How to journal like Benjamin Franklin

Summary

The video presents Benjamin Franklin’s journaling habits as practical ways to build self-discipline, reflect on daily actions, and make better decisions.

• Track habits and virtues: Franklin reportedly reviewed 13 virtues each day: moderation, silence, order, determination, thrift, industriousness, sincerity, justice, restraint, tidiness, calmness, chastity, and humility. The speaker recommends using a simple habit tracker, such as 30 boxes for a month, and marking whether you completed a habit each day.
• Start and end the day with purposeful questions: Ask, “What good will I do today?” in the morning, then “What good have I done today?” in the evening. This keeps journaling focused on actions and contributions to others.
• Plan and review your day: Write down what you intend to do, then summarize the day afterward. Review how you followed through, how you spent your time, what went wrong, and what lessons are worth recording.
• Use action-oriented journaling: The video highlights Franklin’s saying, “Either write something worth reading, or do something worth being written about.” Use it as a prompt to consider whether your daily actions are meaningful.
• Lay out decisions on paper: For important choices, divide a page into “for” and “against” columns and list the pros and cons. Seeing them together can help you weigh a decision more clearly.

Presenter and source

• Presenter: Naphtali Rosenberg
• Historical source discussed: Benjamin Franklin