We tend to think of writing primarily as a tool for communication. And, to be honest, it is primarily a tool for communication. Maybe communication to someone else, maybe communication to a version of you or someone else in the future (i.e. record-keeping), but we write things down – mainly – in lieu of saying them face-to-face. But I think we sometimes overlook writing’s usefulness as a tool for refined thinking and problem-solving.
The easiest in-road for this idea is journaling. Journaling is having a moment right now, and for good reason: it helps. I don’t have a study to link here (you can search for it if you’re curious), but I can say, anecdotally, that journaling is very helpful for me, personally. Have you ever had the experience of explaining a problem to someone and just hearing yourself say it out loud, you come up with the solution? Journaling is kind of like that sometimes, with the added benefit that you can go back and look over what you’ve written.
But writing isn’t just a tool for thought in the sphere of mental health. When I’m starting a big, complex project for my company or for my day job, I often start with a document. I write out the objectives, I write out the unknowns, I list the options, and anything else that seems relevant to the project. Often, I’m the only one that reads them, but that’s enough. Because writing is a thinking tool.
There’s something magical that happens when you write down (and, critically, revise) an idea. It’s like having a conversation with yourself. Ideas that sounded perfect in your head, when they transition into the reality of the written word, reveal some of their flaws. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that writing – at least, good writing – requires you to take the perspective of the reader, so in a way, you have to imagine and account for the feedback given by other people. Or maybe it’s just the fact that seeing the ideas all in one place allows you to organize your thoughts better.
When I write a plan, in an exercise that often appears needlessly bureaucratic and red-tape-y, I don’t spend most of the time editing: I spend most of the time revising. I write, rewrite, delete, and move around sentences and sections until the document in front of me contains the most complete and succinct version of the idea I can create. As I’m writing, new ideas usually occur to me that were either missing from the original plan or that would make it better. Then, I put the document down for a while. I walk away, do something else, and give the paper (often digital paper, these days) and the ideas on it some time to age. I give myself some time to age too. When I come back with fresh eyes, there are some inevitably some changes I want to make. You miss out on all that evolution if you just rush into a project without writing.
I suggest you try it. The next time you’re trying to do something that you can’t quite wrap your mind around, write it down. Write down all the options you’ve considered, and why you picked the one you’ve picked. Organize it into sections. Then edit. Try to make it as clear as possible. And see what happens.
Peter Davoust 