How to Write Every Day
Productivity workflow
I have a note in my Notes app called "Thoughts." This is where I collect ideas throughout my day. It's nothing fancy, just a collection of random things that I find interesting:
Highlights from whatever book I'm reading
Interesting points from YouTube videos
Thought-provoking news articles
Concepts from academic papers that expand my thinking
A conversation with a friend or colleague
I've found that immediately capturing these ideas provides me with a starting point for when I am ready to write. There is no filtering, no overthinking—just the thoughts waiting to be developed.
4 am
Between 4 and 5 a.m., I scroll through my “thoughts,” and that is when one of the random thoughts graduates to its own new page. I will research, write, edit, and produce a more flushed-out position on that thought. Some posts, like this one, are reflective and personal. Those are relatively easy to write.
The struggle is real- some mornings, the words flow easily, while other mornings, they struggle, I struggle. But showing up consistently matters more than perfection. Even on difficult days, I've found that just putting something down keeps the habit alive.
Diversity of Thoughts
Although economics is the central pillar of my writing, my interests are diverse. What you're reading now is the result of this process. I share those early morning writings with you through articles or Instagram posts. Their common theme is that they all started as a random bullet point on my “Thoughts” note—a glimpse into an idea that I found interesting enough to jot down.
Your turn: What does your idea-capturing system look like? Do you have a similar approach or something completely different? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Before I go: Which aspect of this process would you like me to explore more deeply in the next productivity newsletter?
How to organize your notes effectively to find inspiration quickly
Techniques for transforming rough ideas into polished writing
Ways to maintain consistency even when motivation is low
The balance between consuming content and creating it
I appreciate this because it is a habit I'm trying to reform on I had long ago that died off
There was a book I read years ago called "Thinking for a change" which highlighted the process of actually reviewing thoughts. For some it is done at 4 am and others it is done much later in the day. I think the idea of finding one's time of day is many people do not even look at. It is great you found it (even if it does not feel like it somedays). Personally I have found my best thinking through what researchers call Default Mode Network which allows the brain to wander while preforming certain mundane tasks.