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Welcome to another edition of the 1% Habits Newsletter!

This is where you’ll get up-to-date information on small wins to improve your habits, productivity, and life satisfaction. 

Let’s get to it.

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📈 The Secret Weapon for Creative Problem-Solving

If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been working on a “Faceless Video” business for the past few months. If you’re curious about the journey, you can check out the backstory in these past issues:

● The Secret to Learning (Almost) Anything for Free

● How I’m Using Tiny Projects to Learn New Skills

● Why You Need More Failed Projects (Seriously)

Well, I’m excited to share that one of the ideas is starting to take off. It’s a project that combines music, video, and interesting imagery. In just a short time, I’ve built up over 5,000 followers on TikTok, and the songs are averaging almost 2,000 streams per day on Spotify. So, it’s been a minor success—and a fun one at that!

But here’s the problem:

I need more song ideas.

Whenever I hit a wall like this, I always go back to my favorite strategy for working through challenges—Journaling.

Why Journaling Works (Especially for Creative Problems)

Journaling isn’t just about recording your day or venting frustrations. At its core, it’s a powerful tool for solving problems and unlocking creativity. When you write things down, you force your brain to slow down and really think about the challenge at hand. You see the issue from new angles, uncover hidden assumptions, and often stumble across ideas you’d never have come up with otherwise.

This approach ties in perfectly with the 12 Favorite Problems Framework I talked about last year. The idea is to keep a running list of the biggest questions or challenges you’re facing in life or business. Journaling helps you drill down into one of those problems, explore possible solutions, and track your progress over time.

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How to Journal Through a Problem (And Take Action)

Journaling isn’t just about writing your feelings—it’s about creating a safe, private space to brainstorm, untangle your thoughts, and actually make progress. Here’s a step-by-step approach that works for me (and countless others):

● Define the Problem Clearly: Start by writing your problem as a question or statement at the top of the page. Be specific!

Example:

○ “I need more song ideas for my music/video project.”

○ “Why do I keep procrastinating on my side hustle?”

○ “How can I reconnect with old friends this year?”

● This clarity keeps you focused and prevents your mind from wandering into unrelated territory.

● Set a Timer for 10-15 Minutes: Give yourself a set block of time—no distractions, no phone notifications. Treat this as a mini meeting with yourself. Sometimes, a little pressure (like a timer) helps you push past your inner critic and get your ideas flowing.

● Brain Dump Everything: Let your mind run wild. Write down every thought, idea, solution, question, or even complaint that comes up. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or whether it makes sense. The goal is quantity, not quality.

The music I create relates to a specific game, so let’s pretend it’s about Minecraft. Here are some examples of ideas you can brain dump:

○ Create a song inspired by the sounds of mining or building in the game

○ Write a track about the thrill of finding diamonds or rare loot

○ Collaborate with other Minecraft creators for in-game music videos or remixes

○ Ask my followers for their funniest in-game moments and turn them into lyrics

○ Compose a song that captures the mood of exploring a new biome or surviving a night of mobs

○ What if I made a series—one song for each mob, tool, or biome in the game?

○ Don’t stop at just solutions. Write down obstacles (“I’m stuck using the same chords”), feelings (“I get inspired when I watch speedruns”), random thoughts (“What if I sampled the sound of a Creeper?”), and even what you don’t want to do (“I don’t want to just copy other Minecraft parodies”). Sometimes the best ideas come from the most unexpected places.

● Look for Patterns, Surprises, or Connections: Read through what you’ve written. Are there recurring themes? Did you write the same idea in different ways? Did something unexpected pop out?

Examples:

○ You notice you keep mentioning “collaboration”—maybe that’s a sign to reach out to other musicians.

○ You wrote “ask followers” three times—maybe your audience is a goldmine for inspiration.

○ You realize you’re most excited about funny, quirky song topics—maybe you lean into humor for your next batch.
 Highlight or underline anything that gives you an “aha!” feeling, even if it seems impractical at first.

● Pick One Action to Take (Today!): This is the most crucial step. Don’t let your journaling session end without choosing at least one concrete action—even a tiny one.

Examples:

○ DM three creators you admire and ask if they want to collaborate.

○ Post a TikTok asking followers for song topic suggestions.

○ Block off 30 minutes tomorrow to experiment with a new sound or genre.

○ Research top trending TikTok sounds and brainstorm how you could remix them.
 Remember: Action breeds clarity. Even if your idea flops, you’ll learn something new.

● Reflect and Repeat: Journaling for problem-solving isn’t a one-and-done deal. Make it a habit to revisit your challenge every few days or weeks. Track what worked, what didn’t, and how your thinking has changed.

Examples:

○ “Tried collaborating—got two new followers and a new song idea!”

○ “Followers loved suggesting topics—one even went viral.”

○ “Realized I’m most creative when I write first thing in the morning.”

● Spice It Up With Different Techniques: If you ever feel stuck, try mixing up your journaling approach:

○ Mind Mapping: Draw your problem in the center and branch out with related ideas.

○ Lists: Make lists of “10 crazy solutions,” “5 things I’m afraid to try,” or “3 people I could ask for advice.”

○ Role Play: Write from another person’s perspective—“What would [favorite artist] do in my situation?”

○ Visual Journaling: Doodle, sketch, or use stickers and colors to tap into a different part of your brain.

● Use Prompts to Go Deeper: Here are a few prompts you can use when you’re stuck:

○ “What’s the worst that could happen if I tried this idea?”

○ “If I had unlimited resources, what would I do?”

○ “What advice would I give a friend facing this exact problem?”

○ “What’s one small thing I could do today to move forward?”

● Tools That Make It Easier: Having the right tools can turn journaling from a chore into a pleasure. I use the Essentials Dot Matrix Notebook for its flexibility, and if you want more structure and guidance, check out my book, Effortless Journaling for prompts and frameworks that will keep you moving.

● Remember: Progress Over Perfection: The goal isn’t to have a perfect plan or to solve everything in one sitting. The goal is to get your thoughts out of your head, onto paper, and to take one small step forward. Over time, these tiny steps add up to big breakthroughs.

Journaling isn’t just for writers—it’s for anyone who wants to untangle problems, spark new ideas, and actually move forward. Next time you’re stuck, grab your notebook and give this process a try. You might be amazed at what you come up with!

Talk soon,

Steve

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