Clarity of thought is a key component of success as an entrepreneur (it’s also helpful in life in general). Some people are better than others at clearly communicating their thoughts. The good news is that clear thinking is something that can be improved.

Just like anything else you want to improve, you must practice it. So how do you go about practicing clarity of thought?

In my experience, writing is the best tool to improve clarity of thought. Writing about a topic forces you to focus your thoughts and organize them coherently so others can understand your points. I like to think of it as a mental workout. The more you write, the more practice you get at clarifying your thoughts.

If you want to think more deeply about something or improve your overall clarity of thought, consider picking up the habit of writing. My takeaways from publishing my daily writings for over three years are here.

I’ve developed a habit of starting my day with physical activity. Walking, weights, etc. Getting my blood flowing and working up a nice sweat. It’s been a great way to get the day going, and it gives me energy throughout the day.

I’m a morning person. My brain is firing on all cylinders when I first wake up. I have my best ideas and clearest thoughts early in the morning when it’s quiet. Knowing this, I didn’t always feel like I was getting the most out of my most productive time, since I was exercising instead of thinking.

I want to be intentional about reading more long-form pieces as part of my daily learning habit. I usually do this in the evening. Sometimes I’m tired, which affects how much I absorb. And I tend to put off reading anything that requires deep thinking.

This week I decided to tinker with my schedule a bit. My goal is to figure out what the right activity is for my most productive early-morning hours.

I’m going to experiment with starting my day reading long-form writings. I plan to focus on things experts have written about topics I want to learn more about and on dense business materials (e.g., white papers and reports). The idea is to be able to think more and absorb more of what I’m reading because my brain will be fresh. I’ll keep reading in the evening too, but I’ll focus then on stories and autobiographies where I just need to follow along. As for my workouts, I’m aiming to do those at lunchtime.

I’m curious to see how this experiment works and what I learn from it.

I try to acquire knowledge daily using a variety of methods and sources. The most effective way for me (not everyone) to get the most from this effort is to read long-form material—books, papers, articles, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy audiobooks, podcasts, YouTube, and other approaches, but they aren’t as effective for me. I’m usually multitasking while consuming these mediums. They’re great in the sense that they help me maximize my productivity on the treadmill, walks, driving, etc., but I don’t gain as much as I do when I’m focused on reading long-form pieces.

I share my thoughts publicly every day and enjoy reading stream-of-consciousness pieces. I browse Twitter, blogs, and other places where people share their thoughts, but these mediums are most helpful for discovery. I tend to find golden nuggets there that steer me to long-form written content about a topic.

I’m still committed to acquiring knowledge daily and will keep using many methods, but I plan to be more intentional about making consuming long-form pieces every day a priority.

Today marks the end of my one-hundred-forty-second week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week one hundred forty-two:

• Recession – Discussions with a few friends and more headlines revolved around recession and the tough road ahead in 2023. I assumed that recession was a given for most, but it feels like the reality of it is hitting more and more people the closer we get to 2023.
• Fewer meetings – I was intentional about keeping my calendar clear, so I was more productive and focused. A few unexpected things happened, but they didn’t derail me. I plan to repeat this next week.
• Christmas – One more week until Christmas. This is the final push for the year.  

Week one hundred forty-two was a productive week. Looking forward to next week!

Today marks the end of my one-hundred-forty-first week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week one hundred forty-one:

• Duh – Sometimes what you’re looking for is already right in front of you. This week was a reminder of that.
• YouTube – If you want to learn from someone who’s somewhat prominent and not in your network, look them up on YouTube. They may share what you want to know in a video. Or better yet, they might drop their email in one of the videos. You can email them and refer to having watched their talk, which is somewhat flattering and better than a cold email.
• Home stretch – Two weeks until Christmas. I’m being more intentional about my calendar for the next two weeks. I want to stay focused on getting some important things completed.

Week one hundred forty-one was a focused week. Looking forward to next week!

