Category: Writing

To Track an Impala in the Open Savanna

Why write?  Why try to document the disorganized skittles bag that is my daily thought content?  I have better things to do than that right?   I was in for quite the surprise.  The truth is that the daily journal I started one year ago was probably one of the best decisions of my life.  I could go on and on about all the amazing benefits of journaling – and perhaps I will in the future – but for now I want to talk about one surprising discovery: writing has taught me how to think again.  In order to explain this, I’ll provide you with a mental image.  Writing is like tracking down an unsuspecting impala with hawk-like gaze in the open savanna.

What the heck do I mean by this?  A quick lesson on human vision:  There are two ways humans can voluntarily shift their gaze, saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements.  Saccadic eye movements are quick shifts in gaze from one stationary object to the next.  This is the same type of eye movement that is helping you jump from one word to the next as you are reading this sentence.  Conversely, smooth pursuit eye movements are smooth, as the name suggests, and help to track moving targets such as that poor impala in the savanna.  Interestingly, humans are incapable of smooth pursuit gaze in the absence of a moving target (unless you are a highly trained observer).  Try it yourself.  Turn to a blank wall and try to follow an imaginary line with your eyes.  Don’t take my word for it.  Record a video of your eyes doing this and all you’ll see are saccadic eye movements.

What does this have to do with writing?  As I mentioned, writing helps my thinking.  Normally, my thinking is scattered and sporadic, much like saccadic eye movements.  This is great for switching quickly from one thought to the next in our equally scattered society of emails and Facebook notifications.  But what if I want to focus on something important?  What if you want an uncluttered tunnel of thought that wont collapse on itself under the pressure of competing distractions?  This is where writing comes in.  Writing is the prized impala that helps to focus my thinking, much like it helps to orient our smooth pursuit gaze.  As a result, my thoughts flow smoother and more coherently.  If I have a tough decision to make, I write about it.  If I want to reflect on a cool experience, I write about it.  In doing so, I am able to build upon each sentence towards a lucid conclusion, whereas purely thinking about it is like playing whack-a-mole with my thoughts, they’re bound to get smacked down eventually.

Of course, writing is not the only medium by which  we can focus our thoughts into a continuous stream of consciousness.  I’m sure there are others who’s concentration is more disciplined than mine where thinking alone without writing is sufficient to collect their ideas.  I’m not one of those people.  I need to slow down and take that forgiving handicap.  In fact, its not until I write that I really know what I think.

Journaling vs Blogging

I’ve been journaling everyday for about two years now but did not start blogging daily until earlier this year.  What I’ve noticed are two very different types of writing.

Journaling is purely for myself.  Its written in a state of carefree fluidity that is not amenable for external comprehension.  In fact, I suspect I would have a hard time recognizing my train of thought in past journal entries, let alone someone else trying to decipher it.  My journal entries are messy.   They are unorganized.  They break the rules of the English language.  They are spontaneous.  They are free-spirited.  They are fun.  They are lighthearted.  My journaling practice serves no purpose other than the cathartic enjoyment I get from the writing process itself, fleshing out the percolating thoughts throughout the day.

Blogging or writing for an audience is a completely different beast.  Blogging is difficult.  The writing process that goes into a blog post is slow and painstaking.  It involves multiple revisions and organized thought.  Blogging is not only for myself as journaling was, but for a larger audience.  As such, blogging encourages clear thinking and articulate writing, such that my train of thought is effortlessly transferred to the reader.  Blogging forces me to be precise with my words, to be concise with my message.  Blogging is goal-oriented with a clear message.  The pleasure of blogging comes from the satisfaction of deconstructing a complex thought and translating it to digestible form.  Blogging makes me a better communicator.

I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time. – Blaise Pascal

Just as there is value in both casual conversations and more formal discussions, both forms of writing are beneficial in their own right.  It is a mistake to think that journaling and writing for public are one and the same.  They are distinct in their styles, methodologies and skills that they cultivate.  Whichever you choose  to engage in (I say both :)), happy writing!

The Paradox of Purpose

I’ve been thinking about the paradox of purpose recently.  On one hand, I feel like we all need some sense of purpose in our lives to feel fulfilled, to feel motivated to keep going, to feel like we have a place in this world.  This could be being a good mom, helping rescue animals, finding a place to sleep tonight, completing your degree, making a million dollars.

But at the same time, I’ve come to realize more and more that purposelessness has its merit in our lives as well.  Purposelessness is what motivates me to do the things that I enjoy.  Not for the end result or the rewards, but for the presence and the joy that the activity inherently gives me.  When I go rock climbing, or hiking, or writing, or biking, or playing guitar, or shooting the shit with friends.  I enjoy all these moments without any specific purpose but for the inherent value that they bring to my life in the moment.  How do we reconcile our need for purpose in our lives with the inherent value of purposelessness?

Own Who You Are

Lets be honest.   You’re not going to know everything.  You’re not going to be confident 100%.  You’re human, we’re all human.  Humans make mistakes.  Own the heck out of your humanness.  A mistake does not define you as a person.  A mistake does not degrade your worth as a human.  Make your mistakes.

But lets not make this into an excuse to slack off, to be lazy.  Prepare the fuck out of what is important to you.  Learn the basics.  Learn the language to engage in constructive feedback.  And then let it be.  Stop the worrying.  Make your mistakes.  And be comfortable with making them.  Because you’ve prepared all you can.

Other people are going to laugh at you.  They are going to judge you.  So let them.  You are the one in the fire, improving yourself.  You’ve done what you were suppose to.  There’s no shame in that.  You are who you are at this point.  So that you can become who you are tomorrow.  You are exactly where you are suppose to be.

How to Become a Better Writer

How do I become a better writer?

Write about interesting things!

 

How do I write about interesting things?

Do interesting things!

 

How do I do interesting things?

Get out of the house! Now! You’re inspiration will follow.

The First Step

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  Well, here’s my first step.  I’m committing to writing everyday on this blog for the next year.  It might be a long post, it might be a short post, but I’m going to make it a habit to do this every single day and see how I can grow from this practice.

I began writing consistently over a year ago.  Similarly, I wrote every morning.  The difference however, was that it was done in a private journal.  It was a fantastic idea and I often tell friends that this journal was my proudest achievement in life.  I learned so much about the way I think and I was able to be brutally honest with my deepest and personal ideas.  It was my way to reflect every day.  She was my best friend for a year.  I would write, she would listen and I would be able to develop my thoughts and bring them to life, consolidate them.  But after a year I started losing motivation for whatever reason.  The process became too comfortable.  I was writing without much thought because I was bound within the privacy of my journal.  I was being sloppy with my thoughts and vocabulary.  I felt safe.  The growth I had felt earlier in the journaling process had tapered down.  This is my attempt to revive that quest.

I felt compelled to start this project after hearing something that marketing mogul Seth Godin said on Tim Ferris’ podcast, two individuals I follow and hold great respect for.  Seth’s advice for young people is to blog everyday, similar to what he does.  By blogging you make your work open for scrutiny.  You become vulnerable.  But you can also build trust and hopefully a community of like-minded individuals.  Most importantly, this is a personal journey for me to develop my thinking and to be precise with my language through an accountable medium.  I have no idea what this will turn into but that’s part of the thrill.  Feel free to stop by and share your thoughts as we grow together!