Just Write

Why Writing Without a Plan Works (Better Than You Think)

💡 Thanks to Mike the Brain for the reminder to Just Write Stuff Here’s my first of (hopefully) many essays.

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A few years ago, inspired by my sister, I reluctantly started journaling - despite a lifelong dislike for writing ¹. I’ve always had a preference for verbal discourse ² over putting words on paper, but to my surprise, journaling changed the way I think.

Structuring your thoughts has its time and place, but when journaling, a stream-of-consciousness strategy can be more effective. Not only does it lower the level of effort to start journaling if you’re new to it (and to continue journaling, if you’ve struggled from on-off journaling), but it also helps you get your thoughts down faster and in a “raw-er” state that you can later review and refine. I’ve found that if I try to placate my perfectionist tendencies and structure my thoughts before journaling, I risk unintentionally biasing them. The structure itself may distort my original ideas or I may overlook deeper meanings while trying to organize them.

Now, this doesn’t mean my journal is full of nonsense - though, I’ll admit, some pages do come incredibly close. After I write my thoughts down, stream-of-consciousness style (the raw data, if you will), I’ll review my notes and create a more structured understanding of my thoughts using bullet points. This method mirrors my approach to research: start with raw data, then refine into structured insights. Afterwards, I’ll add takeaways or action items where applicable, but the key is that I’ve captured my thoughts in a permanent state (that is unless my journal decides to spontaneously combust). After all, journaling isn’t about perfection - it’s about getting started.

So there you have it, my approach to journaling that prioritizes “just writing”. Who cares if it doesn’t make sense right away, it doesn’t have to. The true purpose is to document your thoughts at that point in time so you can reflect on them later. I like to think of it as taking Time Machine backups of my brain at that point in time. And with no pressure for perfection, journaling quickly becomes a habit, one that eventually feels second nature.

What’s your approach to journaling?

1. Just ask my English professor from my Freshman year of college. I had written an essay about my strong dislike of writing essays. I got an A- on that essay.

2. I competed in Speech & Debate in high school and my specialty was Extemporaneous Debate (aka Extemp). I loved thinking quickly on my feet.