Summary#
This section of commitments was initially mentioned in this weekly journal. It has now been practiced for nearly two months, with the number of articles increasing from 3 to 20. Compared to articles from three years ago, both the quantity and quality have significantly improved (previously, it boasted a six-month stockpile, but upon closer inspection, most only had titles, which is quite embarrassing).
Therefore, it is now time to organize these commitments into a separate article. This also serves as an extension and supplement to my article “The Elegant Philosophy” regarding "keeping records of life" and "focus."
Write and Publish#
- Deepening understanding of learned content through writing: This is the primary goal; I write articles not for any other reason but to think. Writing down what I have learned is not only a method of recording but also a powerful tool for deepening understanding and revealing knowledge blind spots. Writing allows for reflection on the topic, enabling learners to connect new information with existing knowledge. This integration helps create a stronger and more interconnected understanding of the subject.
- Try to express clearly to others: If the article is only for myself after it's written, there will be no progress. It is very likely that I would be satisfied with a score of 30 for something I wrote for myself, but to others, it might mean nothing. I often fall into the dilemma of "I thought I understood, but in fact, I did not understand at all." Therefore, publishing the article for others to see and trying to explain it to them forces me to constantly question myself: "Have I really thought this through? Does it make sense? Is there a better way to express it?" This is also known as the Feynman learning technique.
Writing Goals#
In summary, it is two blog posts a week: weekly journal + thematic writing.
Weekly Journal - A Collection of Fragmented Thoughts#
- Record of daily life: Document what I did on that day. Although it is called a weekly journal, it doesn't mean I start writing only on the last day. I might forget what happened the day before. For example, I can take some photos of daily life or share thoughts on dining and shopping.
- Record of learning content: Whether at work or in life, I encounter various new concepts and knowledge every day. At this time, I will jot down some important points and express them in my own words.
- Thoughts & Emotions: Watching various works and encountering different situations in daily life often triggers various thoughts. These thoughts should be recorded as soon as possible, especially those involving emotions. After all, "that emotion will eventually be forgotten."
- Organize and publish every Sunday: The weekly journal serves as a collector of my various fragmented thoughts, aimed at having enough material available for writing related theme articles in the future. Moreover, this also helps my future self understand how foolish I was in the past.
Thematic Writing - The Key to In-Depth Thinking#
- Content should align with Random topics: Thematic writing articles should not stray too far from the Random topics of the month, as this would consume a lot of time and affect the progress of the Random topics. If the writing content aligns with the Random topics, then I can balance both writing articles and the Random topics.
- A complete work integrated from materials: The weekly journal is just scattered materials, and to integrate these materials into a complete work, specific writing and description on a particular topic is required.
- One article per week: I have also considered writing one article every two weeks or three weeks, but based on my understanding of myself, it would ultimately lead to "starting to write on the last day." So I decided on one article per week, most likely on Wednesdays.