SarahJones
New member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2026
- Messages
- 17
I have this terrible habit: I'd write for a few hours, get to a good stopping point, and then when I came back the next day, I'd spend 30 minutes just figuring out where I was and what I was supposed to do next. Such a waste of time.
Then I started doing something weird that actually works.
At the end of every writing session, I write a quick note to my future self. Not in the essay—just in a separate doc or even a sticky note. It says things like:
"Hey future me, you were about to add that counter-argument about climate policy. Remember that source from Smith? It's in your 'sources' folder. Also, the transition from paragraph 3 to 4 feels clunky—maybe add a sentence about X."
It takes 2 minutes. But when I sit down the next day, instead of staring at the screen confused, I know exactly what to do. It's like leaving breadcrumbs for yourself.
I also leave little encouragement notes: "You got this! This section is almost done!" Sounds cheesy, but future me appreciates the morale boost at 2 AM.
Now I never end a session without leaving instructions for tomorrow's me. It's like having a personal assistant who only works in the past.
Anyone else do something like this? How do you make it easier to pick up where you left off?
Then I started doing something weird that actually works.
At the end of every writing session, I write a quick note to my future self. Not in the essay—just in a separate doc or even a sticky note. It says things like:
"Hey future me, you were about to add that counter-argument about climate policy. Remember that source from Smith? It's in your 'sources' folder. Also, the transition from paragraph 3 to 4 feels clunky—maybe add a sentence about X."
It takes 2 minutes. But when I sit down the next day, instead of staring at the screen confused, I know exactly what to do. It's like leaving breadcrumbs for yourself.
I also leave little encouragement notes: "You got this! This section is almost done!" Sounds cheesy, but future me appreciates the morale boost at 2 AM.
Now I never end a session without leaving instructions for tomorrow's me. It's like having a personal assistant who only works in the past.
Anyone else do something like this? How do you make it easier to pick up where you left off?
