Let me hit you with a truth bomb right off the bat:

You've been asking the wrong question.

You DM me, you comment, you ask, 'Jonah, what’s the best habit for becoming more authentic? How can I become as authentic as you?' But that's not the question you should be fixated on.

No, the question is: Which habit could potentially flip your life upside down—in a good way?

Do you want to chase the fleeting high of an 'easy' habit? Or are you ready for the soul-deep satisfaction of a life-altering one?

What’s the habit that holds the transformative power you've been searching for?

Journaling.

But before you roll your eyes—listen. You've been doing it wrong. All wrong. And that's not your fault.

Because authentic journaling as a habit is actually incredibly hard to build

(which is why I’ll tell you how to do it in this letter)

You sit down with your book, your pen and your enthusiasm.

Yet… when you try to write, your enthusiasm turns into frustration due to 1 of these 2 reasons:

I mainly fell into this 2. category.

I’ll share a crazy story with you about this first - but after that - you can learn the 3 best journaling templates that I personally use every evening to level up my self awareness.

(#3. saves my future every single day. It’s insane.)

Picture this: I'm at my desk, the pen poised above my journal as if it's a magic wand.

My face is a mask of concentration—serious, focused, intent on digging deep.

My hand begins to move, sweeping across the pages like a whirlwind, pouring words onto paper.

You might think I'm fully engaged in this, but here’s where it gets surreal.

As I'm scribbling about how I want others to see and perceive me—a subject that’s a big insecurity of mine—I hit an unsettling realization: my mind is elsewhere, lingering on a YouTube video I’d watched earlier.

It's as if someone else has taken the wheel while I'm daydreaming in the passenger seat.

I freeze, pen in mid-air, my face morphing from concentration to utter bewilderment. How is it possible?

How could I have been writing for nearly half a minute, filling pages with what I believed to be 'authentic' thoughts, when my mind was on auto-pilot?

How was I able to keep writing for 20, even 30 seconds, before catching my mind wandering and bringing me back to the present?

Who was behind the pen if it wasn’t my conscious, active mind?”

Boom. That's when it hit me:

Your self image is actually not the most inner, authentic and raw version of yourself.

Your self image you is trying to uphold a specific frame of which you believe and operate in (positive and negative, it mixes).

You do this every day, consciously and subconsciously.

This self image gets formed through positive and negative reinforcement of any certain behaviour and experience.

Imagine a nerdy, short, ugly individual who has encountered numerous rejections in his interactions with women.

These experiences have undeniably impacted their self-image, leading him to believe that engaging with women is an unwise choice.

Now, let's contrast this with a 6'4", strikingly attractive, socially adept chad.

This guy, unlike the nerdy counterpart, has consistently received positive reinforcement from women, thereby shaping his self-image and reinforcing his belief in the actions necessary to safeguard his well-being.

And guess what; this is good. It’s how we adapt, stay safe (in ancient times at least), evolve and change.

You can think of it on 2 different terminologies too:

Unfortunately though, you probably never learned to shut off this voice that lives inside our head when needed.

So in most people, it takes over in situations it’s uncalled for.

Even when talking to ourselves… on a piece of paper… alone inside our room.

Another example: imagine a crazy person talking to himself on the street.

That’s his self image, his “voice”, talking to his inner child. To his authentic self.

So to draw this back to me journaling in my room… My self image was basically journaling for me, not involving my authentic selves thoughts.

Why? Well, for that I’d like to give you a quote out of the book Psycho Cybernetics for you to chew on.

Read that again.

If we aren’t actively aware of it, our self image will try to convince us the same way we try to convince other people that we are great.

Our self image will convince ourselves that we’re this certain type of way, up until we get challenged on it and crumble, or until we actually truly develop into that person we’re trying to be.

Kind of like the “fake it till you make it” philosophy.

Kind of like those Facebook moms who infiltrate our feeds with positive affirmation posts, yet fail to grasp the profound impact that affirmations truly have on our psyche.

(I made video here on self-image and affirmations, check it out.)

A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment.

A human being's actions, emotions, and achievements are driven by their perception of themselves and their surroundings.

So whenever you see a “feminist got owned!” video, while I actually think all of that is degenerate content, it is important to recognize that most of these seemingly dumb feminists are simply shallow thinkers who lack genuine introspection.

Their inability to think critically stems from their reliance on their self-image, ego, and the desire to maintain a certain narrative.

And unfortunately, they have not been exposed to alternative ways of thinking that could nurture their inherent, intrinsic intelligence, which every human being possesses.

Trapped in a delusional social media bubble, their self-perception may be so distorted that they are unable to intellectually engage when challenged on platforms such as podcasts.

Have you ever noticed how much smarter you become when you take a break from all social media? (yes, even YouTube)

It's because that's when your true thoughts have the space to emerge. You start thinking from a deeper place, free from the influence of internet gurus and societal expectations.

