Journal

The Journal feature in Routine lets you take daily notes for reflection, planning, or tracking thoughts. Each day gets its own dedicated page where you can write freely, use templates, and create tasks that integrate directly with your agenda and planning workflow.

Journaling in Routine combines personal reflection with actionable planning, ensuring your daily notes connect to your broader productivity system.

✍️ Functionality

With the Journal, you can:

• Create a dedicated note for each day automatically

• Start with a blank page or use pre-built templates

• Write reflections, plans, or thoughts in a distraction-free space

• Create tasks directly within journal entries

• Reference any object in your workspace inline using @

• Link journal tasks to your daily agenda and calendar

• Navigate between past and future entries using history controls

• Set the Journal as your home screen (default view when launching Routine)

• Show or hide the Journal section in your menu

Journal entries live alongside your tasks and events, not in a separate system.

⁉️ Why use the Journal

Traditional journaling apps keep your reflections separate from your task manager. In Routine:

• Journal entries can contain real tasks, not just text

• Tasks created in your journal automatically appear in your agenda

• You can view your day from two perspectives — action-oriented (agenda) or reflection-oriented (journal)

• Planning and reflection happen in the same workspace

• References to tasks, projects, contacts, and custom objects can be embedded inline

• Your daily thoughts connect directly to execution

This creates a seamless flow between reflection, planning, and doing.

🗯️ How to use the Journal

Enabling the Journal:

1. Go to Settings → Menu

2. Find the Journal section (hidden by default)

3. Toggle it to Show

4. Drag to reorder it in your sidebar (beginning, middle, or end)

5. Optionally set it as your home screen so it's the first thing you see when you launch Routine

Using the Journal:

1. Click Journal in your sidebar

2. Routine automatically creates an entry for today's date

3. Start writing or select a template to begin

4. Use the full note editor — headings, checklists, bullet lists, embeds, and more

5. Hit / to insert blocks or use @ to reference or mention objects, teammates, or integrations

6. Create tasks within your journal by typing or using task commands — they appear in your agenda automatically

7. Use the history navigation controls in the top bar to move between past and future entries

Tasks created in journal entries behave like any other Routine task — they can be scheduled, time-blocked, linked to projects, and planned.

🙌 Use cases

The Journal is especially useful for:

• Morning planning — start each day by writing priorities and turning them into tasks

• Evening reflection — review what happened and capture learnings

• Daily gratitude or mindfulness — consistent habit tracking in a dedicated daily space

• Weekly reviews — reflect on progress and plan the week ahead

• Combining reflection with action — think through your day while building your task list

• Meeting prep — write notes and reference upcoming events or contacts before a meeting

• Students and writers — daily writing practice with integrated task management

• Long-term tracking — navigate back through past entries to review patterns and progress

The Journal bridges the gap between thoughtful reflection and productive action, ensuring your insights translate into execution.