Buy good pens

I’m usually a bit of a cheapskate. It’s not that I am saving all my money, or looking to cut corners. Mostly, I’m not that fussed in having stuff.

Where I do spend money is on things that reinforce my identity. I’ve written previously about making choices that reinforce your identity.

Lately I’ve been pushing hard to write more. Yes, this blog is getting a lot more attention, but I’m also writing more by hand. To help this habit stick, I decided to treat myself to some new pens. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not hugely fancy, but nor are they a multipack of the cheapest ones available.

By buying a couple of different options, I made it a bit more exciting. Specifically I ended up with

I also bought a few different sizes of sticky notes, a memo pad and a couple of journals.

These pens are thinner than I’m used to. I really like that scratchy feel. With a smooth rollerball it feels like you’re skating over the surface of the paper. With these pens it feels like you’re making a mark, really interacting with the paper.

What’s the thing you want to do more of? Go treat yourself. Buy something that will encourage you to do more of that thing!