­Nick Asbury claims he is not a pessimist but “more of a frustrated idealist at heart.” The British writer is the author and co-creator, with his wife, Sue, of the Perpetual Disappointments Diary, a weekly planner offering a list of notable deaths, a blank section called “Notes Toward an Abandoned Screenplay,” a place for the addresses of people who never call and useful phrases in five languages (including “I am on the wrong plane” and “Do you have any very cheap wine?”).

First introduced as the Disappointments Diary in 2013, the book also features weekly demotivational quotes like “You can lead a horse to water but you’re nearly 48 and still not married” and “What doesn’t kill you makes you wish it had.”

With the approach of a new year, generally a time of optimism, Mr. Asbury spoke with a reporter about why it might be healthier not to have too much hope. (This interview was edited and condensed.)

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Q. How did this project come about?

A. Initially it was because I was playing around with common proverbs and giving them a downbeat twist. It was something I was doing for my own amusement. It seemed like you have motivational sayings in diaries, so I thought it would be interesting to have demotivational sayings, and I realized the opposite of appointments would be a disappointments diary.