Today marks the end of my one-hundred-fortieth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week one hundred forty:

• Investor perspective – Investors view the world and founders through different lenses. I participated in an event where a group of investors provided feedback on a few founders. It was interesting to see how each investor’s perspective informed their analysis of each founder and their market. Sometimes substance was overshadowed by other things; conversely, sometimes lack of substance was overshadowed. External validation also swayed some investors’ analysis of a founder, although I believe that wasn’t intentional.
• Home stretch – We’re in the final weeks of 2022. The year has gone by quickly. I want to make these last few weeks in the year count.

Week one hundred forty was a busy week. Looking forward to next week!

Today marks the end of my one-hundred-thirty-eighth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week one hundred thirty-eight:

• Truth – This week I thought about truth, which led to my post yesterday. Seeking truth isn’t something that most people do. I believe it’s one of the traits that separate the good from the great. Seeking truth allows you to make better decisions.  
• Networks – I started to think about network nodes. How can you create more nodes to increase the free flow of information at early-stage start-ups and the people who support them? Can creating network nodes increase early-stage network quality?
• Non-consensus  – This week I came across two great founders. They’re not in the right VC/start-up networks, and the problems they’re solving aren’t obvious (but they are painful). These founders are non-consensus and, in my book, great founders to back. They represent an opportunity for non-consensus alpha.
• Thanksgiving – Looking forward to time with family and friends!

Week one hundred thirty-eight was a focused week. Looking forward to next week and the Thanksgiving holiday!

Today marks the end of my one-hundred-thirty-seventh week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week one hundred thirty-seven:

• Focus – In my downtime, I’ve been learning about society’s inability to focus. I read about a new habit that helps with focus and other things. I tried it this week, and the early results are good. I plan to keep up this habit for a month before committing to it for longer.
• Packed schedule – This week was packed with meetings, including a half-day one. I was intentional about scheduling time to focus, which worked out well.
• Paying it forward – I spent half a day this week learning more about three early-stage businesses and providing feedback. These types of feedback sessions can be life changing for entrepreneurs, which is why I enjoy doing them. I remember this phase well and want to do for others what was done for me.  
• Pitch – I’ve been honing my pitch with friendlies who are aware of the problem/industry. This week I pitched non-friendlies who don’t know the space. It went over well. Still some things to improve, but it’s getting better.
• Networks – This week was a reminder to share what you’re doing. You never know who knows whom.
• 2023 – I’m starting to think about next year and what habits I want to stop, start, or continue.  

Week one hundred thirty-seven was a busy week. Looking forward to next week!

Today marks the end of my one-hundred-thirty-sixth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week one hundred thirty-six:

• Deal negotiating – A deal is good when neither party gets exactly what they want but both parties are good with the end result. This week was a reminder that keeping the spirit of the relationship in mind is important when negotiating deals. If you want a long-term partnership, the deal should reflect that goal. If it’s a one-time transaction, not so much.
• Fundraising – I’ve talked with a few companies beginning their fundraising efforts now. The macro environment is tough, and the holidays are approaching fast. Fundraising is taking longer than these founders anticipated, and some are reducing round size and valuations to get the rounds done.
• Low meeting bar – This week I had a few meetings that were the result of setting my meeting bar low. They had some unexpected positive outcomes. I like the idea of keeping my meeting bar low when time allows. It keeps me closer to ground level and allows for serendipity.

Week one hundred thirty-six was productive. I made some great unexpected connections. Looking forward to next week!

A seasoned executive I respect emailed me a quote this week:

If you don't know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.

                               ~Yogi Berra

It’s a simple, powerful, and thought-provoking statement. And I agree with what Yogi said. Having a clear destination (or direction at least) helps me deal with all the uncertainty and noise in the world. It allows me to stay calm in stressful situations and make the right decision. I think about where I want to be and confidently evaluate decisions based on whether they get me closer to or further away from that destination. My decisions might be counter to what others would do in the short term, and I sometimes hear questions or criticisms from people who don’t understand one of my decisions. I’m able to confidently (and respectfully) tune that noise out, because the right decision is obvious to me, given my destination.

Yogi is right. If you don’t have a clear idea of where you want to go, you’ll definitely end up someplace else. So where do you want to go?

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