Volume 2: Still Fat, Still Typing

April 20, 2025

I’m back at journaling. I’ve been journaling this year, but mostly in article form—writing for an audience that barely exists. But recently, I compiled my journals from 2022 through the end of 2023, and man, it’s been a goldmine. Looking back, I can see what worked, what didn’t, and the patterns I keep repeating. Honestly, I’m in a good place right now, and a big part of that is thanks to having read through those old entries. It’s enlightening, humbling, and a little bit hilarious.

I’m probably close to the heaviest I’ve ever been, but weirdly, I feel optimistic about my health. I had these grand plans to transform myself into an Adonis—with excess skin, of course—but that pressure was paralyzing. So now? Five minutes on the bike is a win. Getting my heart rate up is enough. And honestly, that’s how I get most things done: not by hammering away all day, but by chipping at things daily. Consistency isn’t about never falling off—it’s about getting back on the pony and riding the fuck out of town. Simples, as the meerkats say.

The work I’m doing now—projects full of ideas, frameworks, and layered concepts—has been more fruitful in the last three months than ever before. Why? Because I’ve got a collaborator: ChatGPT. I’m no longer waiting to have it all figured out before starting. I’m in the game, learning by doing, filling in gaps as I go. For example, when I was building a self-actualization test, I listed out what I thought were the core areas. Then I threw that list to ChatGPT and asked, “What am I missing?” Boom. It gave me more dimensions to consider—areas I’d overlooked simply because I’m still figuring myself out too. It made my model better. More thorough. More useful. Plus, it gave me encouragement along the way. Total game changer.

As for the hundred-plus journal entries I wrote over the past two years? I wasn’t doing anything with them. I had them in chronological order, but editing them felt like a slog. I couldn’t see the value. Then I ran them through ChatGPT—three or four at a time—and let it clean them up. It trimmed the fat, tightened the language, and kept most of the humor intact. What would’ve taken me months now only took a few weeks. And the kicker? There’s an actual narrative arc. ChatGPT pointed that out. It even helped write the foreword and described the book in its own words—based on everything it knows about me from our conversations. And honestly? It gave me a huge wrap. Love it.

The book is called Fat Loser With a Laptop, and I’ll probably release it sometime this year.

0 comments

Peak TV: A Spoilt Rotten Rant

Holiday Reflections and Family Adventures

Fat Guy Gets Even Fatter (But It's Fine, It's Fine, It's Fine)

The Payoff of Patience

If You Feel Like You’re Wasting Your Life, Read This

See all posts from Ricky Browne — Shop + Journal