Okay, so, let me tell you about this little project I’ve been messing around with lately. I call it my “bag recorder” thing. Basically, I wanted to keep track of what I was putting in and taking out of my bag every day, and see if I could learn something about my habits or whatever.

It all started when I realized I was carrying way too much junk in my bag all the time. You know, like old receipts, half-empty water bottles, random stuff I never actually used. It was getting pretty ridiculous, and my back was starting to complain. So, I figured, why not try to be a bit more mindful about what I was toting around?
I started off pretty simple. Every morning, before I left the house, I’d take everything out of my bag and lay it out on the table. Then, as I put each item back in, I’d jot it down in a little notebook I had lying around. I’d just write down the name of the item, nothing fancy.
Then, throughout the day, whenever I took something out of my bag or put something new in, I’d make a note of it in the notebook. At first, it felt a little tedious, like I was overthinking things. But after a while, it just became a habit, like brushing my teeth or something.
Recording the Details
Here’s how I’d typically do the recording:
- Morning inventory: Empty the bag, lay everything out, put things back one by one, writing each item down.
- Throughout the day: Add an entry whenever something goes in or out of the bag.
- Evening review: Look over the day’s entries and see if there was anything I could have left out.
After doing this for a few weeks, I started noticing some patterns. Like, I realized I was carrying around a bunch of “just in case” items that I never actually needed. A mini umbrella that I never used because I always forgot I had it. A portable charger that was always dead because I never remembered to charge it. Stuff like that.

So, I started being more intentional about what I put in my bag. I’d ask myself, “Do I really need this today?” If the answer was no, I’d leave it at home. It was kind of liberating, actually. My bag felt lighter, and I felt less cluttered, both physically and mentally.
The “bag recorder” thing also helped me become more aware of my spending habits. I realized I was buying a lot of unnecessary stuff on impulse, just because I had space in my bag. Now, I think twice before buying something, and I try to be more mindful of what I actually need.
So, yeah, that’s my little “bag recorder” experiment. It’s not exactly rocket science, but it’s been a fun and surprisingly useful way to declutter my life and become a bit more mindful about my daily habits. Maybe you could give it a try sometime? You might be surprised at what you discover about yourself and all this could be done by this Electronically Activated Recorder.