The Multitasking Loophole
How movement-based journaling unlocks the thoughts your inner editor usually blocks
I’ve been thinking about something that came up during my last UnRambling session, and I think I’ve stumbled onto something important about how our minds work.
Un·Ram·bling
/ˌənˈram-bling/ nounThe act of recording yourself while walking, running, biking, driving—or swimming (well, maybe not swimming)—to capture unfiltered thoughts before the inner editor steps in.
A spontaneous, movement-based form of journaling that unlocks clarity, creativity, and insight.
“I recorded an UnRambling on this during my hike—it helped me finally figure it out.”
We’re constantly told that multitasking is a myth – that we can’t really do two things at once, that trying to multitask just makes us worse at everything. And scientifically, that’s true when we’re talking about competing cognitive tasks. Try to write an email while having a phone conversation and you’ll do both poorly.
But what I’ve discovered through UnRambling is that there’s a completely different kind of “multitasking” happening when I’m active and recording myself. When I’m out walking, running, biking, hiking or driving, and recording myself talking through things out loud, it’s not about doing two demanding tasks simultaneously. It’s about using one activity to unlock something deeper in another.
An UnRambling happens by getting the words and feelings out of my head—without interference from the editor that sits between my mind and my hand.
The Editor Problem
Here’s what I think is really happening.
When I sit down at a computer to journal or write, there’s this editor that sits between my head and my hand. It’s that voice that’s constantly evaluating, filtering, polishing before the thoughts even hit the page.
“Is this worth writing down? Does this make sense? How does this sound?”
That editor isn’t just unhelpful – it’s actively blocking access to what’s really going on in my head and heart.
It’s like there’s a cranky editor-in-chief standing guard at the newsroom in my brain, redlining every raw thought before it even hits the page.
I often wonder if maybe it’s the permanence of words vs the flight of voice that sets the brain free.
Movement as Cognitive Distraction
But when I’m walking, something different happens.
The physical movement occupies just enough of my conscious mind to slip past that internal editor.
The rhythm of my feet, the awareness of the path, the simple act of moving forward – it’s like these create a cognitive distraction that fools my analytical mind into relaxing its guard.
It lets me move from “what is” to “what if.”
And that’s when the real stuff comes out. Not the polished thoughts I think I should be having, but the actual concerns, insights, and connections that have been percolating underneath the surface.
The Truth About “Multitasking” in Motion
So when I say that UnRambling is “the most authentic way to multitask,” I’m not talking about the kind of multitasking that splits your attention and diminishes performance. I’m talking about using movement to create the perfect conditions for authentic self-expression and exploration.
The walking or running or hiking or biking isn’t competing with the thinking – it’s facilitating it. It’s occupying the part of my mind that would normally be censoring and filtering, which allows deeper thoughts to surface naturally.
It’s like I’m tricking my brain into being honest with me.
This explains why some of my best insights come during these sessions.
I’m not trying to think profound thoughts, force a breakthrough, or craft an essay.
Moving Meditation
In a way, I think I’ve accidentally discovered a form of moving meditation.
The rhythm of walking creates a state where my deeper thoughts can surface without the usual interference from my analytical mind. It’s not meditation in the traditional sense – I’m not trying to empty my mind or focus on my breath. But there’s something about the repetitive motion that seems to quiet the inner critic and open up access to more authentic thinking.
This might be why sitting down to journal on command feels so much harder sometimes. I’m asking my mind to perform, to produce insights on demand, rather than creating the conditions where authentic thoughts naturally emerge.
Beyond Personal Application
I wonder if this principle extends beyond just personal reflection.
How many creative breakthroughs happen during walks? How many problems get solved not at the desk but on the trail?
Maybe what we call “stepping away from the problem” is really about using movement to bypass the cognitive patterns that keep us stuck.
There’s something powerful about discovering that the supposed limitation of our minds – our inability to truly multitask – might actually point toward a different kind of optimization.
Maybe the real insight isn’t doing more at once—but finding which activities complement each other and create conditions for deeper work to emerge.
If the rule is that multitasking is a myth, then movement is the loophole.
So, the next time someone tells you that multitasking doesn’t work, you might want to suggest they take a walk and think about it.
I’d love to hear in the comments if anyone has tried doing this - recording themselves while active and then transcribing and analyzing what came out of the session.
Sean Openshaw is a professional photographer, cinematographer, writer, and creator of Personal Life Record® and the Life Indexing Method™. He helps people preserve the moments that matter by combining visuals, storytelling, and structured reflection.