2026 Recreational Essay Writing

Get this template direct on Notion.

Write essays that sharpen your thinking, 15 minutes a day*.

If you're reading, watching, and learning constantly but struggling to retain or reflect on any of it, this system turns consumption into clarity through writing.

• Reflect regularly on what you've consumed. Set aside time daily or weekly to archive notes from books, articles, conversations, or observations. Writing becomes a practice for digesting ideas, not just documenting them.
• Build arguments slowly through accumulated reflection. Start with a big idea or central theme, then layer in notes and insights over time. Your essays become richer because they're grounded in thoughtful engagement with what you've consumed, not rushed output.
• Turn passive consumption into active understanding. The system connects what you read and experience to what you think and write, so nothing gets lost. You're not just consuming — you're making sense of it all.

Whether you write for personal reflection or to publish, this gives you a structure to process ideas mindfully and build essays that actually sharpen your thinking.

Stop losing your best thoughts to scattered notes and forgotten highlights.

*This is based on my practice.

Progress Notes

January 10, 2026

This is my current workflow:

1. Capture. Write down memorable ideas or thoughts throughout the day with analog. I generally work with a blank notebook to jot progress + runaway thoughts during my workday.
2. Process. Take 15 minutes a day OR 1 hour a week to write down all the ideas you've had. Write a structure on how you want to approach these ideas. You can use bulletpoints here, what's important is that you have a flow of thought you understand and can revisit.
3. Expand. The time and length for this depends per person. I can churn out a short essay in 15-30 minutes, but I actually like to use this time to look at more of my consumption, references, and see where the mental patterns are being formed and where the ideas are being connect. What's the common thread in all of this? The process is the purpose, not the output (but you'll have some gems.)

My thoughts: I think the reason why we struggle with a blank page as we're about to write is because the marketplace of ideas exist in chaos and friction. When you're alone in front of the screen, you don't have the contrast to digest thoughts or feelings and as humans, we're designed to process things by comparison.

September 17, 2025

This is the dashboard I use for personal essays and thought pieces.

If you’re familiar with the Zettelkasten system, this whole process is heavily inspired by that with a few tweaks. I used Sönke Ahrens’ How to Write Smart Noted as my main reference.

I currently write all of my essays (mostly for personal reflections more than publishing) on Notion. But every now and then, I use Google Docs.

Prescribed Workflow:

1. Set aside time daily or weekly to reflect and archive what you’ve consumed.
2. Reflect on what you’ve consumed + ongoing themes in your life — and start with a rough draft or a “big idea”, which I consider the central theme of your piece.
3. Over time, archive your notes on media or writing you’ve consumed until you build a strong argument or worthwhile exploration behind your big idea.