Tidying the Wardrobe of the Mind

Why I Write My Thoughts Down

I have found that documenting my thoughts in real-time is an amusing task. My mind is often a scattered landscape of ideas. The simple act of writing them down helps me untangle the mess, and in doing so, I often surprisingly stumble upon answers to questions that I have been wrestling with. Without putting pen to paper, these thoughts remain as a bunch of disconnected data points—I have all the facts but fail to see the bigger picture.

This reminds me of my wardrobe. I own many dresses, but I sometimes forget about the ones stored away or buried beneath a pile. By tidying my wardrobe on a regular basis, I can see everything I own clearly. In the same way, I write to tidy my thoughts, making them visible and comprehensible.

When I revisit what I have written, I see each entry as a snapshot of my mind in motion—often just a glimpse of what could be explored further. The purpose of my writing is not to thoroughly examine every facet of a topic and deliver a well-researched conclusion—many excel at that far better than I could. Instead, I want to share with you my real-time thought process. Think of it as a LIVE broadcast from the depths of my consciousness. If I didn't write these thoughts down, I would have silently pondered them for awhile only to forget them just as quickly. What a waste of potential that is!

I know many people prefer to gather facts, analyze them thoroughly, and reach a logical conclusion. But from a young age, I have found that I care less about the conclusion itself and more about exploring the "whys" and the myriad possibilities. The benefit is that when I finally do reach a conclusion, I seldom regret it, having already wandered through every possible scenario. The conclusion then feels not just logical, but unequivocal. The downside is that this requires immense patience. A more logical observer might have reached the same conclusion far more quickly and efficiently.

I sometimes wish I could organize my thoughts in such a neat, linear way instead of leaping from one thought to the next. But my brain isn't wired that way, and I've learned I can't force a change in my nature. I am who I was created to be. It is only by writing as my authentic, imperfect self that I hope you, the reader, might encounter a real person and find the courage to embrace your own unique way of seeing the world.

I hope that within this rambling, you find a thought or two that resonates with you!