any time [(00:06:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=368s). - Users can also add new entries for past dates, such as a memory from January 1st, 1999, and attach photos, making the diary a joy to open and write in over time [(00:06:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=386s). ## Navigation [(00:06:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=403s) - To navigate between days in a diary, a link can be added at the top of each page to point backwards or forwards one day, allowing for easy access to previous or next day's entries [(00:07:05)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=425s). - To create a link, right-click and choose "insert link" or use the shortcut Command K on a [[MacOS | Mac]] or Ctrl K on a Windows computer, then type the text of the link and the name of the file to link to [(00:07:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=441s). - [[Google Docs]] will provide a list of files containing the typed letters, allowing for easy selection of the correct file to link to [(00:07:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=470s). - Switching to the "pageless" format in Google Docs can make the page bigger and allow for easier movement of content, and also enables headers to be collapsed [(00:08:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=509s). - Collapsing headers can be useful for hiding large sections of content, such as photos, but it's not recommended for diary entries as it can make it harder to view previous entries [(00:09:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=541s). - Creating a new section with a heading can allow for collapsing and expanding of content, making it easier to navigate [(00:09:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=566s). - Google Docs allows users to create their own styles, such as changing the color and font of headings, which can be applied to all future headings of the same type [(00:09:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=582s). - Using these features can make keeping a diary more engaging and motivating, and can help to track progress and transformation over time [(00:10:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM&t=608s). ## Sources - [website](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhfPCZqz8yM)