Documenting and Documenting
Looking back can be the greatest gift to step forward.
Hey, reader!
Here's the latest biweekly Torch newsletter, where we compile our experiences for you to learn from right into your inbox.
What’s the benefit of logging everything we do? Seeing what we have done.
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You may have heard it before, coming from your local neighbor or Gary Vaynerchuck, but documenting your life through some body of work is one of the best decisions I think I ever made- and I wanted to discuss two big reasons why I think you should too.
Fighting Imposter Syndrome
If you aren’t familiar with the concept of imposter syndrome, the idea is this feeling of incompetence; of inadequacy in your current state because you feel you do not deserve it. Imposter syndrome is something that has been ever-present for me personally, whether it be small scale or as large as wondering whether or not I got into the university I study in on a fluke. One of most basic examples might be finishing something- whether it be a book or a huge game development project- and feeling as though you didn’t end up completing much of anything.
Well here’s where documenting comes in. Documenting helps fight imposter syndrome because it shows what we have accomplished to get where we are. It shows that we started off knowing next to nothing and yet now know something. To pull from my own life, I journal and make videos on YouTube. My journal is a stream of consciousness that is about 110 pages long as of writing this newsletter over the course of the past 2 or so years. It’s incredibly cringy to look back on, if I’m being honest, but it provides a fascinating insight into myself. As famous novelist Alain de Botton said,
Anyone who isn't embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn't learning enough.
Through documentation, we document growth. Just as anthropologists derive the evolution of cultures around the world, through documentating we can derive the evolution of ourselves. In doing so, we remind ourselves that if we got from point A to point B, we can get from point B to point C; we can remind ourselves, “hey, I do deserve to be here”- and you absolutely do.
It’s Fun
It’s so fun. Whether you draw something from your day, journal, or make videos, documenting is creating. There is no rubric or requirements. My journal entries are just streams of ungrammatical conscious thought that I trust no one will ever see. My videos start as daily life videos to productivity videos to the occasional video essay. It’s great to look back and see who we’ve become and how much we’ve evolved, and above all else… it’s incredibly fun.
That’s one of the big reasons The Torch is such a great thing to be a part of. This way, I get to look back with others and see how we all grew together. Wheter you want to start a podcast, a newsletter, a blog, a YouTube channel… forget about trying to get an audience or grow. Make it for the future you.
Until next week!
🔎 Some Bonus Resources
📃 Fighting Overwhelm with Lists — Last week I wrote about lists and just how helpful they can be. It just so happens that inspired the subject for my latest video! If I made you curious and you want to know more, definitely check it out.
🎵 “Alright, Alright, Okay” — You bet you’re getting music! One of my favorite questions to “skip the small talk” is, “If you were to use a song to tell someone about yourself, what song would it be?” and my answer- for the past several months, if not few years- has been “Closing Time” by Havelin. This album is really great (4 songs- is it even an album? EP? whatever) and I hope you enjoy it!
📄 Latest on Torch Blogs
You can find out blogs HERE! Below is a list of the latest and greatest on The Torch
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