The Journaling System that changed my life

A video about journaling (and vomit).

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Created by Campbell Walker

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[struthless]

UPDATE: Making this into a workbook as we speak !! Thanks for the suggestion

ALSO THIS - someone suggested a journaling card deck typa thing... any interest? Could be cool to have like 100 techniques, drawn + written properly etc...

☝️✨️let me know✨️👆

Just coz someone asked: this collection of techniques is very much a pick-and-choose situation, definitely not a "do all 30 every day" typa thing. It's more like "here’s 30 options (grouped into 5 reasons), if one makes sense for ya give it a shot"

Some of these i do twice a week, others twice a year. Different situations/days/problems call for different ways to talk to your brain, if ya get me. Take what works, leave what doesn't, chop and change, go bananas, really.

And also someone asked about format... notebooks, voice recorder, word doc, etc. To each their own, but I'm pretty format agnostic, personally. My rule: whatever's closest = the right format

[baseballMMAgames]

Long time therapist here: Much of this is amazing and a great guide. One caveat: Please don't take deeply troubling or traumatic things and try to re-frame them into something positive. Not only will that not work because it's too much cognitive dissonance, but it's a bit dangerous of a paradigm to create for yourself. It's probably why it felt inappropriate when you did it. I would suggest acknowledging how terrible the thing is, allowing yourself to have that real human emotion, and then asking the question: "How can I grow from this?" I'm sure nobody will read this but just a suggestion from someone who has been working with traumatized people for a very long time.

[privatedomicile]

Man, I just gotta say, that in a sea of male role models that promote toxicity and anti social behavior. Your idea of simply being venerable about your own struggles against yourself, and explaining how you have been able to make changes for the better is so powerful. The amount of care you exhibit towards yourself and others is really inspirational, and I hope that more men will start to think this way.

[bellekelly]

Cam you gotta check out a book called 'A life discarded' by Alex Masters. A non fiction tale written by a guy who finds 50 years worth of a single persons journals thrown out into a garbage can, takes them home, and tries to construct a biography of the mystery person from only their diaries. Deeply moving, painfully relatable, and truly impactful.

[Whoisemmanuel]

In case anyone else wants a helpful summary to keep as a reminder

Vent:

Example: Writing about what makes you angry or frustrated. This can be a way to start a journaling session and help clear your mind.
Obligations:

Obligation Dump: Writing down all obligations, big or small.
Organize: Categorizing these obligations into broader categories like family, finance, health, work.
Prioritize: Using guiding questions to identify the most important tasks. For example, "Does this make the boat go faster?" or Tim Ferris's question, "Which of these, if done, would make the rest easier or irrelevant?"
To-Do List Form: Creating a list with a 'bare minimum' and 'killing it' section to set realistic daily goals.
Mindset:

Reframing: Asking, "How is this the best thing that ever happened to me?" to change your perspective on challenging situations.
Possibility (Because Statements): Writing statements like "I am healthy because..." and then listing reasons that support this belief.
Inversion: Looking at problems from the opposite angle to find solutions.
Perspective: Writing advice you would give to a friend in your situation.
Discipline: Building discipline through the act of regular journaling.
Gratitude: Listing things you are grateful for, focusing on different aspects like mundane things, chance happenings, and things you made happen.
Ideate:

Rapid Ideation: Setting a timer for 5 minutes and trying to come up with 30 ideas or solutions.
How Would X Solve This?: Thinking about how someone else (like a famous brand or person) would solve your problem.
Open the Loop: Writing down a question before bed and letting your subconscious work on it.
Trajectory:

Direction: Regularly assessing whether your daily actions are moving you towards or away from your goals.
Day-to-Day Hidden Metrics: Asking yourself at the end of each day: "What excited me today? What drained me of energy? What did I learn?"

[daphne]

I love how you drew all the things just on paper, and I really like this video format, it makes it feel very sincere, honest and organic. Just like a friend that is explaining some techniques to you.

