Back to ThoughtJunkie
✦ Complete Guide

Daily Journaling
with Date Tabs

Every day gets its own canvas. Every node is yours to style exactly as you like — shape, color, font, mood, glow, image, and more. This guide shows you how to make ThoughtJunkie look and feel completely like you.

11 Customization Layers
8 Mood Tags
13 Connection Styles
Daily Snapshots
01 · The Foundation

Two kinds of tabs,
one system that remembers

ThoughtJunkie organizes everything around dates. Each day you open the app, you get a fresh canvas — but nothing is ever lost. Navigate to any past date and that day's map loads exactly as you left it. Two types of tabs work together to make this seamless.

🌐 Global Tab
Persists across every date
Global tabs follow you everywhere. Add a node today, switch to last Tuesday — it's still there. Perfect for ongoing projects, a master task list, people you're thinking about, or any reference material you need every day.
Saved as: global_tabname.json — a living file, updated every time you make a change.
📅 Daily Tab
Belongs only to one day
Daily tabs are date-specific. What you write on Monday stays on Monday. When you jump to Wednesday, the daily tabs reset to that day's snapshot. Each day's thoughts stay in context — no bleed-over between entries.
Saved as: snapshot_yyyy-MM-dd.json — a frozen moment for each date you journaled.
← Yesterday
📅 Today — Feb 25
Jan 15 →
Use the calendar arrows or click the date label to jump to any day. Your entire journal history is always one click away.
Pro tip: Create a Global tab called "Ideas" and a new daily tab each morning. The daily tab captures the day's energy; the Global tab accumulates everything worth keeping long-term.
02 · What You Can Change

Every element is yours to style

ThoughtJunkie doesn't lock you into a look. Below are all 11 customization layers available on every node — and on the tabs themselves. Each one is independent: change one without touching any other.

Shape
Each node can be a different shape. Mix them freely — use hearts for feelings, diamonds for alerts, hexagons for ideas.
⬤ Circle ⬛ Square ◆ Diamond ⬡ Hexagon ♥ Heart
🎨
Node Color
Any hex color is valid. The color fills the node and drives the glow. 8 presets available, or pick any custom color from the picker.
Blue Red Green Amber Purple Pink Teal Indigo
📐
Size
Drag the resize handle to set any size from 60px to 600px. Use size to create visual hierarchy — bigger nodes for more important thoughts.
60px min 100px default 600px max drag to resize
Glow Intensity
A pulsing radial glow layered over the node color. Intensity 0 is clean and flat; intensity 5 is a full pulsing bloom. Every level in between is tunable.
0 · None 1 · Hint 2 · Soft 3 · Visible 4 · Strong 5 · Max
🔤
Label Font
Every node's label has its own font: family, size, color, bold, italic — all independent. Use any font installed on your system.
family size color bold italic
🖼️
Node Image
Drop a photo, illustration, or AI-generated image directly onto any node. The image fills the shape and is clipped to its silhouette. PNG recommended for transparency.
drag-drop paste from clipboard browse file
😊
Mood Tag
Tagging a mood sets both the node color and glow intensity in one action. 8 moods to choose from — each a full visual preset.
😊 Hopeful 😰 Anxious 😌 Peaceful ✨ Inspired + 4 more
Connection Style
Each connection between nodes can have its own animated style — set per-connection or globally. From sketchy hand-drawn lines to neon fire.
13 styles per-connection animated
📋
Task List
Any node can carry a checklist. Tasks show as a badge on the node and can be checked off directly on the map — no dialog needed.
add tasks check off count badge
📝
Journal Entry
A rich text editor lives behind every node. Write as much or as little as you want — the node label is just the headline. The entry is the story.
rich text per node formatted
📌
Date Pins
Pin a node to another date — it appears linked across your timeline. Connect today's thought to a memory from months ago, or a future plan.
link across dates timeline view
03 · Under the Label

What every node actually holds

A node in ThoughtJunkie isn't just a label and a color. It's a container with a full set of properties — each one stored, saved, and restored every time you open that date.

