What separates you from everyone else scrolling? [WRAP 190]

Hey Reader, did you know you're different from most people on my email list?

How do I know this? Because you actually DO stuff with what I send you.

Most people just save emails to a folder called "read later" and never look at them again. You can actually take action. That's pretty rare these days.

💡 One Big Idea: You Are The Outlier

I was thinking about this yesterday after I skipped the gym for two weeks. That little voice in my head started whispering "You're out of shape now. You've lost all your progress."

But that's not true.

Here's what's actually true: I know how to work out. I know how to push through the voice that says "just skip today." I know how to start again even when I feel rusty.

Here's the thing: you have this same superpower with your work. I call this "borrowing confidence" and it's one of the life lessons I think about almost every week.

You've already proven you can focus on what matters. You've built that consistency muscle through all the small actions you've taken after reading these emails. That ability to act doesn't disappear just because you take a break or have an off week.

You can get back to focusing on important work because you know how to do it. Each small thing you do is another step toward becoming who you want to be.

The trick is connecting your daily actions to the bigger picture. It's about having the guts to write down what actually matters to you. Then doing something about it.

Even when it seems ridiculously simple. Connecting daily tasks to the bigger vision of your life is a cheat code.

👀 Video to Watch: Write Notes Like Joan Didion

Y'all know I get fed a ton of note-taking videos on YouTube, but this one stood out. I've had a Joan Didion book, Where I Was From, in my reading pile since I picked it up from the local used bookstore. She's mainly an essay writer—similar to John McPhee—so it's easy to read for 10-15 minutes and get the full effect of the piece.

That's why this video interested me, because Didion's mid-form style of writing lends itself to great note-taking and bringing those notes into a published piece. The video creator, Josephine, has a great way of explaining it too.

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If you want to see another great video on note-taking for writers, check out Ryan Holiday's epic writing process.

📰 Article to Read: Don't Let AI Steal Your Reps

My friend Amanda Natividad wrote a great article on Substack about how to balance time saving benefits of AI tools with the practice of actually getting better as a writer. Read it here and subscribe to her Substack.

You're here because you're committed to getting better. That makes you an outlier.

So what's the one important thing you'll do today that moves you closer to your vision? Reply and let me know!

Matt Ragland