The ‘journail’ explained

Let’s deep dive into my new method of capturing thoughts and experiences digitally, coined as ‘journailing’. We’ll explore this concept step-by-step and understand what makes a journail post so unique.

So what’s a journail?

For starters, imagine taking a traditional journal—a space for your thoughts, reflections, and records—and infusing it with artificial intelligence. That’s the essence of a journail. But let’s break it down. As part of my personal podcast, Mike’s Mind, I began experimenting with what to call this AI-enhanced journaling. I wasn’t satisfied with standard terminology like blogs, vlogs and podcasts so I sought the help of AI to forge a new name. That’s how ‘journailing’ was born, blending “journal” with “AI” to represent this merger made possible through modern technology.

The journailing process

Here’s how it works:

1. Voice Recording: It all begins with a simple voice recording, often captured using my iPhone’s voice recorder. I articulate my thoughts, musings, and daily experiences, which range from brief notes to extensive 15-minute sessions.
2. Storage and Access: Once recorded, I upload these files onto OneDrive. This cloud storage option ensures I can access my recordings from any device at any time.
3. Transcription with Descript: The journey gets interesting when I introduce the Descript app into the process. Descript transcribes my spoken words into text form. By subscribing to their Creative Plan, I unlock numerous AI tools, including extensive transcription hours—crucial since I generate a lot of content.
4. Transforming Voice to Text: Descript doesn’t just transcribe; it’s capable of creating summaries, show notes, and YouTube descriptions from the content. Picture this: my voice ramblings turn into refined blog posts through automated yet guided steps, a process I now term ‘journailing’.

What makes ‘journailing’ stand out?

• Organic to Digital: Journailing merges the organic flow of spoken word with the precision and structure of AI-generated text. Essentially, it’s your verbal expression reimagined in written format.
• Daily Practice: Aiming to transform my speech recordings into daily blog posts, journailing reflects an everyday engagement with your thoughts, just as traditional journaling does.
• Editable Precision: Although AI does much of the heavy lifting—automatically drafting blog posts—I retain editors’ privileges to tweak headlines, refine content, and ensure everything aligns with my vision.

The beauty of journailing lies in its reflective nature. For instance, my first journail ranged from discussions about leadership to historical analogies like Hitler’s regime. The content flowed seamlessly through different topics thanks to the AI’s ability to string my varied thoughts into a coherent narrative. It’s not just a blog or a podcast—it’s an intertwined experience of both.

Seeking a Perfect [better] name

What do we call this new format? As my first coined term, ‘journail’ serves its purpose, but perhaps there’s a catchier name out there. A name that encapsulates the innovative blend of AI, voice recording, and blog writing. Feel free to ponder and share your ideas!

Journailing embodies the juxtaposition of old and new, merging timeless journaling practices with cutting-edge technology. It’s an exciting experiment capturing the essence of one’s mind and thoughts through voice and converting them into polished written reflections.

So, here’s a call to arms—what do you make of ‘journailing’? Do you have a better name? Let’s push the boundaries together.

Cheers,
Mike [or should I sign as Maike?]

✍️ PS. I actually start to like the word journail and registered the available journail.net domain, because that’s one of my other guilty pleasures.