Why Documenting Your Plan Beats Relying on Your Memory Every Time

You’ve always had a knack for noticing little gaps in how things work, but when you sit at your kitchen counter with a cup of coffee and try to turn that spark into a real plan, your mind races. Most days, the ideas just swirl around in your head—compelling, but untested. One morning, after reading about the power of putting assumptions on paper, you take a deep breath and scribble out nine boxes on a notebook page. The simple act of writing down your best guess at who your customer is, what problem nags them the most, and how you’d reach them makes you realize just how many details you’d been hazy about. That little cold knot in your stomach loosens as you capture an honest snapshot of your thinking.

Start by grabbing a sheet of paper or opening a new doc and jot down your main idea using a Lean Canvas format. Don’t worry about perfection—just capture what you believe about your solution, your customer, the problem, and how you'd offer value. Next, show your snapshot to a friend, mentor, or anyone willing to challenge your thinking, even if that feels awkward at first. Listen for honest questions, and use their feedback to fill in blank spots or tweak anything that makes you second-guess. You’ll be surprised how quickly your assumptions crystallize, and how much sharper your plan gets—so challenge yourself to try this process today.