How to Think in a Pocket Notebook (in 10 Minutes)

I almost skipped my pocket notebook this morning.

I had about ten minutes before I needed to leave, and ten minutes didn’t feel like enough.

But I opened it anyway. I copied a short Emily Dickinson poem and a quote from Erwin McManus. When I looked up, it was 9:12. Twelve minutes.

And somewhere in those twelve minutes, while slowly writing out someone else’s words, two ideas met.

I almost missed that. Not because I was busy, but because I believed a lie: if I don’t have three hours, why start at all?

Here’s the thing. I’ve had five hours and done zero real thinking. Today I had twelve minutes and a small page, and it was a strong, concentrated dose.

I had two limits working for me. A short window of time, and a small page. Neither one held me back. They helped me focus.

Time is not the enemy. It’s just a dial. Turn it up when you can. When you can’t, use what you’ve got.

Try this today:

1. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
2. Copy one short quote or poem by hand. Go slow.
3. Write one line about what it stirs up.
4. Snap a photo of the page so you can come back to it later.

One word counts. One sentence counts. Ten minutes counts.

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