But if you continue to suppress your authentic thoughts with excessive content consumption and fail to tap into a more vulnerable state when expressing yourself, you're essentially stealing at least 30 points from your free-thinking IQ.

You're dumbing yourself down and settling for a lower level of thinking. And guess what? Those inauthentic thoughts will manifest as inauthentic words.

However, once you overcome this lack of genuine self-reflection, your thinking will genuinely become sharper. It may sound ridiculously simple, but it's true.

And when you achieve this, I guarantee that your friends, family, crushes, and intelligent individuals will be impressed by your authentic yet vulnerable way of communicating.

They will admire your thought-provoking and poetic perspectives, which stem from your ability to think beyond your own limited worldview and self-image.

Moreover, you'll become more quick-witted, funnier, and more charismatic.

So, how can we attain this magical authenticity?

While there are various paths to reach astonishing levels of authenticity, journaling remains the most consistently effective replicable method.

Now, as promised, here are the three best journaling templates that I consistently utilise every evening to enhance my self-awareness and cultivate my authenticity. #3 is insane.

How It Works:
Every morning, write three things you're grateful for, three things that would make today great, and a daily affirmation. In the evening, jot down three things that went really well today, one thing you could have done better today, and 1 intention for tomorrow.

My Example:

Why It's Useful:
I recommend this one first as a base for everyone trying to become consistent at journaling. It give you clear rules, yet doesn’t overwhelm because it really does only take 5 minutes a day but is extremely effective on the long term as a habit.

It helps you start and end the day with a positive mindset. It makes you more aware of what's going well in your life and what you can improve, reinforcing both gratitude and a sense of control.

How It Works:
I got this one from Robin Sharma in the book “The Monky Who Sold His Ferrari”. At the end of each day, take a few minutes to write a reflective account of what happened. This should include not only the events of the day but also your feelings, thoughts, and reactions to those events. The key is to be honest and let the words flow without censoring yourself and without coming from an egotistical self image point of view. Embrace your authenticity.

Why It's Useful:
Daily Reflection Journaling is particularly effective for boosting authenticity and self-awareness because it serves as a mirror to your inner world. By consistently recording your thoughts, emotions, and reactions, you cultivate a deeper understanding of who you are. This honest self-examination encourages you to live more aligned with your true self, making you not just more aware but also more authentic.

My Example:

Important to note:
Remember, while journaling from now on, keep in mind what you know after reading this letter. Even make yourself some reminders. It will help you combat the act of journaling and thinking from your self image like we discussed.

Awareness for it is he first step in solving it, so I urge you to re-read this letter at least a couple more times and maybe hopefully even keep learning with some other resources on it like the book Psycho Cybernetics or my video.

How It Works
1. Start by posing a specific question that you'd like guidance on. Write this question down in your journal.
2. Switch your mindset to that of your "grandpa self" — a version of you that's older, wiser, and has seen the outcomes of your life choices.
3. Answer the question you posed, writing as if you are this older, more experienced version of yourself.

My Example:
Question: "Should I focus solely on my YouTube channel for the next year, or should I diversify and start a podcast as well?"
Answer from Grandpa Self: "Younger me, focusing solely on YouTube will give you a depth of expertise and audience connection that is invaluable for the long term. Remember that you’re trying to build something long-term here. I don’t want you to diversify when your main thing isn’t th best it could be yet. It's better to do a few things excellently than many things mediocrely. My financial freedom came from you focusing fully on one thing, and doing that thing really good. There are too many others already doing what you do but not doing it really good. That is what seperated me. Diversification can come later one, but for now you need to focus on your one thing.

Why It's Useful:
This exercise taps into your intuitive wisdom by encouraging you to see your life from a more long term standpoint. You get away from instant gratification in an instant with this exercise. It allows you to sidestep the emotional and cognitive biases that often cloud our judgment. It's a mental dialogue that pushes you to be more authentic in your choices, delaying immediate gratification for longer-term fulfillment and long term results.

I want to urge you to take action on this. We can all CHOOSE to be disciplined. You don’t need to wait for anything.

Use exercise #3 and ask your future self if you should start integrating the knowledge you learned from this letter into your life. ;)

Thanks for reading. Love ya.

See you in the next one.

- Jonah

PS: I want to leave you with one last very good resource. It’s a guy on YouTube who really motivated me and inspired me to write this letter, and especially to even build a consistent journaling habit and dive deeper on this topic.

His name is Parker Notes on YouTube and I highly suggest you check out his content.

I don’t know the guy, never spoke with him, I’m just sharing quality with you guys that I know has helped me with the intention of it helping you too.

His videos basically make you “hungry” for Journaling and for getting better at it.

That’s all, see ya.