Early in my journey building CCAW, I kept a notebook. I wrote everything down. It was a catchall of sorts for whatever was on my mind. Projects I was considering. Daily priorities. Problems I was trying to solve. Meeting notes. You name it. I recently came across one of these journals and spent time reviewing it. That particular one is about seven years old.

Reading it reminded me of many long-forgotten details. I got a glimpse of my entrepreneurial thought process back then. I laughed as I read some of the entries. Some of the challenges I considered big at the time paled in comparison to obstacles I would face years later.

Entries detailing the pros and cons of big decisions I was considering were very revealing. They gave me insight into the way I made decisions then. With the luxury of hindsight, I enjoyed evaluating my former self. I was spot-on about a few things, in the general vicinity for a lot of things, and way off the mark (i.e., wrong) about a ton of things. Looking at my notes, I can see where my logic was flawed when decisions didn’t turn out well. And why it was sound when they did. I can see that my thought processes evolved. I was learning and making better decisions.

As CCAW grew, I stopped writing in my journals. I got really busy, and trying to keep up with a notebook annoyed me. I started using the notes app on my MacBook and iPhone instead. I really regret that. I wish I’d kept writing in my notebooks. And I should have taken more time to review and reflect on my entries. I think that would have supercharged the evolution of my decision making.

If you’re an entrepreneur or are considering entrepreneurship, consider keeping a notebook and reviewing it periodically. You just might accelerate your growth!