In my last newsletter I talked about building little projects to expedite your learning.
Today, I want to talk about another tool I use. But let me take you back a bit.
A few years ago, I sat in Vesta, a cafe in Victoria Island, Lagos.
It had become a go-to spot to do work. They had drinks, food, and more importantly, it was bustling with other entrepreneurs trying to build the next best thing.
While I waited for my latte, I pulled out my laptop, excited about another great idea I just had during my drive down.
“This will do the final trick.” I rubbed my hands together, scheming. “To open the flood gate of deals.”
“Mr. Nifemi” the barrister called.
I got up and grabbed the white paper cup. My laptop took a while to power up, as I waited I grabbed my little black journal to jot down the idea before it was lost forever.
I sipped the coffee, shuffled through the page, that’s when I saw it.
I poked my head closer towards the words I had written months ago.
It was the exact same idea I was about to write.
Exactly the same!!!
My heart sank.
It wasn’t the next great business idea.
It was just repetitive thoughts I hadn’t acted on.
I felt I betrayed my past self by not acting on what I had written down and if I let it go, my future self will do the same to my current self.
Ever since, my notes have become my accountability tool.
More thoughts, no time:
A lot of us consume too much without taking action.
We begin to overthink.
This leads to mental bloat.
The fogginess increases.
The haze stays.
Remaining in a rapid realm of repetitive thoughts.
You need an outlet for all the information you consume.
That outlet can come in the form of a project. Something that allows you to build and informs your learning.
The greatest compliment to your project is writing. Writing, itself, can be your project. Your end goal can be to build a book, blog, or newsletter. Regardless of what you’ll build, you will use writing.
It’s a critical skill in any profession.
You use it to get jobs, attract customers, and persuade for change. When you write you process new information, embed it in your memory, and externalize it for future use.
Build your project, one written word at a time.
Charge up your projects with writing
The thing about writing is that you have to create the time for it.
Similar to how I’m drafting this newsletter at 6:33am in the morning. I try to get to it first thing in the morning or right after I read something interesting.
Developing a note-taking or journaling practice will help you clear your mind, build your knowledge, and sharpen your communication skills.
Here are a few ways writing helps fuel your growth journey.
1. Write to prioritize:
Don’t let your enthusiasm work against you.
Have you heard about the project plateau?
It’s where good ideas go to die.
You remember that idea that got you really excited? You told some friends and created a plan.
Then two days later, motivation vanished. You are in the den of the project plateau, where new ideas flourish.
Most projects take time to come to fruition with a lot to learn. What you thought would be an immediate success requires a few failures along the way.
New ideas? I don’t find those as interesting any more.
Systems to bring a new idea to reality? Now you’re speaking my language, that’s interesting.
Pace yourself through the valley of the project plateau.
Write to organize and prioritize.
2. Write to build.
Working on a project is one of the best ways to fuel your growth.
With a project, you have a lens to curate the information you consume. Put new information into action. Writing is a quick way to begin.
Note-taking is a practice that helps you embed knowledge in your memory.
When you learn something new, take 3-minutes to write about it. Write a summary of what you’ve learned. Make a connection to how it applies to your life or the project you’re working on.
I do this on the note app on my phone.
This helps build a database of notes you can reference.
Writing is a lot easier, when you do it right after you learn something new.
This practice builds your critical thinking, which in turn fuels your creativity.
3. Write to reflect
Self-awareness is your biggest leverage.
I wish I knew myself better. I’d stop wasting time on things I don’t enjoy. I’d stop entertaining interactions that drain me. I’d be able to sit still and be more content with who I am.
It’s a work in progress.
So I grab my pen and write down thoughts in my journal.
Writing is a great self-reflection practice as you build anything. At some point in the journey, you’d wonder why you got on the path in the first place. That’s when your pen becomes your anchor.
Writing to learn more about yourself and reflect on your journey.
4. Write to share
There’s no trade without trust.
And humans don’t trust strangers.
But stories build social cohesion.
Tell your story to build trust and get your project out there.
We aren’t all natural storytellers. Crafting good narrative requires practice and dedication. Writing is how you get there. Words written down turn into books, movies, mission statements, executive plans, viral YouTube videos, the list goes on.
Writing is the foundation of all media.
Develop your storytelling skills with writing to attract the right audience and community.
The written word….
Your written word can be your best project.
Develop a note-taking or journaling practice to prioritize, build your critical mind, develop self-awareness, and sharpen your communication skills.
You are just one written word away from your growth goals.
Build with your words.
Yours truly,
Nifemi
P.S. If you read this far, do you mind replying this letter with one thing you wish you could learn this weekend?
