What to Write in Homework for Life When Nothing Happened Today

Write the smallest thing that made today different from yesterday, in a sentence or two. It does not need to be a good story. Matthew Dicks, who named the practice, says the moment is often "unspectacular. Hardly storyworthy at all," and he writes it down anyway (Dicks, 2015).

So on a blank night, you are not looking for drama. You are looking for the one thing you would mention if someone asked, "Anything happen today?"

Does the moment have to be a good story?

No. In the same 2015 essay, Dicks wrote that what he finds is "rarely a great story. Most of the time, it's not even a good story. But it's a story." His own examples from ordinary days include making the one dinner he knows how to cook and explaining the Rolling Stones to his daughter at bedtime.

That is the bar: a moment you chose, not a moment that impresses anyone.

What counts as a moment on a quiet day?

More than you think. All of these count:

• A thought you had in the shower or the car
• A line you overheard
• A small decision, like taking a different route home
• The moment your mood changed, for better or worse
• Something a kid, a friend, or a pet did
• Something you almost said and didn't
• A small annoyance you are still thinking about

Dicks treats thoughts as moments too. In a 2020 post, his list for one day included a passing thought about what we call the "ring toe" and a moment in the shower thinking about how people talk about cancer (Dicks, 2020).

How do you find something when your mind goes blank?

Run this 2-minute scan. Stop at the first question that brings something up.

1. What did I hear today that I can still repeat word for word?
2. When did I laugh, sigh, or roll my eyes?
3. What was different from yesterday, even slightly?
4. Who did I talk to, and what is one thing they said?
5. What did I notice on the way somewhere?
6. What was I thinking about while doing something boring?
7. What will I have forgotten by Friday if I do not write it now?

Usually one question lands. That is your moment.

What should the note actually look like?

Short. Dicks describes recording "a couple of sentence fragments of description. Just enough detail to remind me of the story later on." One of his published entries is just: "I make dinner. Hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. The only dinner I can actually make."

A simple shape that works:

• Where or when: "Waiting for the bus"
• What happened: "a kid explained to his dad why clouds are slow"
• Why it stuck (optional): "he was so sure"

That is a complete entry.

What if you honestly cannot find anything?

Write the closest thing, even if it feels flat. "Long day of emails. Best part was the walk to get coffee, the leaves are turning on our street." It still marks the day.

Dicks puts the bar low on purpose: even seeing just one moment is "enough," and some days, he writes, he only sees one (Dicks, 2020). The looking is the habit. Quiet days are when you practice it.

How does One Story Moment help on blank nights?

We built One Story Moment around this exact stuck feeling. Instead of a blank page, you get a fresh question each night, like "What did you overhear today?", which does part of the scan above for you. You write it, dictate it, or attach a photo, and each saved moment becomes a dot on your calendar.

Your stories stay on your device. It is free to start with two moments with photos, and Unlimited is $2/year, on iOS, Android, and the web. One Story Moment is not affiliated with Matthew Dicks. Try it on the web.

Checklist: tonight's moment in under 2 minutes

• Sit down at the same time each night
• Ask: what made today different from yesterday?
• No answer? Run the 7-question scan
• Write 1 to 3 sentence fragments, not a full story
• Add why it stuck, if you know
• Stop. Do not polish it

FAQ

Is it OK if my moment is just a thought?

Yes. Dicks records thoughts alongside events. A thought you had today is part of today.

What if the same kind of thing happens every day?

Look for what was slightly different this time: who was there, what was said, how you felt. Small differences are the point of the practice.

How long should this take?

Dicks describes about five minutes. One Story Moment is designed for about two. Neither is a rule.

Should I go back and write up yesterday if I missed it?

Write today's moment first. If yesterday's comes to mind, add it as a second note, but do not let catching up become the reason you skip tonight.

More on the method itself: what Homework for Life actually asks you to do.