Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has a surprisingly simple solution. And no—it’s not an app, a planner, or a productivity hack.
It’s a pen.
And a notebook. (this kind)
That’s it.
Sam carries a spiral-bound 100-page notebook and a Muji 0.3 gel pen—and he fills one notebook every two weeks.
Why?
✍️ Because writing is his tool for clear thinking.
Here’s his simple but powerful process:
✅ Meet lots of people → spark fresh ideas
✅ Take time alone → write it all down
✅ Repeat → daily, consistently, without fail
Writing slows your thoughts down.
It forces you to engage with your ideas, question them, clarify them.
You don’t need to be a great writer.
You just need to write—to think better.
“Want to be a clear thinker? Write.”
So here’s your challenge:
📓 Get a notebook
🖊 Use a pen you love
🕒 Take 10 minutes a day to write your thoughts out
