59 - Growing a Digital Garden: Margot Olson on Life-Logging with Day One
Jan 31, 2025
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Margot Olson, a Day One power user and life-logging enthusiast with over 96,000 journal entries, shares her journey of meticulous record-keeping. She likens her journaling practice to cultivating a 'digital garden,' highlighting how documenting even the smallest moments enriches memory and perspective. Margot discusses innovative tools like ChatGPT for digitizing notes and shares practical tips for starting a journaling journey. She emphasizes the value of reflection through journaling, particularly during challenging times.
Margot Olson emphasizes that journaling cultivates personal growth by allowing individuals to reflect on their experiences and emotions over time.
Through her concept of a 'digital garden,' Margot showcases the importance of organizing diverse life entries to enrich one's understanding of their journey.
Deep dives
Mastering the Art of Journaling
Margo Olson has become a master at documenting life through journaling, with over 96,000 entries, highlighting how the practice can evolve over time. Her journey began in childhood, influenced by her grandfather's dedication to writing daily and the encouragement of her upbringing. After various attempts with traditional methods, she discovered a more effective way to journal using the Day One app in 2014, which quickly became her preferred platform for capturing moments. This has allowed her to maintain a nearly 6,000-day streak, showcasing the lasting benefits and immersive nature of consistent journaling.
The Digital Garden Metaphor
Margo refers to her journaling practice as a 'digital garden,' emphasizing its diverse and organic nature, where different types of entries flourish together. She utilizes around 60 unique journals for specific purposes, including health metrics, dreams, and family history, representing the varied elements of her life. This metaphor illustrates her commitment to tending to her entries like a gardener, cultivating her memories and experiences in a way that reflects her personal growth. Each journal serves as a repository that helps her make sense of her journey, expanding her understanding and appreciation of life as she crafts her narrative.
Encouragement for Aspiring Journalers
Margo provides insightful tips for those interested in starting their own journaling practice, stressing the importance of identifying the desire to document one’s life. She encourages beginners to consider how they want to capture their experiences and acknowledges that any form of writing, even a simple note, is valid. The act of setting aside time to journal can help individuals reflect on their daily lives, leading to greater self-awareness and understanding of their personal narratives. Margo's experience demonstrates that journaling is not just about recording events; it's also a powerful method for processing emotions and building a rich tapestry of one’s life story.
What if your journal could be a thriving digital garden, capturing every moment, big and small? In this episode, we sit down with Day One power user Margot Olson, who has logged over 96,000 journal entries and maintained an incredible streak of nearly 6,000 days. Margot shares her journey—from early influences in record-keeping to building a vast, meticulously organized digital journal. We discuss her approach to life-logging, the tools she uses, and how documenting even the smallest details enriches memory and perspective. Whether you're a seasoned journaler or just starting, this conversation will inspire you to cultivate your own digital garden with Day One.
💡 Have an idea for the Day One podcast? We’re always looking for new topics and inspiring guests to feature! If you have a Day One journaling-related idea or know someone with a great story to share, we’d love to hear from you. Submit your suggestions at dayoneapp.com/podcastideas.
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