Today's
Mood ✨
💬Label TextThe visible name on the node. Custom font, size, color, bold, italic per node.
🎨Fill ColorAny hex value. Also drives the glow color. Right-click → Color.
Shapecircle square diamond hexagon heart — clips the image too.
📐Size60–600px. Drag the bottom-right handle to resize.
GlowIntensity 0–5. Pulsing radial gradient. Stacks with node color.
🖼️ImageOptional photo or illustration. Clipped to shape silhouette.
😊MoodOne of 8 mood tags. Auto-sets color + intensity as a preset.
📝Journal EntryRich text body — the full story behind the node label.
☑️Task ListChecklist attached to the node. Click badges to complete.
📌Date PinsLinks to other dates in your timeline.
🕐TimestampsCreated and last-edited are stored automatically — you don't type them.
04 · Emotional Layer

The 8 mood presets — one click, full look

Right-click any node → Tag Mood. Pick a mood and the color and glow intensity update instantly — no separate color picker, no manual intensity slider. Your emotional state becomes part of the visual language of the map.

😊
Hopeful
#10b981
Intensity: 0.8
😰
Anxious
#ef4444
Intensity: 0.6
🤔
Curious
#3b82f6
Intensity: 0.7
😌
Peaceful
#14b8a6
Intensity: 0.5
🔥
Energized
#f59e0b
Intensity: 0.9
😔
Melancholy
#6366f1
Intensity: 0.4
Inspired
#ec4899
Intensity: 0.8
🌿
Grounded
#10b981
Intensity: 0.6
Journaling tip: Start each day by adding a root node and tagging its mood first. As the day unfolds, the color of that node tells the story of how the day felt — at a glance, across your entire calendar.
05 · The Story Behind the Node

Journal entries — rich text on every node

The node label is the headline. The journal entry is everything else. Double-click a node to open the editor — a full rich text window where you can write as much as you want with formatting, font choices, and color.

Journal Entry — "Today's Big Decision"

Been sitting with this for weeks. Finally made the call this morning.

The logic was sound from the start — it just took seeing it laid out on the map to trust it. Sometimes you need the visual to confirm what your gut already knew.

Next step: tell the team tomorrow. See how it lands.

B
i
U
Font Family
Size 14
🎨 Color
• List
The node is the headline. Keep labels short — one to five words. Let the journal entry hold the detail, context, and reflection.
Font in entries is independent from the node label font. The entry editor has its own font controls — use a different font inside the entry to change the feeling of the writing.
06 · Typography

Fonts, everywhere — per node, per tab

ThoughtJunkie lets you style text at every level independently. The node label has its own font. The journal entry has its own font. Even the tab buttons at the top can have their own typeface, size, weight, and color.

Aa
Node Label Font
Font family · size · color · bold · italic — all per node. Set when editing a node's text.
Impact 14px
Aa
Journal Entry Font
Rich text with its own font controls. Can differ completely from the node label above it.
Georgia 12px italic
Aa
Tab Label Font
Right-click any tab → Customize Font. Change the typeface, size, color, bold, and italic of the tab button itself.
MV Boli Bold
🎨
Tab Color
Each tab button can have a unique background color — completely independent from the font customization. Right-click → Change Color.
07 · The Lines Between

13 connection styles — set per connection

The lines between nodes aren't all the same. Right-click any connection to set its style individually — or change the global style for the whole tab. Each style is animated, each carries a different feeling.

🌊
Organic Flow
Smooth curved lines
Electric Storm
Lightning bolt paths
💧
Water Flow
Animated wave motion
🌟
Neon Glow
Pulsing neon lines
Particle Stream
Flowing particles
Energy Pulse
Pulsing energy
🔥
Fire
Flickering flames
💎
Crystalline
Sharp ice crystal paths
✏️
Hand Drawn
Wobbly sketch lines
🌳
Tree Branches
Organic branch curves
🧠
Neural Network
Thin neural pathways
💥
Comic Book
Bold outlined strokes
➡️
Minimalist
Simple straight lines
Per-connection customization: Right-click any line in your map and change just that connection's style. Your "important" connections can pulse in Neon Glow while everything else stays in Hand Drawn.
08 · Actionable Nodes

Task lists — check off without leaving the map

Any node can carry a checklist. Open the node details to add tasks. The node then shows a badge with the count — and you can tap any task badge directly on the map to mark it done, no dialog required.

