👉 The #1 productivity hack? Thinking on paper.
Want to unlock ideas in the morning? Keep all devices away. Write and draw. For anything that needs 2D or 3D thinking, paper is a great way to start. Diagrams, mindmaps, charts, doodles etc. Use multiple colours for more effect.
Journaling, taking notes, even collecting highlights from books you are reading; writing removes distraction, focuses the mind and makes the important points stick more. You can eventually copy them onto a word processor or a blog or an excel sheet etc. But as a starting point, nothing beats pen on paper.
A notebook doesn’t have any notifications. Thankfully. A notebook doesn’t try to draw your attention to some other priority. A notebook doesn’t run out of battery. A notebook removes all the friction you might feel in editing, spell check, formatting, diagramming, data visualising etc. All that can come later.
We have over-complicated the starting point of our intellectual journey with too many tools and software hacks. They can play an important role later in the journey in storytelling, visualisation or distribution. But the start has to be pen on paper.
👉 Pen on paper is the shortest distance an idea has to travel from your mind to physical world. Use it every day.
p.s. I even have a favourite pen I have landed after years of experimentation (Uniball Eye UB 157 Blue, for those who are interested). I have a hardbound notebook for journaling, a spiral-bound long notebook for brainstorming, and many other random pieces of paper with my scribbles during work. Experiment with many options and land on something that works for you. And then enjoy the wonderful liberating experience of putting pen to paper and seeing your ideas flow.