Read any self-help book, and one of the most repeated “secrets” is something as simple as journaling. Everyone hypes up journaling like it's a phone company who just added AI. And despite dabbling here and there with journaling—I’ve always written it off.
I bought a journal back in 2019 around the time I decided to take my business seriously. It’s fun to read back through my notes at the time. But it’s also barren. Besides a few random entries in the following years, I hadn’t really journaled at all. Let alone with any kind of consistency. Until recently.
I’ve been journaling multiple times a day for this entire week. Now, I realize this ain’t saying much. Doing something for four days barely qualifies as consistent. But I’ve also never been as committed to this idea of journaling than I am now or have been the past four days.
Why?
Not only is it helping me process certain emotions in a more clear way, but it’s also improving the clarity of my thinking, helping me see certain connections and story arcs that play in my mind (which may or may not be helpful), and there’s just something about physically putting pen to paper that quenches a deep soul-based thirst for me.
And I think you ought to write more with pen and paper too.
Let me tell you a weird story from my childhood:
I was a great student growing up. I got all A’s. It wasn’t until high school where I received my first B or C grade. When I got home from school, I’d sit down at the kitchen table and knock out all my homework before I even thought about playing outside. And this protected my grades. But the truth is, I’ve always been an excellent test taker.
And one of the reasons I was so good at taking tests was because I cheated.
Before each test, whether or not I studied (towards the end of high school, I studied less and less, but still got good grades from “cheating”), I’d make myself a cheat sheet notecard. I’d write as small as humanly possible, barely-big-enough-to-read small, and write all the most important things that I thought would appear on the test.
I usually did this the day of tests while I wasted away in other classes.
And you know what?
When it came time to take the test, I usually never even had to pull the notecard full of answers out.
Why?
Because physically writing everything down “imprinted” it in my mind. Even though I set out to use it to cheat, it was actually the most efficient way to learn. And I’d learn enough that I wouldn’t even have to risk taking my cheat sheet out of my pocket.
That’s the power of physically writing things down. And it’s never been more important than in a world that becomes more digitized with each passing day.
Despite making this connection that physical writing = learning, I fought against journaling so hard because it sounded like guru slop to me.
It’s another example of a weird way I got in my own way—even though I already “knew” in my bones that physical writing = learning. (This is why Gary Halbert recommended handcopying successful ads.)
Anyway, if you’ve also fought tooth and nail against journaling, have you asked yourself why recently?
You might stumble on a similar answer that I have: Not all guru slop is bad advice.
You also might discover a love for journaling like I have.
One more point before I wrap:
It has helped make me more creative too. Or at least, better suited at when I’m using creativity in a negative way instead of a positive way.
If you’re struggling with anything right now, personal or professional or emotional or spiritual or whatever, give journaling a try. Just write in a stream of conscious style. Do this for a couple of days, and methinks you’ll see certain patterns develop and certain stories take over.
And as guru-y as this sounds, it starts to create a better relationship with your subconscious. You have a deeper level of understanding the how and why of your internal world. And that, my friend, is worth its weight in gold.
Alright, let me jump off this psychologist’s armchair I perched up on before writing today’s email and get down to brass tacks:
Another thing worth its weight in gold is the release of stress that happens as you see your bottom line tick up and up and up. And you know what? Email is not only the most effective way to make your bottom line tick up, but if you hit reply and we determine we’re a good fit, you won’t even have to type a single word or set up a single automation to experience this release of stress.
So, hit reply, and let’s chat.
John
Comentarios