I’ve been sharing my thoughts daily for over three years now. I was recently asked how I’ve come up with a topic every day for 1,000+ consecutive days. It’s taken a bit of time, but I’ve developed a simple system. Here’s how it works:

• I keep in the back of my mind that I must write a post. So, I’m subconsciously on the lookout for insights and interesting information. If I read an article that catches my attention, I note it. If I’m thinking about something or have an insight, I note it.
• I capture a note in one of two ways. The first is email. I’ll send myself an email with the thought as the subject line. Sometimes I add links or additional thoughts in the body of the email. I tag these emails as blog content and archive them. The second is the Notes app on my iPhone and laptop. I have a single note with a running list of thoughts, insights, and links to other people’s writings that caught my attention. Lately I’ve been capturing more notes via email.
• At the end of each day, I review emails tagged as blog content and my Notes app. I choose the topic that resonates most with me. Then I think about it a bit more and start writing.

The most important and unexpected benefit I’ve gotten from this system is that it instilled in me the habit of capturing my thoughts. Recording my “lightbulb” and “shower” moments has been invaluable. Instead of losing these thoughts when the moment passes, I now keep them top of mind or at a minimum recall them later. This has enhanced my reflection process and ability to uncover insights I otherwise would have missed.

That’s my system. It’s simple and fairly low-tech.