[bayindirh]

> writing is so slow.

This is the core idea of stopping and writing. Forcing your brain to slow down to a certain speed so, it focuses whether it likes it or not.

I do the exact same thing as the article suggests and my coworkers sometimes ask why am I doing this.

My brain's brakes malfunction sometimes and this is an external brake to stop and restart gracefully. It works wonders.

[sethetter]

This! There's also plenty of research backing up the idea that writing with a pen commits the information to memory more effectively than typing. It makes sense if you consider the extra time and effort being dedicated to what you're writing.

I've ditched pen and paper in the past because it was too slow for me. Over time I've realized that desire to "go fast" can be good in some contexts, and bad in others. Slowing down with pen and paper does a much better job of clarifying and directing my thoughts.

[bayindirh]

All of the research I've read connects this effect to paraphrasing but, it doesn't have to be, at least for me.

When I get the pen in my hand, everything changes, incl. the way I think.

Also while unrelated, if I'm working on something in English, my whole data processing pipeline switches to English. Everything returns to my native language when I finish. Strange and fascinating.

> I've ditched pen and paper in the past because it was too slow for me....

Same for me. I've gone through that phase too. Tried to be too efficient but found out that excessive speed kills (concentration, in-depth thinking and the broad perspective). Then I've returned to my old ways for thinking.

However, getting used to something like Evernote and Trello for longer term planning complemented writing and supercharged both, at least for me.