Think About It… the e-book version

by Todd Youngblood

It’s January. It’s time to make (and stick to) another one of those “I know it makes sense and it’s good for me and I really need to make time for it” resolutions.

Have you ever had what seemed like a great idea pop into your head while taking a shower or driving into the office or doing “whatever” when you’re alone? Have you ever excitedly shared that insight with the first colleague, customer or co-worker you came across? Have you ever gotten that “I don’t know how you could possibly think this makes any sense” look?

For all of us, the answers are yes, yes and yes. It’s the third “yes” that’s humbling. But does the third “yes” mean it was a dumb idea? Not necessarily. In fact, probably not. More likely the key concepts were not well stated and/or some important facts were left out and/or extraneous information was included.

Next time this happens to you, drop everything and invest 15 minutes in writing it down.

Think and write in terms of who, what, when, where, why and how. Who will perceive value in this idea? In one sentence, what exactly is the essence of this idea? When will it be relevant? Where will it be relevant? Why will it be valuable? How will it deliver value?

Getting through that much will clarify your thinking and strengthen your ability to articulate the idea to an extent that will at least surprise, and maybe even amaze you. I’d also suggest that you take it one step further and develop a bulleted list. Jot down the 3 to 5 key points – in a logical sequence – that best illustrate the power and value of your thinking.

Around 10% or so of your ideas will deserve even more of the “writing treatment.” These elite, really good ones deserve to be laid out in prose. Think in terms of writing a compelling e-mail, blog post or online comment (…and then, of course, send the e-mail, make the blog posting or enter the comment.)

For anything that’s “going public,” apply the three golden rules of writing:

• Revise and rewrite
• Revise and rewrite
• Revise and rewrite

A few other tips I find helpful include:

• Omit needless words
• Use everyday words, short sentences and personal pronouns
• Always spell check (duh…)
• Write the way you speak
• Read – LOTS – and critique (Learn from the styles, strengths and mistakes of others.)

Writing things down improves your ability to think. It clarifies. It condenses. It reinforces your message. It spreads your message farther and wider. It enables others to articulate your message. It makes your verbal statements more compelling.

Albert Einstein was a pretty smart guy. He said, “If you can’t write it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” I agree.