Why You Need to Keep a Digital Journal as a Creator with Andy Ayim
“I don’t need to write it down because I’ll remember” is hopelessly naive. Sorry if that stung, but it’s true. You need to write things down, as Andy Ayim MBE learned when he started his digital journal. He’s a father, husband, creator, thinker, investor, and founder of The Angel Investing School. He has invested in over 17 gap-closing startups. And he would be completely lost without what he calls his “Tracker” – a digital journal he keeps in Notion. In fact, he believes his Tracker is so crucial, that he considers it DIY coaching and counseling too. So let’s dive into why YOU need to keep a digital journal, and how to make it happen. Plus, in the PRO show, we talk about investing, single-vs-multi-focus, and how Andy invented Spotify, and I invented Facebook…
Top Takeaways
- “You’re never really failing if you learn from it.” Your digital journal is like the “Google Analytics of your life.” You can keep track of what you do, how do feel, and lots of other data points to help you learn.
- This can also be an eternal source of content. If you’re logging books, thoughts, and ideas, you can reference your digital journal when you’re feeling stuck to look for inspiration.
- Get started the way that works best for you. Andy started with a Google Doc before moving to Notion when he understood what he needed.
Show Notes
Sponsored by: Sensei
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Streamlined Solopreneur is the podcast for solopreneurs who want to automate their business and take time off worry-free. Each week, Joe Casabona shares practical systems, tools, and strategies to help you reclaim your time and run your business without sacrificing your the rest of your life, or your health.
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Transcript
He's invested in over 17 gap-closing startups. And if you don't know what that is, don't worry I asked later on. And I say all that because he'd be completely lost without what he calls his tracker, a digital journal that he keeps in Notion. In fact, he believes his tracker is so crucial that he considers it DIY coaching and counseling too. So let's dive into why you need to keep a digital journal and how you can make it happen.
Plus, in the pro show, we talk about investing single versus multi-focus, and how Andy first invented Spotify and I came up with the idea for Facebook first. Also, if you want to see me just jaw-drop, react to what MBE means, this is a fantastic episode for that as well.
The top takeaways. You're never really failing if you're learning from it. "Your digital journal is like the Google Analytics of your life," Andy says, "and you can keep track of what you do, how you feel, and lots of other data points to help you learn from all of your experiences.
This can also be an eternal source of content. If you're logging books, thoughts, and ideas, you can reference your digital journal when you're feeling stuck to look for inspiration. And to get started, do what works best for you. Andy started with a Google Doc before moving to Notion when he understood what he needed. I like to use a combination of Bear Notes and Craft. And Apple at the time of this recording is releasing their own journaling app. So do what you feel most comfortable with.
This is such an incredible episode. Andy and I got connected over LinkedIn, and this was our first real conversation, and it's a good one. So I know you're going to love it as much as I did. But let's get to the intro and then the interview.
[00:02:16]
Intro: Hey everybody, and welcome to How I Built It, the podcast where you get free coaching calls from successful creators. Each week you get actionable advice on how you can build a better content business to increase revenue and establish yourself as an authority. I'm your host Joe Casabona. Now let's get to it.
[00:02:38]