Remember when everyone used to keep a journal, back in elementary school? Either teachers forced you to write in a drab black composition book every week or you kept a more cheerful diary at home, where you could write things that wouldn’t actually be read by other people. Of course, I might be gravely mistaken: maybe I was one of the only kids who decided that recording part of my life on paper would be a good idea.

In any case, a few weeks ago I looked through some of those old journals and I was surprised at how much they revealed about my life at the time that I wrote them. Granted, I mostly scribbled down lists of people I was annoyed with and not heartfelt essays describing my feelings, as I’ve always felt uncomfortable splashing my emotions across a page. However, they made me remember events or situations that I had completely forgotten, and they helped me recall a little bit about the person I was at that younger age.

Now, of course, I have no time to keep a journal, because when I finish my homework the last thing I want to do is write more. But I do think it’s important to maintain a small record of your current self for the Future You to read through and laugh at later. You could do as little as jotting down one word that sums up your day, or do as I did and make a list of things that are driving you crazy at a particular moment in your life. Just take the time to do this one small thing; you won’t regret it later.