Journaling and the Vomit System

Introduction

• Speaker’s transformation: from teenager, young adult, to current state (suburban dad)
• Common factor: journaling
• Issue: Journaling has hype but lacks guidance
• Goal: Explain effective journaling techniques via the "vomit system"

Vomit System Overview

What is the Vomit System?

• V: Vent
• O: Obligations
• M: Mindset
• I: Ideate
• T: Trajectory
• Inspired by the idea of mental relief, akin to physical relief from vomiting

V: Venting

• Purpose: To express anger and clear the mind
  • Mind dump effect: Clears mental chaos
  • Quote: “I don't know what I think until I write it” (various sources)
• Steps:
  • Write about what makes you angry to get started
  • Benefits: Identifies thoughts, makes mind clearer
  • Analogy: Finding keys in a lit vs. dark room

O: Obligations

• Purpose: Manage tasks and responsibilities
  • Free brain space for problem-solving
• Steps:
  1. Obligation Dump: List any obligations (e.g., tasks, emails, buying a boat)
  2. Organization: Categorize tasks (e.g., family, finance, health, work)
  3. Prioritization: Use guiding questions like Tim Ferris’ “Which task, if completed, makes other tasks easier?”
  4. To-Do List Form: Separate into “bare minimum” and “killing it”

M: Mindset

• Purpose: Improve mental framework and perspectives
• Techniques:
  1. Reframing: Ask, “How is this the best thing that has ever happened to me?”
  2. Possibility: Use “because” statements to gather evidence supporting new identities (e.g., “I am healthy because...”)
  3. Inversion: Look at the opposite of the solution to clarify the problem and find the correct path
  4. Perspective: Ask, “What advice would you give yourself as a friend?”
  5. Discipline: Evidence-based practice; trick oneself into journaling
  6. Gratitude: List three things you’re grateful for, with prompts (mundane, by chance, something you made happen)

I: Ideate

• Purpose: Improve idea generation skills
• Techniques:
  1. Timed Challenge: List 30 answers to a problem in 5 minutes
  2. Role Models: Ask how someone else (e.g., Nike, Red Bull) would solve the problem
  3. Open the Loop: Write down a question before bed; let the brain work on it subconsciously

T: Trajectory

• Purpose: Assess and align daily actions towards long-term goals
• Techniques:
  1. Direction: Regularly evaluate if actions are moving towards or away from goals
  2. Day-to-Day Hidden Metrics: Track unseen aspects (e.g., happiness, fulfillment) with daily questions:
     • What excited me today?
     • What drained my energy?
     • What did I learn?

Conclusion

• Summary of the vomit system
• Encouragement to share journaling prompts
• Final thoughts and sign-off