Learn to Write

The written word is powerful.

When I sit down to write, it forces me to think… to reflect… to focus on ideas and insights that are waiting to come to me.  I find writing is a creative release of what was often not accessible to my noisy,  thinking mind. I write to think, to hold myself accountable… to let my insights flow. Writing is a hugely powerful way to focus my attention, to keep track of life, communicate my emotions, nurture relationships and much more.

So why are we witnessing the rapid loss of this, “Secret of Life”?  In this day and age, people tend to communicate cryptically; in short hand with little practice in the art of the written word. Writing skills are just not deemed important in this electronic age. Sometimes I wonder if we are no longer teaching our children the value of being able to put thoughts and ideas into a coherent, well written form. Working daily with professionals in their 20’s and 30’s, I’m often frustrated at the overall lack of creative writing power. Many believe they have the skill; few actually have developed the discipline.

Think about how we improve our lives by making lists. What would we do without our lists? We would be lost. Just the act of writing it down organizes us.  One of the simplest forms of improving  memory retention, taking notes, creates a permanent clear record of what would otherwise be a vague recollection of thoughts about a particular moment in our life. How many times have you heard “Did you get it in writing?” for a business deal?  Without the written document, people often remember the transaction differently months, even days later.

Whether in our personal or professional lives many decisions involve making complex choices. To fully understand the complexity of an issue as well as the various solutions, we must write it down, whether electronically or in old fashion long hand.   There is no way we can effectively solve problems without data and the focus of the written word.

Writing it down can change our lives. One of the most insightful “Secrets of Life” I have learned is writing down my goals. I truly believe that 50% of accomplishing our goals in life is writing them down… and when you combine written goals with a laser like focus, you create personal vision.

Learn to write… it is a process of self-observation… a form of creativity that surfaces the answers… it makes the invisible visible… it is a vital “Secret of Life”.