Why I Write Everything Down

I have 16,381 lines in my personal journal.

Not because I'm particularly interesting. Because I'm particularly forgetful.

Or rather: I used to think I was forgetful. Turns out I just think by externalizing.

When I write something down, it stops taking up RAM in my brain. I can close the tab. I can reference it later. I can search it. I can see patterns I couldn't see when it was all floating around in my head.

This is why

• My commit messages are essays
• My PRs have context sections longer than the code
• I keep a work journal where I write "what I learned today"
• I built my entire life in an Obsidian vault with bidirectional links

Some people call this over-documentation. I call it externalizing my thinking so I can actually think clearly.

As a developer, this means

• I write design docs before I code (revolutionary, I know)
• I document not just what but why
• I keep a "decisions" log for every project
• I treat documentation as a first-class citizen, not an afterthought

Is it extra work? Yes. Does it save time in the long run? Also yes. Do my teammates appreciate it? Mostly yes. (Except when they just want the TLDR.)

The point

If you're the kind of person who thinks by writing, lean into it. Don't apologize for it. Make it your superpower.

And if you work with someone like me, please read the docs. I promise I wrote them for a reason.