3 Long-Term Benefits of Interstitial Journaling
Don't make the same mistake I did last year and take too little notes on what you're working on.
Better notes on what you're working on has three key long-term benefits you don't want to miss out on.
Don't make the same mistake I did last year and take too little notes on what you're working on.
Better notes on what you're working on has three key long-term benefits you don't want to miss out on.
I am LIVID at how bad my interstitial journaling practice was last year.
Recently I had to revisit a paper I was writing for my dissertation, and the last time I had closely looked at it was a year ago. Going over my notes from then I found...nothing. Nothing actionable at least.
Recently I had to revisit a paper I was writing for my dissertation, and the last time I had closely looked at it was a year ago. Going over my notes from then I found...nothing. Nothing actionable at least.
So let me tell you why I wish I had done interstitial properly last year.
First, It's Easier to Return to Projects
First, It's Easier to Return to Projects
If you do Interstitial Journaling right, jumping back into a project after a while away is much, much easier. Picking up where you left off depends on you "reloading" all the knowledge into your brain. Keeping notes about what you're thinking about while you work makes that easy.
Second, Visible Progress on Long-Term Projects
When you build a wall with bricks, another brick in the wall = progress. With knowledge work, that's often missing.
When you build a wall with bricks, another brick in the wall = progress. With knowledge work, that's often missing.
But a trail of notes can be like little bricks, stacking over time and showing you how much you worked on the thing, and what you accomplished.
Third, Learning
As you revisit past work, you can spot patterns. What happens when a project goes off track? What does work look like when things are going really well? To learn these things, you need data. Keeping an interstitial journal generates that data – basically for free.
As you revisit past work, you can spot patterns. What happens when a project goes off track? What does work look like when things are going really well? To learn these things, you need data. Keeping an interstitial journal generates that data – basically for free.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