NODE: "Launch Prep" · 4 Tasks · 2 Done
Set up the waitlist form
Write the tutorial guides
Test hotkeys on clean install
Upload to frienduit.com
09 · Organize Your Space

Tabs are yours to style too

The tabs at the top aren't just labels. Right-click any tab to access a full customization menu — change its color, typeface, size, weight, and italic style independently. Use visual language to organize your workspace at a glance.

🎨 Tab Color
Give each tab a unique background color. Right-click → Change Color → pick from the color picker. Great for color-coding projects, moods, or categories.
💼 Work
💭 Personal
🌿 Health
🔤 Tab Font
Right-click → Customize Font → set the font family, size, color, bold, and italic for that tab's button label. Your handwriting font, your rules.
GLOBAL
Today
PROJECTS
🌐 Global vs Daily
Toggle any tab between Global (persists every day) and Daily (resets per date) via the Tab Manager. Right-click → Manage Tabs to see and edit all tab types.
🌐 Global
📅 Daily
📂 Rename & Organize
Right-click any tab to rename it. Tabs are saved by name — rename to reorganize at any point. Global tabs save automatically to global_tabname.json.
10 · Putting It Together

A complete daily journaling workflow

Here's how all the pieces come together in a real session — from opening the app to leaving a fully customized day behind.

1
Open today's date
ThoughtJunkie loads today automatically. Your Global tab is already there — persistent from yesterday, last week, whenever you last touched it. Your daily tab is fresh.
2
Plant the day's root node
Use a hotkey chain or right-click → Add Node. This becomes the anchor of the day's map. Name it something that captures the day's theme — "Big Meeting", "Rest Day", "Shipping Day."
Customization moment: Set the shape, color, and size of this root node. A large, brightly glowing root tells you at a glance what kind of day it was.
3
Tag the mood
Right-click the root node → Tag Mood. Pick what fits. The color and glow update instantly — no extra clicks. Your emotional state is now baked into the map's visual.
4
Branch out your thoughts
Add child nodes as thoughts arrive. Give each one a label, then double-click to open its journal entry and write the fuller version. Use different shapes to signal categories: hexagons for questions, hearts for feelings, squares for tasks.
Customization moment: Set a unique font on each node's label to give different types of thoughts a different visual voice.
5
Style the connections
Right-click any connection to set its style. High-energy connections get Electric Storm. Calm reflective links get Hand Drawn. The connections carry meaning too.
6
Add tasks where needed
On any node that represents a commitment, open Details & Files and add a task list. The badge appears on the node — you can check things off directly from the map as the day moves on.
7
Pin connections across time
If today's thought relates to something from another date, right-click → Add Date Pin. The node becomes a thread in your larger timeline, linking moments that belong together.
8
The snapshot saves itself
ThoughtJunkie autosaves as you work. When you come back tomorrow, today's map will be exactly as you left it. Navigate back to any date and you'll find that day's fully styled map waiting — colors, fonts, moods, entries, and all.
11 · Quick Reference

Full customization cheat sheet

What to Customize Options / Range How to Access
Node ShapeCircle · Square · Diamond · Hexagon · HeartRight-click → Shape
Node ColorAny hex value, 8 presetsRight-click → Color
Node Size60px → 600pxDrag bottom-right handle
Glow Intensity0 (none) → 5 (max)Right-click → Intensity / Hotkey chain
Node ImagePNG, JPG, GIF, WebP — clipped to shapeRight-click → Set Image / Drag & drop
Label Font FamilyAny installed system fontDouble-click node → Font controls
Label Font SizeAny point sizeDouble-click node → Font controls
Label Font ColorAny hex valueDouble-click node → Font controls
Label Bold / ItalicToggle per nodeDouble-click node → B / I buttons
Mood Tag8 presets (auto-sets color + glow)Right-click → Tag Mood
Journal EntryRich text, unlimited lengthDouble-click node
Task ListUnlimited tasks, checkable from mapRight-click → Details & Files
Date PinsLink to any date in historyRight-click → Add Date Pin
Connection Style13 animated styles, per-connectionRight-click any line
Tab ColorAny hex value per tab buttonRight-click tab → Change Color
Tab FontFamily · size · color · bold · italic per tabRight-click tab → Customize Font
Tab TypeGlobal (persistent) or Daily (date-specific)Right-click tab → Manage Tabs