Jordan Peterson says often, “If you want to learn how to think, learn how to write.”
I love this advice and have found writing to be one of my life’s most productive growth levers, so much so that I’ve committed myself to writing daily, even if it’s something small.
The mistake many of us make when we set out to write something is assuming we’re supposed to have found the answers first and then begin writing about them.
As I get better at the process, I realize the opposite is true.
Writing is a system of discovery.
Don’t wait until you have answers. Instead, start writing as soon as you have questions.
As I think about the books I love most, this is what the greatest writers in history were doing. They weren’t teaching; they were learning. They brought us along for the ride.
The beautiful part of this method of self-discovery is that it allows you to follow the logical process you took to find your conclusion (or the next milestone along the road of discovery). Being able to “see” the way you think is precious and rarely accessible otherwise.
I’d encourage you to try it.
Start writing the next time you struggle with a thought, concept, idea, or question.
Don’t write with the intention of teaching; write with the intention of learning. What does this mean? What do I think? Where should this thought go?
And don’t let yourself stop writing.
There’s a specific brand of bravery that needs to be found when embarking upon the exploration of ideas. It’s a type of mental nakedness that we’re not accustomed to since we generally wait until our opinions are “fully formed” before sharing.
This is a flawed approach. Assuming we’re sharing our thoughts with people who are receptive to the process and won’t be harsh critics, there’s substantial value in allowing for the raw truth of your visceral beliefs to find purchase and take shallow root, waiting to be nurtured.
Maybe those ideas make it; maybe they don’t. But only some would’ve been given the opportunity if the only things that made it through pen to page were those you felt were fully vetted and ready for peer review.
The bravest ideas are usually also the most dangerous.
So, allow yourself the privilege of writing without filter or expectation.
You never need to share what you write if you don’t want to.
Writing is a personal process, and not everything you write needs to find its way into the minds of others. However, when you do share, it can be magic.
When you share what you’ve written, there’s a feeling of communion with other minds. It turns writing into a team sport and allows for connection in diverse ways (and with diverse people) that I haven’t found elsewhere. It’s intellectual intimacy on often profound levels.
I would love to know what the most profound experience you’ve had writing is.