Ibelieve, all of you write at least a few words every day. These arenotes while you discuss some Work issue, shopping lists, e-mails,Skype or Facebook messages. But that's not what I want to talkabout. What I want to say is that the thoughtful process of writingis more then just putting down some words on paper or screen.
Writingfor studies
Well,of course, every student has to write at least something duringlectures and seminars. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember.I do and I understand,” Confucius said. You've probably heard thata million times and know that's true. In some cases writing can bethat very “doing” which helps to understand things. For example, youneed to work through a complicated topic before the exam. Too manybooks, notes from classes, articles, and the more you read – theless you understand. Calm down and start making a report on thetopic. Compare what different sources say: it islikely that most of them say the same in different words. But whenyou make a report you should write as brief as possible withoutmeaning loss – thus you cut off all unnecessary words. Besides, youfind connections between things and in a few hours you might discoverthat you come to understanding several interrelated topics.Even ifyou understand everything you hear or read, writing can be useful formemorizing and regimentation.
And these notes a very good for a quickreview.
Writingfor understanding yourself
I triedit several times. And it works. The mechanism is simple: you just sitdown, open your notebook or laptop – and start writing. Paper willnot criticize you or make that “Boooring!” face. You can – orbetter to say, you should – be honest. Put down everything you haveon mind at the moment, each detail that bothers you or makes youhappy. The trick is that when you transform a feeling into words itbecomes more clear. And then you have two options depending on theresult of your writing: you either understand your problem and startsolving it or just give the outlet for emotions to be able to thinkclearly again.
It canalso be useful to write down your impressions from books and movies.You take a closer look at them, read or watch with more attention,better catch the knowledge and experience shown there - and followyour inner transformations.
Writingfor everyday excellence
We livein a busy world and have to deal with billion tasks and projectsdaily.
Though, there is a doubt about the efficiency of multitasking,we often do not have a choice. And again – writing can help. Putdown new ideas about a project and try to describe them in afew sentences. That is a good tool for shaping chaotic ideas andgetting some room for other thoughts because you don't have to worryabout keeping every detail in mind.
And often describing a project onpaper reveals some gaps and problems that need to be solved beforepresenting it. Perfect both for work and personal life – planning atrip, organizing a party, preparing presents, etc.
Beinggood at something doesn't mean knowing everything. We should improveour skills and knowledge daily not to fall behind. Ask questions andlook for answers. Start a blog about your professional interests or ahobby – knowing that other people will read a post helps you bemore accurate, clear and intriguing.
