So true on the judgement point, it almost challenges your everyday thinking and brings into light what you never articulated in your thoughts properly ☺️
The other day, I ran into some old handwritten essays in an equally old box.
Leafing through them, my first unfiltered reaction was "who is this moron?" before quickly realising, "oh, that was undergraduate me".
We are often very stuck in the present, and reading our past selves (and others) helps us gain a perspective we may desperately, but unwittingly, need in the present.
My needed perspective in the above example was to process both how far I've come, but also to keep learning and not get conceited about it.
Yes, old texts can give perspective, and pleasure, too.
I have had a habit of writing down daily experiences in travel trips abroad.
What happened in a single day is an experience as such. When I write it down, I live that experience again. And one more experience later at home when I read what I had written.
So, I have threefold experiences about one holiday trip. Very economical travelling isn’t it?
I love your point on not having to pick a niche. I find it helpful as creator who is starting out to just write about ideas that I find interesting and give my own perspective on the topic. I find it important to appeal to the audience and have a balance of being an artist as well as running a business. Otherwise, my message wouldn't get out there.
You know, it's so funny, sometimes the niche does find you. And I do think the first stage of a successful online business is testing what works, and not just what works for the market, but what works for you. You need to be able to do it consistently for years, so how could you, if you don't enjoy it? I do think if you want to monetise effectively, eventually you need a niche, but it sort of emerges instead of you thinking your way through it.
For me, it's still really hard to turn my thoughts into something linear and coherent. But after just two weeks of practicing, I already feel like I'm noticing so much more about myself. It's fascinating.
Somehow, learning JavaScript felt easier than learning how to write. I can literally feel the gears in my brain grinding while going through Two Hours Writing. 😂
I'm so excited to keep learning and see where this journey takes me!
This resonates deeply. I've found that writing doesn't just organize thoughts. It reorganizes perception. Ideas that feel tangled in the mind often reveal an underlying coherence once they're given language. In that sense, writing isn't merely recording what we think. It's participating in the process by which clearer thinking comes into being. Perhaps that's why so many people discover that they don't truly know what they believe until they've tried to write it down.
Called my newsletter mental Coaching Momentum Shift for a completely different reason but now that I read your comment it makes so much more sense since the biggest momentum build up is my own through writing 🤔
I agree about pattern recognition, and like so many meta skills and mental models, people still don't get why they need to learn these things. I think the ones who do will hold the cards in the coming decade at least.
If writing improves your ability to articulate, it will fundamentally improve your relationships, career, the whole shebang. Most of the world’s problems are caused by people feeling misunderstood.
I wonder what the world would look like if we all had a writing habit? 🤔
I'd add one more benefit.
Writing doesn't just improve your thinking.
It improves your judgement.
Every sentence forces an assumption into the open.
The ones that survive contact with reality become your best ideas.
So true on the judgement point, it almost challenges your everyday thinking and brings into light what you never articulated in your thoughts properly ☺️
I think writing down makes sense. But reading your own notes later, makes sense even more. New insights are coming from what you wrote before.
Absolutely.
The other day, I ran into some old handwritten essays in an equally old box.
Leafing through them, my first unfiltered reaction was "who is this moron?" before quickly realising, "oh, that was undergraduate me".
We are often very stuck in the present, and reading our past selves (and others) helps us gain a perspective we may desperately, but unwittingly, need in the present.
My needed perspective in the above example was to process both how far I've come, but also to keep learning and not get conceited about it.
Yes, old texts can give perspective, and pleasure, too.
I have had a habit of writing down daily experiences in travel trips abroad.
What happened in a single day is an experience as such. When I write it down, I live that experience again. And one more experience later at home when I read what I had written.
So, I have threefold experiences about one holiday trip. Very economical travelling isn’t it?
“I’m a big dumb meathead who fell in love with deep ideas.”
Dan, you are an inspiration to all of us who a grappling with the great ideas and using writing to help us find our way.
You are actually a force of nature.
It seems like you have singlehandedly redefined the long form article writing
And there is a growing tribe of successful creators inspired by those writings
Absolute boss
Goated
I love your point on not having to pick a niche. I find it helpful as creator who is starting out to just write about ideas that I find interesting and give my own perspective on the topic. I find it important to appeal to the audience and have a balance of being an artist as well as running a business. Otherwise, my message wouldn't get out there.
You know, it's so funny, sometimes the niche does find you. And I do think the first stage of a successful online business is testing what works, and not just what works for the market, but what works for you. You need to be able to do it consistently for years, so how could you, if you don't enjoy it? I do think if you want to monetise effectively, eventually you need a niche, but it sort of emerges instead of you thinking your way through it.
Yes I totally agree. In the beginning it's important to experiment with different interests and through action your niche will be revealed.
I think it’s Daniel Priestley who said writing forces you to slow down your thoughts to the point where can actually make sense of them
Thanks Dan.
For me, it's still really hard to turn my thoughts into something linear and coherent. But after just two weeks of practicing, I already feel like I'm noticing so much more about myself. It's fascinating.
Somehow, learning JavaScript felt easier than learning how to write. I can literally feel the gears in my brain grinding while going through Two Hours Writing. 😂
I'm so excited to keep learning and see where this journey takes me!
This resonates deeply. I've found that writing doesn't just organize thoughts. It reorganizes perception. Ideas that feel tangled in the mind often reveal an underlying coherence once they're given language. In that sense, writing isn't merely recording what we think. It's participating in the process by which clearer thinking comes into being. Perhaps that's why so many people discover that they don't truly know what they believe until they've tried to write it down.
Writing is literally building a monument to your mind
Called my newsletter mental Coaching Momentum Shift for a completely different reason but now that I read your comment it makes so much more sense since the biggest momentum build up is my own through writing 🤔
Saving this to come back to later and spend some more time with your thoughts. I’m on a 100 day writing challenge, so I appreciate the perspective.
https://jimmylemon.com/p/100-day-challenge-10-update
Really enjoed reading this piece.
I think pattern recognition is such an underrated meta skill. Its useful in almost everythinh. And it helps build broader perspectives.
I agree about pattern recognition, and like so many meta skills and mental models, people still don't get why they need to learn these things. I think the ones who do will hold the cards in the coming decade at least.
On behalf of all original-thinking, niche-busting soccer moms in their 40s everywhere, thanks for this epic article. 😉
Have we lost the art of communication?
If writing improves your ability to articulate, it will fundamentally improve your relationships, career, the whole shebang. Most of the world’s problems are caused by people feeling misunderstood.
I wonder what the world would look like if we all had a writing habit? 🤔
I have found it so difficult to articulate, I think I found a solution
Meditation has become a pillar of my morning. I literally wake up and meditate.
I'm excited for writing to become the 2nd.
Writing helps you think externally and visually. It's way easier to spot errors in your judgement when you can see it right in front of your eyes.
https://substack.com/@thedemeryxbrief/note/c-295314977?r=6eakgi