Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 38 minutes ago
• 📝 Get access to free '100 journaling prompts': petercook.myflodesk.com/journalingprompts
• ☕️ Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/petercook
I’m a journalist—in the sense of someone who writes a journal.
In Essentialism, Greg McKeown wrote: “The best journalists listen for what others do not hear. They read between the lines.”
But the thoughts must first make it onto the page to read between those lines. And it’s easy to get lost in the weeds.
However, I’ve found that a few simple practices help me extract the most value from my writing. Maybe they’ll be helpful for you, too.
So here’s how I journal to clear and focus my mind.
***
Resources mentioned in video:
• Essentialism – Greg McKeown: https://a.co/d/4VJDhf2
• The Beach – Alex Garland: https://a.co/d/erzMOHE
• Five Dialogues – Plato: https://a.co/d/1XcXz0w
• Day One: dayoneapp.com
• Jenny Odell on How to Do Nothing | Offline Podcast: youtu.be/FvKuq0kcnBk?si=pAwjfRgyZXWyUq2s&t=684
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:29 Why I journal
01:33 Intent
02:46 Capture
03:56 What I write
07:03 Example 1
08:28 Example 2
09:30 Organize
09:50 Review
– LINKS –
☕️ Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/petercook
💻 Try Skillshare for free for 1 month: skillshare.com/en/r/user/petercook?gr_tch_ref=on
📚 Interesting books to read:
• Stoicism For Beginners: https://a.co/d/hPU8GTX
• Minimalism 101: https://a.co/d/bJkA6Lt
• Declutter Your Life: https://a.co/d/carqttB
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
• 📝 Get access to free '100 journaling prompts': petercook.myflodesk.com/journalingprompts
• ☕️ Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/petercook
I’m a journalist—in the sense of someone who writes a journal.
In Essentialism, Greg McKeown wrote: “The best journalists listen for what others do not hear. They read between the lines.”
But the thoughts must first make it onto the page to read between those lines. And it’s easy to get lost in the weeds.
However, I’ve found that a few simple practices help me extract the most value from my writing. Maybe they’ll be helpful for you, too.
So here’s how I journal to clear and focus my mind.
***
Resources mentioned in video:
• Essentialism – Greg McKeown: https://a.co/d/4VJDhf2
• The Beach – Alex Garland: https://a.co/d/erzMOHE
• Five Dialogues – Plato: https://a.co/d/1XcXz0w
• Day One: dayoneapp.com
• Jenny Odell on How to Do Nothing | Offline Podcast: youtu.be/FvKuq0kcnBk?si=pAwjfRgyZXWyUq2s&t=684
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Intro
00:29 Why I journal
01:33 Intent
02:46 Capture
03:56 What I write
07:03 Example 1
08:28 Example 2
09:30 Organize
09:50 Review
– LINKS –
☕️ Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/petercook
💻 Try Skillshare for free for 1 month: skillshare.com/en/r/user/petercook?gr_tch_ref=on
📚 Interesting books to read:
• Stoicism For Beginners: https://a.co/d/hPU8GTX
• Minimalism 101: https://a.co/d/bJkA6Lt
• Declutter Your Life: https://a.co/d/carqttB
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
