How handwriting can save your life | JD Slajchert | TEDxUnity Park

Quick Overview

The main lesson JD Slajchert shares is that handwriting goals, rather than typing them, significantly increases the likelihood of achieving them, citing a German study showing a 42% higher success rate for those who handwrote their goals, which he applied to his own life following the death of his younger brother, Luke, who suffered from Sickle Cell Disease.

Key Points: Handwriting goals leads to a 42% higher likelihood of achievement compared to typing them, based on a 2015 German study involving preschool students. The speaker, JD Slajchert, began writing his goals after the death of his younger brother, Luke, who suffered from Sickle Cell Disease. Luke's father told the speaker the only thing wrong with his speech at Luke's funeral was that he should smile more, highlighting the importance of perspective even in grief. The speaker credits his friendship with Luke for teaching him about unity and inspiring him to write his first book, "Moonflower," which was published two years after Luke's passing in 2016. The speaker was invited to speak at the LeBron James Family Foundation to share his story and promote the Luke Strong Foundation, which supports children diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease. The speaker emphasizes that the tangible act of writing creates a meditative and cathartic experience that typing cannot replicate, fostering accountability.

Context: JD Slajchert delivers a TEDx talk titled "Momentum," centering his narrative on the profound, life-altering impact of his friendship with his younger brother, Luke, who battled Sickle Cell Disease. The talk transitions from personal grief and self-perception to a powerful, actionable lesson about goal setting, using his own journey of writing a book after Luke's death as evidence for the effectiveness of handwriting goals over typing them.

Detailed Analysis

JD Slajchert recounts his early life where he never wrote anything of his own in college, managing only to write papers that satisfied his teacher, Meshi Bernstein. After Luke, his younger brother who had Sickle Cell Disease, passed away from a stroke in 2016 at age 10, the speaker felt devastated and unworthy of the praise he received. He vividly recalls visiting Luke in the hospital and seeing all of Luke's young friends isolated, realizing that Luke represented unity more than anyone he had ever met. This experience motivated him to write his first book, "Moonflower," in the year following Luke's death. He shares a key lesson from a 2015 German study showing that students who handwrote their goals achieved them 42% more often than those who typed them; the tangible act of writing creates a meditative, cathartic experience that builds accountability. The speaker credits this practice and the people in his life who supported him, like Luke's father, for guiding him. He concludes by encouraging the audience, particularly those who write, to consider handwriting their goals because technology often serves as a distraction from the actual task.