Let’s be clear about what we’re talking about here.

This isn’t journaling. Journaling is about processing emotions and experiences. That’s valuable, but it’s not what this is for.

This isn’t “morning pages” or free writing. Those are about getting words flowing without judgment. Again, valuable for what they do, but different purpose.

This isn’t a task management system. You can track tasks if you want, but that’s not the main point.

This is using paper to think better.

It’s externalizing the process of figuring things out so you can actually see what you’re thinking instead of just feeling overwhelmed by it.

When you keep everything in your head, you’re constantly using mental energy just to remember what you’re supposed to be doing. You can’t see patterns. You can’t build on previous thoughts—you just repeat them.

The notebook becomes a record of your thinking that you can reference, build on, and learn from.

That’s what makes it useful. Not the paper. Not the pen. The externalization.

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This is part of a series about Hand-Write. Think Better.—a method for people who feel overwhelmed to start simply writing more on paper. Get the book →