Every explorer kept a journal, a logbook of their travels. How else would you know – and document for others – where you went, where your decisions led you?

If you see your life as a journey of discovery – and there are good reasons why you’d want to – then it is essential to document and reflect upon it, to engage in life writing.

Where are you on this path, where do you want to go, and where have you been, what have you seen?

Microexploration is all about embracing the small, everyday discoveries that shape our path, and journaling and memoir writing are two powerful tools to fuel discovery and story-telling about a life.

Of course, you could say that not everyone’s story is worth telling, but this is not about telling everyone your story and getting on their nerves.

It’s about, first of all, learning to see your life as a story, a journey of discovery, then learning to tell it, to make sense of it and give it meaning for yourself.

And maybe in the process of “telling” that story, if you want to not just do that for yourself, you’ll find that there are things that are of interest to others.

Journaling: Your Daily Compass

Journaling seems widely accepted, even among the “bros” who want to life-hack and optimize everything. You can keep a diary or work with a bullet journal or reflect daily on what you are grateful for.

Imagine a journal as your personal compass, ever-present on your life’s journey.

Journaling is good for:

• Self-Discovery: Daily reflections help you understand your reactions, emotions, and motivations. You might discover hidden passions or limiting beliefs through the act of writing them down.
  
• Clarity and Focus: Journaling allows you to untangle complex thoughts and situations. By putting pen to paper, you gain a clearer perspective on decisions and challenges.
  
• Tracking Progress: As you revisit past entries, you witness your growth. You’ll see how microexplorations – trying a new recipe, taking a different route to work – have subtly nudged you forward. You may also discover that certain interests are constants in your life.
  
• Keeping Memories: Hoarding knick-knacks from travel isn’t something I’d recommend, but keeping some photos and some notes on what you did, when and where, what you experienced, seems a good thing to me. We forget so much.

Keeping a regular record also helps if you want to take things a step further into outright life writing.

Life Writing a Memoir: Reflecting on the Bigger Picture

Memoir writing goes beyond daily entries, offering a chance to delve deeper:

• Connecting the Dots: Memoirs allow you to analyze past experiences and see how they’ve shaped your current self. You might recognize patterns or turning points that fueled your life journey.
  
• Appreciation for Growth: Revisiting your past can ignite gratitude for the person you’ve become. You’ll appreciate the experiences that led you where you are today.
  
• Type 2 & 3 Fun: Looking back at life experiences, we often find the fun in them. Things that weren’t pleasurable in the moment but hard, even painful (think of challenges, e.g. in sports or learning), are fun in retrospect. Even things that aren’t fun to remember can make for a great story, bringing their own kind of pleasure.
  
• Sharing Your Journey: Memoirs can inspire others. Your story might be the nudge someone needs to step outside their comfort zone and discover themself.

You don’t have to publish your memoir; that’s not how this is meant. You shouldn’t ruminate endlessly about supposedly bad decisions in your past, either.

Try to tell your life as a story of discovery, of exploration, turning bad times into learning experiences in your retelling, and you’ll see how it helps you. Maybe it also helps others, maybe it could be something you pass on to your children – and remember that the end of your story is not yet written. You still have a ways to go.

So, live, and grab your pen to write the story you live!