“I can’t write…or I’m not a writer.” I hear those declarations all the time when I tell people that I’m a freelance writer and editor.
I’m sorry, but those statements just aren’t true—in fact, they are lies.
You learned to write early on in life—in kindergarten if not earlier.
But a legitimate objection that I’m more sympathetic to is “I’m not sure that writing is a wise investment of my time.”
So, why write if you don’t have aspirations to be a professional writer?
I’ll give my best stab at answering that question in a new blog series that explains the benefits of writing for everyday life. The list below is a bird’s eye view at each reason. Subsequent days will clarify each reason in more detail—and I’ll likely find some more reasons along the way.
Without further ado, here are 11 reasons to write for everyday life:
Write to process—in my view nothing helps gets the myriad thoughts out of our brains into a sortable pile of ideas to process and act on as well as writing does.
Write to heal—if you are hurt over an offense, nothing starts the healing process better than just writing down why you are mad or heartbroken.
Write to generate ideas—This one seems simple, because most of us have been in a brainstorming session as part of a work or classroom project. And brainstorming is certainly more effective if you can view the ideas.
Write to create momentum—I’m sure that you have noticed that if you just start something, other action follows. This phenomenon definitely happens when you write. You don’t know what might happen. It’s like falling dominoes. Until wind comes or you knock one over, they all stay in the same place.
Write to communicate—This is obvious, but worth stating. How many times have you been at a loss for words, but later when you are not under the stress of a moment, what you wanted to say to comes to you?
Write to alleviate tension—Related to the last point, if you have had a heated verbal moment with someone, writing out your thoughts and later editing them can help you put an emotional situation into perspective.
Write to manage—Writing down everything that I have to do really helps me not only to organize, but as a manager, it helped me organize how everyone’s role fit together.
Write to clarify—Sometimes, as a manager, if you give verbal suggestions or ideas, following up with something in writing can help you clarify what you said. It helps you reiterate what you said in another way to ensure the most effective communication can occur between you and the receiving person.
Write to garner a response—If you threw out an idea verbally, whether it’s a get-together idea, a potential project or something else, people may not be able to answer on the spot because of needing to run the idea by others or checking schedules. If you write something and you very clearly and consistently say, “Please let me know by X date or time, if you don’t mind,” then many people will honor that request—whatever the answer.
Write to remember—It’s amazing how quickly we forget an idea, a feeling, a special moment, a conversation or an experience. Writing can produce a permanent record of your life. When I look back and read my journals, I’m amazed at how much I have forgotten. It’s so interesting to see how far you have come, or how themes seem to repeat themselves. As a Christian, I believe God is speaking into my life, guiding my steps. And I marvel at what He says. But, that is the topic of another blog series.
Write to help others—Your experiences will inspire or equip others who may walk a similar path to yours at a later time. People who have gone before us have taught you along the way—why not pass on your lessons?
If you love to write, do you have other reasons to add? If you have a story to share or if you feel compelled to write, but don’t know how or where to start, feel free to contact me. I’d love to help!
