Like photograph captures an image(or light) at a point in time, when we write what is on our mind, we are, in fact, capturing a thought on paper. Just like looking at a photograph takes you back to that time the photo was taken, reading something that you wrote a while back can take you back to that point in time when you had that thought in your mind.
The reason I have begun to love writing and recommend to anyone who tells me about lack of motivation to carry on with a project, or are overwhelmed with a decision that they need to make, is that when you write, you are talking to yourself but in a more structured manner. You can compare and contrast multiple streams of thought about a subject when you put it in paper as opposed to holding it in your head. It is like viewing a multiverse on paper, to come up with the best path for you.
Here are three ways how writing has helped me, and perhaps can help you too:
I’ve found writing tremendously helpful to stay focused on a goal. The thing with us, is that our short term memory is great but our long term memory is bad. If we don’t capture that thought, that reason, why we decide to pursue a goal, at the time we decide to, then it is likely that after a period of pursuing the goal, the motivation wanes because our memory of that reason is lost. The motivation has to stay afresh.
The other reason why I write is to make justifiable decisions that I can show my older self. Maybe the outcome of the decision is unfavorable but at least if I have the right reasons for making that decision, then it is justifiable.
The third reason is I write is to de-clutter my brain. The brain can only hold on to so many things. When I write down the things that are bothering me, I can decide to take on those problems one at a time, without fearing that I might forget the other important problems if I go deep into solving one of the problems.
Like photograph captures an image at a point in time, when we write what is on our mind, we are, in fact, capturing that thought on paper.
Happy photographing your thoughts! 🎉