Writing to think

I've come to realize over the years that writing is much more than simply a communication tool, it is a thinking tool. Here are some of the ways that writing has helped me think over the years.

Writing to remember

Solving non-trivial problems often requires lots of research, lots of reading and lots of time. The amount of information involved is often greater than what one can hold in their mind. When dealing with such an amount of information, having some kind of organization system becomes a necessity. Everyone's system is different and changes over time, so I encourage you to try many of them, to take the elements that you like from here and there, and make it your own.

The importance of writing things down has become even moreso apparent to me as I became a father, and the months of sleep deprivation that comes with the job made me forgetful. I also like to think that my writing may help my daughter one day, long after I'm gone.

Writing to orient ourselves and our research

Writing is not only useful to remember the things that we've learned, but also to track the things that we did. Reflecting on the things that we do can help us live a more intentful and purposeful life. Who am I? Who do I want to be? What makes me happy?

After all, we can't be true to ourselves if we don't know what we want, and even less so if we don't know why we want it. If we start paying attention to things that resonate with us, things that spark our interest, then we can more easily define our goals and take concrete steps towards them.

Writing to understand

To write is to think. We do not only write to share our thoughts, but also to refine them before we do. There is a popular saying: the best way to learn is to teach. Writing simulates in some ways the act of teaching as it forces us to stop and think about how to best present what we want to communicate, which in turn can help us better understand things.

Writing also allows us to see larger patterns in what we read. For example, I've been reading lately on leadership and entrepreneurship because I'm thinking of starting a company. By examining all the snippets that resonated with me, I can better identify what kind of leader and entrepreneur I'd like to be. By summarizing and writing it down, I can use it as a goal. If I hadn't taken any notes, I don't think I could have defined it so clearly.

Writing to test and improve

Getting our thoughts out of our heads and onto paper, so to speak, can help us test and validate them. Some ideas may sound great in our heads, but don't hold up once we write them down. If issues are found, then we can improve them.