Throughout sll of my writing, I’ve been gently pushing people to write every day. I’ve given simple writing instructions and easy topics because writing is one of the most powerful recovery tools we have. Over the years, I suggest you compile as many lists as you can, about your experiences, your problems, your solutions, your dreams, your plans, and whatever else comes to mind. At first, it might sound obsessive. It isn’t. This is not about intruding on your ability to live in the present. It’s about giving the addicted mind, whether your addiction is to substances, behaviors, or toxic thinking, a structure to hold onto.
We are people who have survived various degrees of trauma. We forget things from one day to the next: our primary goals, our personal rules, our moral codes, the projects we’ve started, and even what we’re working on right now. That’s why we write.
What is in your mind that causes suffering is what you must write about most.
You can start with anything just to get the pen moving, use crayons, carve it into wood, scribble on paper, type on a laptop, record your voice. Every method works. Writing becomes a breathing exercise as much as it is a writing exercise. The two merge into one important act of relaxation and focus. Stop waiting. Write. Write. Make your lists.
At a certain point in your self-help journey, you’ll realize something profound: mentally, physically, and emotionally, you are far ahead of where you began. You’re no longer just focused on avoiding alcohol, drugs, or destructive behaviors. Even if you still have some lingering habits, you’ve elevated to a different place. Now, it’s time to refine.
One of the most important practices at this stage is list-making. Once a month, or more often, write down the things you’d like to quit or improve, even if you’re not ready to act on them yet. The key isn’t immediate action. It’s willingness. Just being open to change is the breakthrough.
When you’re overwhelmed or stuck, the most important journaling you can do is this: make a list of problems. Then, for each problem, write a sublist of small, manageable actions. Break big tasks into a hundred little ones if you have to. Start with the easiest and build momentum. If you don’t create a list, your mind will wander in circles, wasting time and energy. Anxiety thrives in chaos. Lists create order. Lists become meditation.
This is how I run my life. My current business has over 2,000 tasks to reach the next level. The first 1,500 are done. That’s how we opened our store. Once it was running, my partner and I made new lists, 12-month and 24-month goals, broken into steps. That’s the discipline. Without it, you waste months, maybe years, while problems interrupt your flow.
Apply the same structure to your personal life. Have a goal to take more vacations? Get weekly massages? Do yoga five days a week? Start a daily breathwork and writing practice? Make a list of what’s in the way. Then make a sublist of solutions.
Example:
Goal: Go to the post office, but you don’t have a car.
Sublist:
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Call a friend for a ride
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Fix your bike’s flat tire
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Find a nearby bike shop
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Walk the bike to the shop if needed
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Google bike shop locations
Simple tasks, but breaking them down keeps you moving. Without a list, the smallest barrier becomes a mountain.
The harder work is inner. Make lists of addictions you’d like to overcome. Books you want to read. Lectures you want to absorb. Habits you want to adopt. Then track them. If you listen to one lecture a week, that’s 52 in a year. That’s life-changing. Even if your body ages, your mind evolves, and that’s power.
Practical tip: Start with paper and a medium Sharpie. (Sharpie markers might not even exist in your day, they’re magic if they do.) Make your lists bold, loud, and impossible to ignore. Later, move them into digital tools, assuming you’ve got electricity and internet where you are.
When I was drowning in projects and to-do lists, I had to find a way to flow from one day to the next without losing track of what mattered. My system was simple: 3x5 white index cards. Project name at the top, notes scribbled everywhere. At the end of the week, I’d gather the cards and plug everything into project management software.
Sounds tedious? It’s nothing compared to the chaos and stress of being unorganized. Wasted time, unfinished critical tasks, constant anxiety, that’s the real grind.
Some people have photographic memories and laser focus. Good for them. The rest of us need structure. I start my day with a few minutes of relaxation, then I go straight into list review, check-ins with myself, setting deadlines, and holding myself accountable. That’s how you stay in control of what we can and that's how we win.