Write It Down

Some people love to write things down and some do not. The people who write things down usually have a higher rate of success because of it. Writing is not my favorite thing to do. And yet, I do a lot of it. I write to help others, I write for work, I write to make money.

Writing to Help Others

Bloggers write to help others. I write for my blog, but also when people email with a help question. I want to be there for them, so I write a response. If I get enough emails or phone calls asking similar questions I end up writing an blog post. Some days I have thoughts about something and I can whip out an article in a short amount of time. Other days I need to write and it’s difficult if not near impossible.

Writing for Work

Almost every company I’ve worked for has required some form of writing. Most places of employment require at minimum writing or responding to email. Some jobs pay people to write, while others may have reports, fact finding, instructions, etc. Writing is a part of almost every single job. To get a job you have to fill out an application. That is a form of writing.

Writing to Make Money

Additionally, I’ve written for other websites. There are many people who write for others. Some actually sell these rights so that others can use their writings. These rights are called Private Label Rights (PLR). If you become a good writer, you can charge for your written works in several ways. I also make money writing books. You can see some of what I’ve written here: The Busy Woman E-books.

Writing Helps us Remember

What does writing it down actually do for us? I can say from personal experience that it helps me remember. When I am working on a speech and type it into my computer I don’t remember it very well. But when I physically write it down on paper, by my own hand, I can remember most of it. There is a connection between the hand, pen, and brain, while typing can be done without really thinking. I’m sure there are statistics to show why writing things down helps you retain more. But do you really want to read a bunch of stats?

This article is meant to give you food for thought, not someone else’s theories and research. Oh wait, I guess they are my theories. LOL But if you must have some form of proof, the next time you need to go grocery shopping, physically write down a list of 10 grocery items you might need. Then go shopping, leaving the list at home like most people do. When you get home, check the list. On another day, type the list on the computer and then leave it on the computer. Try shopping without it and when you get home, check the list. If you don’t want to go that far, just cover the list with your hand and write down what you remember from each one and see how that works for you.

Writing your thoughts, lists, or to-do’s truly helps commit them to memory. How many of you have a journal? People write in a journal so they will have memories of days gone by. Some write in a journal to help them work through problems. Writing can be healing.

Holidays are another area that would benefit from writing things down. So while you’re thinking up your holiday shopping list, get a pen and paper. Use a pencil if you make mistakes. But write your list, and then take it with you. You might actually save money by not duplicating gifts. Also, by writing out your list you’re putting more thought into the gift and will probably get one that’s closer to what your friend or family will love. When purchasing gifts on the fly, they become a last minute thought, an afterthought. You won’t know until it’s too late that it was a wrong gift purchase.

Writing may not be your forte, but it’s a must if you have a job. While working for others I had to write a lot. There are business emails, reports, statistics, budgets, and much more. It may not be something you like to do, but when you learn how to write effectively, it will open up a whole new world of possibilities.

So the next time someone says to write it down… Write it down.

Cheers!

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