[sophiaglagovich]

I had a therapist once tell me to write down three positive physical experiences I had every single day. It could be something like "the moon is beautiful tonight, " (seeing something beautiful in the physical world), or "the sound of the rain on the roof was soothing, " or "the recipe I cooked today was super delicious." I have chronic pain, and this focus on the positive physical experiences I have on a daily basis helps remind me that pain isn't the only physical experience that exists, and gets me out of my head when I get hyper-focused on the pain. It's been really helpful.

[colehaywrites]

My favourite prompt is "What surprised you today?"

You'll end up noticing the coolest stuff (internally and externally) when you start expecting a surprise from life 💫

[hissykittycat]

I'm 52 years old, this is the first time I've actually heard REAL, HELPFUL advice about journaling and list making! Thank you so much!!!! Going to listen again and maybe a third time if I need it!

[mdipeace]

I used to keep a "fantasy self" journal. I had all sorts of adventures and traveled the world. It was really fun, I should start that up again. It helped give perspective on what I really wanted out of life and what makes me happy.

[lillydevil]

Bruh, the concept of journaling on a side-ways turned sketchbook has made me immediately more interested in journaling than any other journaling video/blog post ever

[garden.alchemi]

I honestly thought "the vomit system" was going to be about "just dump it all out, it doesn't have to make sense" because that's kinda what I've been needing to do for myself. But this was a very pleasant surprise. As someone who's been journaling for 26 years for life-documentation and for help navigating internal struggles - this system is very much for deep psyche expansion. I love it. Thank you so much for putting this together, and for your humor sprinkled in. Days later and I'm still laughing at your giggles over the word "vomit" 😆😆 Congrats on your sobriety and fatherhood!

[unproductiveworkshop]

"There is a lot of hype, but there isn't that much instruction." Struthless, I can't tell you how much that quote applies to a LOT of life!!!

[tallbudha]

Good stuff man. Hit my 4 years sober last week and today is my 45th birthday. I think this will help, thanks.

[pamandseth]

I have used the "how is this the best thing that ever happened to me" THIS MONTH. I was knocked out by an unexpected health problem. Asked myself the question. Rest without guilt! Audiobooks! Snuggle time with dogs! I asked friends to come up with wacky reasons, too, that amused me. I ended up grinning more than suffering. THANK YOU so much!

[dmalikat]

I had a bad attitude coming into this video, like “you don’t need rules for journaling.” And…I walked away completely blown away. I feel excited to VOMIT now, lol! And…I am grateful for you and this helpful video. 🎉

Thank you, you lovely human.

[FreddotheWheelchairGuy]

A great journal prompt is “what terrible things haven’t happened to me today?”

This kind of forced gratitude practice is helpful I if you’re stuck in a rut.

I haven’t been diagnosed with a fatal illness.

I’m not suffering debilitating pain.

You get the idea. When you realise how many people in the world are suffering in these acute stages of painful experiences, it can make you feel a bit better about a seemingly minor inconvenience that your mind may have blown out of proportion.

[rachelfinder]

Dude. This is EXACTLY how I naturally ended up journaling after doing it for decades. Truly, the vomit process is liberating. It's not about having brilliant thoughts to record. It's about swatting cobwebs out of your brain meat so you can use it to DO things, not ruminate on things.

PS: thank you for closing the duck loop! Ugh. Though you were gonna leave my brain hanging.

[ima.ekenes]

Another promt: writing letters to something or someone more or less random. Like Dear 2024, Dear wedding ring, Dear 10yo me, Dear cellphone, Dear Spiderman, Dear joy, Dear Struthless. And of course Dear diary and Dear God, but expanding on this prompt can be so interesting, it often surprises me what comes out when I do this!

[ruftotherescue]

I'm 54 and have watched thousand of self improvement videos on YouTube. This is the best one I've seen on improving an aspect of your life. Journaling is something I've wanted to start for several years, but I have never started. Because of this video, I am now a journaler and it is one of the best things I've ever added to my life.