The history of the world is none other than the progress of the consciousness of Hegeluary.

Anyway, that's all of my thoughts on journaling and journaling games. Journaling is cool, and there should be more of it. So go do some journaling in 2026.

One that I recently bought but haven't played yet is The Librarian's Apprentice from @almostbedtime.bsky.social
But I'm excited to try it. It's another intriguing concept. The presentation is gorgeous. And as a library lover, this speaks to my soul.
almostbedtimetheater.itch.io/the-libraria...

One that I enjoyed was The Lighthouse at the Edge of the Universe from @lostwaysclub.itch.io which I found to just be a really intriguing concept. And it even includes a little paper lighthouse that you can cut out and put together, which was a really nice touch.
www.lostwaysclub.com/lighthouse-rpg

These games are basically elaborate creative writing exercises that allow you to explore ideas through narrative prompts. And in many ways, I find them to be superior to just a list of creative writing prompts because they help you to build a character to guide through these scenarios.

Speaking of gamifying journaling, 2025 was also the year that I discovered solo journaling RPGs. Now yes, this is a very different sort of journaling than keeping a personal journal. But to me, it still scratches some of the same itch, especially if your interest in journaling is creative.

Because I'm a bit of a nerd and a gamer, I really like The Hero's Journal. Each one gives a bit of narrative flavor to your journaling, complete with really cool artwork and maps. Very much looking forward to the martial arts anime inspired Way of Istoria which drops in 2026.
theherosjournal.co

There are lots of guided journals out there, and I've found these to be a bit hit and miss. But obviously the benefit is that they give you prompts to get you started so if you're someone for whom writing about yourself doesn't come easily, you don't have to struggle for what to write about.

I don't keep just a full gratitude journal, but I do include in my daily journal entries a list of three things I'm feeling grateful for that day. They don't always have to be deeply profound either. Sometimes I'm grateful for a good cup of coffee in the morning.

What worked for me getting started was something like what Jared calls a narrative method where you basically just write about something that went well, something that didn't go well, and then write a little bit about how it all ties together into a sort of narrative about your life.

One video about it I found which really encouraged me to give journaling a try was this one by @jaredhenderson.bsky.social who actually has a few videos about journaling among other things. They're all great, and you should be following him if you aren't already.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLZT...

I remember being encouraged to journal when I was younger, and it never stuck because I felt like I didn't have anything to write about. My life is pretty ordinary. My days are pretty routine. What is there to say?

I don't know if journaling is something that a lot of guys really do these days, whether because it's not seen as "manly" or they just don't know how to get started. I wasn't sure myself if this would really help, or if it would just be a waste of time.

I ended 2024 feeling incredibly isolated and burnt out. And while I wouldn't say that journaling is a substitute for having a good social support network, I think it really did help to be able to get my thoughts out of my head and onto the page. And it helped keep me focused on my current goals.

That means it’s two-thirds not English.

It’s really hard to convince Americans to watch foreign films.

You may be thinking, “But Christmas is really about the kids. Surely this advice doesn’t apply to children’s Christmas movies.”

To you I would point to one of the most acclaimed children’s Christmas specials ever: A Charlie Brown Christmas, the story of a child struggling with holiday depression.