How Being Dad's Taxi Helps Me Write
How to turn useless time into useful time
My Medium friends can read this over there as well.
Car Park Epiphanies
Last night I spent another hour and a half outside the basketball hall — waiting for my sons to finish training.
I used to scroll aimlessly through my phone in these moments. Or just sit there, grumbling about how much time I was losing.
But then I realised something.
These pockets of “dead time” could become the heartbeat of my writing life.
My Simple Idea Capture Workflow
I always carry a notebook and pen. Sometimes I just use Notes on my iPhone — because it syncs straight to my Mac.
If I spot a quote on Substack that sparks something, I drop it straight into Notes. If I think of a story from my past, I jot it down. If a stat jumps out at me, I save it with a quick comment on why it matters.
And when I write something by hand, I’ll just snap a photo of the page and ask ChatGPT to list out the ideas for me.
Over time, this simple system has created a living “idea bank” I can dip into whenever I sit down to write.
It All Starts With Stories
Every single framework I use starts with my own personal stories (or my take on interesting stats/quotes/news stories etc).
And the more stories and insights I collect, the easier it is to craft content that connects — fast.
Instead of feeling frustrated at lost time, I turn every car park wait into a session of idea capture.
It’s the difference between drifting and driving your content strategy forward.
Turn Dead Time Into Story Gold
When you’ve got limited time — like most of us do — you can’t rely on inspiration striking at the perfect moment.
You need a simple, repeatable system to gather ideas everywhere you go.
That’s why I build my entire writing process around story-first frameworks.
They let me take even the smallest personal moments — like being Dad’s taxi — and turn them into content that teaches, inspires, and grows my business.
Ready to Build Your Own Writing Habit?
👉 Get simple writing systems in your inbox…