Start with facts, not insights

For a couple of years I’ve had this folder called Braindump. It’s where I write my somewhat on-and-off journal, often when my brain starts getting too clogged up.

One thing I’ve noticed about journaling that makes it way easier: start with facts before insights.

“But of course” you might think. The struggle is that when we start journaling, we think we should only write profound things. We want it to become a book of deep thoughts. But our deep thoughts usually come after we’ve laid out the bare facts.

In other words, it’s way easier to start with what you did, what you were thinking about, what you saw or noticed. Then go deeper if possible.