This guide gives you a voice‑friendly template that compiles into clean Markdown you’ll actually reread later. It’s short enough for busy days, structured enough to stay searchable.
Who this is for
- You want a daily journaling habit without a blinking cursor.
- You prefer speaking to typing on your phone.
- You use Brain Dump and keep notes as Markdown in iCloud.
The three sentence core (speak it as written)
Say a title, then three short sentences:
- Title - “Journal - feeling, topic”.
- What happened - one sentence.
- What it means - one sentence.
- What I’ll do - one sentence.
- Tag one emotion at the end (optional).
Example (spoken):
Title. Journal - relieved, retro went well.
Today’s retro surfaced the release delay and we set a new date.
It means we’re aligned and the risk is contained.
I’ll send an update and unblock design tomorrow.
Emotion. relieved.
Brain Dump turns that into a dated Markdown file ready for Obsidian or any editor.
Why this works
- Short sentences survive background noise and accents.
- The title makes files easy to scan in the Files app.
- The emotion tag helps future you find patterns in mood and energy.
For more capture techniques, see Voice dictation tips and the 60‑second prompts.
Morning vs. evening variations
Use one structure in the morning, one at night. Consistency beats variety.
Morning (set direction)
- Title - “Journal - energized, today’s focus”.
- One thing I’ll finish.
- One blocker I can remove.
- One small reward I’ll give myself.
Evening (integrate the day)
- Title - “Journal - grateful, day in one line”.
- What I did that mattered.
- What surprised me.
- One adjustment for tomorrow.
Templates you can paste in Notes/Obsidian
# Journal - {feeling}, {topic}
## What happened
{one sentence}
## What it means
{one sentence}
## What I will do
{one sentence}
Emotion: {word}
Copy that into a pinned note for reference. Brain Dump will produce a similar structure when you speak the labels.
Common pitfalls (and easy fixes)
- Rambling paragraphs. Switch to three sentences. Pause briefly between them.
- Vague titles. Include an emotion or topic in the title so future you can search faster.
- Names and jargon misspelled. Add them once to the custom dictionary.
- Wind and traffic. See mic positioning or use wired EarPods.
Make it effortless
- Create a Siri phrase like “brain dump now” using a tiny Shortcut: guide.
- Append to yesterday’s journal with one phrase if you prefer running entries: append to last note.
- Capture without signal - Brain Dump works offline: Airplane Mode tips.
Examples you can mimic
-
“Journal - frustrated, email backlog.”
Happened. Inbox hit 300 and I felt behind.
Means. I am avoiding because the task is ambiguous.
Do. Process 25 tomorrow after lunch. Archive newsletters.
Emotion. frustrated. -
“Journal - calm, Sunday reset.”
Happened. I planned meals and set out kid clothes.
Means. The week will start smoother.
Do. Prep coffee tonight and lights out by 10:30.
Emotion. calm. -
“Journal - anxious, 2 am loop.”
Happened. Woke up worrying about the demo.
Means. I care and the plan needs a dry run.
Do. Block 30 minutes to rehearse.
Emotion. anxious.
If this is frequent, try the 2 am worry script.
FAQ
How long should this take? About 60 to 90 seconds. If you are going longer, you are probably over explaining.
Where do the files live? In your own iCloud as plain‑text Markdown.
Does any audio leave my device? Transcription is on‑device by default; optional AI polish is off unless you enable it. See privacy.
Keep it simple. Say the title, say the three sentences, tag a feeling. That’s enough to build a streak you’ll keep.
Download a Markdown journal template: /templates/journal-template.md