Welcome to UnRambling: The Buffet and the Fine Plate

Welcome to another episode of UnRambling, where I record myself while biking, hiking, running, driving, walking—or swimming, well, maybe not swimming—and then transcribe and analyze my thoughts in an effort to maintain the rich ideas often left out on the road.

Today is Friday, January 24, 2025, and I am out on a short, 40-minute walk with my three dogs in the forest behind my house.

What’s been on my mind today is an article I just wrote—a piece that feels like a watershed moment in my writing journey. It centers around a metaphor that’s been occupying my thoughts: writing as an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The Buffet Metaphor: Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

Writing today often resembles an all-you-can-eat buffet. With AI and a seemingly infinite arsenal of writing tools, it’s easy to think, “Let’s use it all.” But as I like to say about buffets, just because it’s all-you-can-eat doesn’t mean you should.

When it comes to writing, the temptation to use every available word is real, but the result often overwhelms the reader. Instead, I aim to be like a fine-dining restaurant, plating ideas with care and intentionality. It’s about brevity, presentation, and precision. The goal is to leave readers wanting more, intrigued by the gaps they can fill in themselves.

This philosophy connects deeply to my approach to life documentation. Much like a buffet can tempt us to overindulge, writing and memory capture possibilities can leave us paralyzed, unsure where to begin. The solution isn’t to capture everything but to focus on the essential details.

The Personal Life Record (PLR) system helps simplify this process.

By focusing on the details that matter most—who, what, where, when, and why—you can capture the essence of a moment without feeling overwhelmed.

The Key to Capturing Moments: Proximity and Precision

One of the core arguments in the PLR system is that the details of a moment fade quickly with time. You don’t need to write a lengthy essay about an event, but capture the basic elements as close to the moment as possible.

Think about a well-plated meal at a fine restaurant. If you’re quick to take a photo of the dish for social media, why not take an extra moment to jot down the why behind the moment? Why did it matter? Who were you with? What do you hope to remember about it? These details, captured briefly, can transform a photo into a memory with depth and context.

The PLR system is designed to make this easy, giving you a clear framework for collecting and organizing your life’s moments so you can revisit and reflect on them with clarity and purpose.

Capturing Moments as Ingredients for a Recipe

Talking about food and restaurants got me thinking—it’s so easy to take a photo of an event in our life. Snap, post, done. But writing about that same event? It can feel daunting, like trying to cook an elaborate meal without a recipe.

Here’s the shift: instead of feeling like you have to create the perfect story in the moment, think of capturing the details as collecting ingredients for a recipe. What makes this moment unique and tasty? What are the key elements that define it?

The “ingredients” don’t have to be complex. They can be one-line observations, snippets of dialogue, a feeling, or a sensory detail you don’t want to forget. These quick notes, captured as close to the moment as possible, are like saving the essential elements of a dish—the spices, the flavors, the little touches that make it special.

For example, if you’re documenting a family birthday, your “recipe” might include:

The smell of candles just blown out.
A quote from your child: “This was the best cake ever, even better than last year’s!”
A snapshot of the mess left behind on the table—crumbs, torn wrapping paper, and all.
The drama, catastrophes and conflicts surrounding the event.

With these ingredients preserved, you don’t have to write the full story right away. You’ve captured the essence, the raw materials. And just like a well-documented recipe, you can always come back later and create a masterpiece—a story that brings the moment fully to life.

Think of it this way: capturing the details isn’t the end of the process, but it’s a vital part of ensuring you can return to that moment whenever you want. The PLR system gives you a place to store these “ingredients,” so they’re ready whenever inspiration strikes.

Photographs vs. Written Records

Photographs are powerful tools for capturing the visual essence of a moment, but they’re not enough. They don’t capture the moment's smells, sounds, emotions, or significance. Too often, we believe that a photograph alone is sufficient documentation.

Your future self will thank you for the extra effort you put into including those often unwritten details. While the photo might be shared on social media, those deeper insights are for you—your future self, to whom these captured moments will matter most.

Quality Over Quantity: Savoring the Details

As I walked with my dogs today, it struck me how often we feel pressured to document everything, to create exhaustive accounts of our lives. But life isn’t about quantity—it’s about quality. The beauty lies in savoring the small, meaningful details, much like enjoying a fine meal.

Your Personal Life Record doesn’t need to be a collection of sprawling narratives. It’s a framework for capturing and organizing the essence of moments—enough to preserve their accuracy, intimacy, and significance. The goal is to create something you’ll savor later, not something that drowns in excess.

Final Thoughts

When you look back at the moments you've captured years from now, you won't just see words or photos. You’ll relive the laughter, gratitude, and magic of being there. And that’s a gift worth savoring.

The Personal Life Record system can help you capture life’s moments with clarity and purpose.

Try This Exercise

Think of a recent moment that mattered to you. What do you remember about it? Take 30 seconds to jot down the who, what, where, when, and why. See how quickly you can capture its essence for your future self.

Action Items

Take a moment after significant events to write down the who, what, where, when, and why.
Don’t let the pressure to document everything keep you from capturing something.
Remember: your future self will be grateful for the effort you make today.