Continuous Output: When Mindflow Meets Workflow

Published: at 12:21 PM (6 min read) Suggest Changes

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A Moment of Discovery

It was a quiet afternoon when I was organizing my files. While browsing through old documents, I came across an article I had written long ago. “Oh, so that’s what I was thinking back then.” This feeling of revisiting old thoughts was fascinating, but it also made me realize something: because I hadn’t been keeping regular records, many ideas and experiences from that period had faded from memory.

This discovery made me think: don’t we need a way to track how our thoughts evolve? Just like version control systems in software development that record every change, we could track the evolution of each idea and see the growth path of our thinking. This isn’t just about keeping records - it’s about organizing and reviewing our own thought processes.

From Recording to Learning

Just like how a code repository is more than just storage for code - it’s a record of a project’s evolution - I soon discovered that continuous recording was more than just leaving traces. As I tried to maintain a writing habit, I gradually realized this was actually a process of learning and thinking. Each time I write, I’m:

This experience reminds me of something I learned from educational psychologist David Ausubel: true learning isn’t just about storing information, but about making meaningful connections between new knowledge and existing understanding. This perfectly explains what I discovered through writing - when we try to express ourselves, we’re actively building these connections.

In this process, I went through several stages:

Knowledge Internalization Process
├── Receiving New Information
│   └── External Input (Reading, Observing, Experiencing)
├── Understanding & Digesting
│   └── Dialogue with Experience (Thinking, Practicing, Feedback)
├── Building Connections
│   └── Knowledge Integration (Organizing, Summarizing, Structuring)
└── Forming Understanding
    └── Internalizing as Personal Knowledge (Innovation, Application, Expression)

Let me share my Git learning experience as an example:

When I first encountered Git, I merely memorized basic commands, like memorizing vocabulary (Receiving Information). The turning point came when I was building my personal blog - I learned git amend when I needed to modify a published article; I understood the value of git rebase when dealing with multiple changes; I mastered git revert when I wanted to elegantly undo certain changes (Understanding & Digesting). These commands weren’t learned through deliberate study, but naturally acquired while solving real problems. Through this process, I began to grasp the core idea of version control: each change addresses a specific issue, and the history is a trail of problem-solving (Building Connections and Forming Understanding).

Building a Sustainable Practice

Understanding the significance of continuous output leads to the next question: how do we turn it into a natural habit? It’s like building a personal knowledge repository - we need the right tools, good habits, and consistent effort.

Choosing the Right Tools

In my search for the perfect recording method, I tried numerous tools. While each had its strengths, I eventually realized that the key isn’t how powerful a tool is, but how naturally it fits into daily life. Just like choosing a pen - what matters most isn’t how advanced it is, but how comfortable it feels in your hand.

For me, a good tool needs to be:

Through experimentation, I’ve developed this toolchain:

Each tool serves its specific purpose while working together seamlessly. I often refine ideas from flomo in VSCode, then publish them to my blog after they’ve matured. It’s a natural flow that mirrors how thoughts evolve into finished pieces.

The Natural Flow

The most surprising discovery? When your tools feel natural, your mind starts to flow differently. It’s not about the tools becoming “invisible” - they’re very much present, just like Git is present in coding. It’s about them becoming a natural part of your thinking process.

Here’s my workflow:

  1. Capture ideas in flomo - quick, unfiltered thoughts
  2. Move emerging patterns to VSCode - structured writing begins
  3. Commit changes frequently - each representing a complete thought
  4. Review history to track idea evolution

This workflow combines structure (workflow) with natural thinking (mindflow). The structure provides a framework, while the flow keeps creativity alive. It’s like having a garden - you need both structure (beds, paths) and space for natural growth.

Learning from Setbacks

Building my blog (sicparvismagna.top) taught me valuable lessons about perfectionism. I found myself caught in a cycle: completing one feature only to think of three more to add. I was stuck at the starting line, overwhelmed by possibilities.

The breakthrough came when I adopted the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach from software development: start with core functionality, then iterate. This shifted my focus from perfect planning to actual doing.

This approach changed not just how I work, but how I think about work. An imperfect result that exists is infinitely more valuable than a perfect plan that doesn’t. In action, unclear problems become clear, and complex choices become simple.

A New Understanding

Through this practice, I’ve gained a new perspective on “continuous output.” It’s not about forcing yourself to write daily, but about finding your natural rhythm. Just like in coding, one focused hour can be more productive than a distracted day.

The key is maximizing output when your energy and clarity are high, maintaining a sustainable pace that doesn’t create pressure but ensures quality. This rhythm becomes truly sustainable because it works with your natural patterns, not against them.

Final Thoughts: Writing for Yourself

Years of experience have taught me that recording and writing are primarily tools for thinking. Like version control in coding, quick notes in flomo are like small commits, organized articles in VSCode are like merged features, and knowledge projects on GitHub are like release versions. The value isn’t in perfection, but in honestly reflecting your thought process.

Sometimes, reviewing old records reveals how unclear thoughts have become clear, how certain views have evolved. This evolution is perhaps the most valuable part - it shows the growth of your thinking process.

Is it perfect? No. But like any good system, it’s continuously evolving. Each article, each commit, each quick capture teaches something new about this dance between system and flow. And that’s exactly how it should be.

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