Notetaking and the Art of Showing Up

Maybe it’s an age thing. When you’re young, it makes sense to finish what you start and experiment with methods to sharpen your craft. But as a 44-year-old man, my priority is to deliver results quickly, engage effectively, and get the right projects moving. Creativity is about showing up and surrendering to the process, not enforcing rigid systems.

. These days, I grab whatever notebook I feel like using. My notetaking has become more like my reading practice: read what you feel like, never feel obliged to finish, start a new book at any time. It sounds chaotic, and I have more half-read books than finished ones, but it has increased my reading dramatically. And most non-fiction books can be understood by reading the introduction and a few key chapters.