diff --git a/dotfiles/emacs.d/kat-mode.org b/dotfiles/emacs.d/kat-mode.org
index 46ba0062..f6f4af5b 100644
--- a/dotfiles/emacs.d/kat-mode.org
+++ b/dotfiles/emacs.d/kat-mode.org
@@ -63,3 +63,36 @@ This makes evil-mode play nice with org-fc
 #+begin_src emacs-lisp
 (auto-save-visited-mode +1)
 #+end_src
+* org daily journal entries
+#+begin_src emacs-lisp
+(defun imalison:journal-filepath-for-date (&optional date)
+  (interactive (list (org-read-date)))
+  (let ((date-str (or date (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d"))))
+    (imalison:join-paths
+     org-directory "journal" (concat date-str ".org"))))
+
+(defun imalison:open-todays-org-journal ()
+  (interactive)
+  (imalison:open-org-journal (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d")))
+
+(defun imalison:get-journal-template ()
+  (with-temp-buffer
+  (insert-file-contents (imalison:join-paths org-directory "templates" "daily-journal-template.org"))
+  (buffer-string)))
+
+(defun imalison:open-org-journal (&optional date)
+  (interactive (list (org-read-date nil nil nil "Select a date:")))
+  (let* ((filepath (imalison:journal-filepath-for-date date))
+         (file-existed (file-exists-p filepath))
+         (date-str (or date (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d")))
+         (time-vals (append '(0 0 0) (nthcdr 3 (parse-time-string date-str))))
+         (original-format-time-string (symbol-function 'format-time-string)))
+    (find-file filepath)
+    (when (not file-existed)
+      (cl-letf (((symbol-function 'format-time-string)
+                 (lambda (format-string &optional _time _universal)
+                   (funcall original-format-time-string format-string (apply #'encode-time time-vals)))))
+        (insert (org-capture-fill-template (imalison:get-journal-template)))))))
+
+(bind-key "C-c j" 'imalison:open-todays-org-journal)
+#+end_src