What I was trying to do
I wanted a simple but honest way to track my mental health, habits and finances over time instead of relying on memory. I needed something I could use daily and look back on years later.
What I built
I built a custom Excel spreadsheet where I log my mood every day using colors and write short notes about my day. Over time, I added formulas that automatically calculate summaries, trends and yearly overviews for habits, emotions, and spending.
One challenge was that Excel doesn’t natively support formulas based on cell colors. At first, nothing worked the way I wanted. I had to research workarounds, experiment with scripting and different solutions to detect color patterns and convert them into usable data. That process taught me a lot about Excel automation and problem-solving.
Why it mattered to me
This spreadsheet became part of my daily routine for several years. It helped me understand my mental health better, recognize patterns, and reflect on my progress.
Looking back at my data, I realized I actually had a really good 2025 because most of the year is marked with my “nice” mood color. Seeing that visually was surprisingly emotional and motivating for me.
What surprised me
I didn’t expect a simple spreadsheet to become such an important personal tool. It’s not fancy, but it genuinely changed how I reflect on my life and growth.
Without going too much into my personal details, here is how my last 2 years have looked with colors!
