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Episode 4117:
Steve Pavlina shares why he treats his journal less as a diary and more as a problem-solving tool, opening most entries with a question he wants to answer. He explains how writing a problem out breaks circular thinking, exposes gaps in the options you have considered, and effectively expands your mental working memory. It is a simple personal development habit for making big decisions with more clarity.
Read along with the original article(s) here: https://stevepavlina.com/blog/2004/10/journaling-as-a-problem-solving-tool/
Quotes to ponder:
"So instead of thinking things through in my head, I tackle those big, hairy problems by writing them through."
"Some problems are by their very nature just too big to fully understand in our thoughts alone."
"By exploring problems on paper, I avoid circular thinking, and it's also easier to identify gaps in the possible solution space that have yet to be considered."
Optimal Living Daily is a daily personal development and self-improvement podcast where we narrate the best self-help articles on minimalism, productivity, and intentional living, read to you by a professional narrator so you can live your best life a little more every day.
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