Ink and Insights
Write daily, write more.
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Last year, I came across a compelling saying in a podcast episode, which I’ve paraphrased as follows:
If you can simulate two different worlds, one where you write for 5 minutes and another where you don’t, you’ll be a far better person in the first reality.
This statement resonated with me. Those who have worked with me know that I use Notion extensively for note-taking. I’ve often felt that this practice has significantly aided my ability to think clearly. So, I decided to experiment with writing for at least 5 minutes each day.
I had previously used an app on my PC and mobile for journaling, but I was very irregular with it. So, I opted for an old-fashioned diary for this practice. Almost a year into writing daily, I believe it has helped me significantly, especially when it comes to thinking clearly and coherently.
What surprised me the most about the whole practice of writing was something else. There have been a few days (around 20 or so) when I thought I had nothing to write about. But I ended up writing a whole page. This is the great thing about writing, I feel. Initially, there may be some inertia, but once you overcome that, words will start flowing easily.
Apart from journaling, blogging was also something I did. Including this one, I had written 20 blog posts/newsletter articles this year. I feel excited when I discover people with links to their Substack, Blogspot, Medium, or WordPress blogs in their Twitter or Instagram bios. I strongly feel that more people should write blogs. When you write, you think clearly. And that helps in a lot of other aspects of life.
In the upcoming year, I want to continue writing blog/substack articles. My major goal is to restart my data-related newsletter, which I was only able to write once last year. I wanted to write one article every two or three weeks. But gathering and validating data related to different public policies is a bit strenuous task. And after working with data throughout the week, I hadn’t really wanted to open the VS Code or RStudio on the weekends.
In any case, if you’re reading this, I would encourage you to start writing. We should all have a writing list, in addition to a reading list. The world will be a better place if more people write blogs frequently. It might be a cliché, but I strongly feel this now.
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