Why writing is a key tool to understand yourself

Over the weekend I had the idea to review my old articles. I started writing just over 10 years ago. I have written articles for a business magazine, my website and other publications. I am not a prolific writer and I would not consider writing a natural talent.

I use writing to understand my thinking. Writing is thinking. I have often told my Leadership and Change clients to use it as a tool to gain clarity of their thoughts.

The best way to know if you understand a topic is to use your own words to explain it to someone else, either in verbal or written format. But written content requires something more from us. Verbal communications, I mean conversations not speeches, is different. It is a little more flexible and thereby forgiving. You can change the content in the moment based on the feedback you receive. Once the words are spoken, that moment is gone and if not noteworthy, the words are forgotten.

The written word on the other hand is more permanent and it holds great power. It can provoke your thoughts, heighten your emotions, move you to action and much more. You offer a part of you to your audience by inviting them into your world, your thoughts, your values, your beliefs. It is a feat that some do more naturally than others. I am the latter.

It was with some trepidation that I embarked on the journey to review my old articles. It was the curiosity to review what I had said over the last 10 years. I mustered the courage and started.

Cringe

I once watched an interview with Barrack Obama about him reading his old contributions, as editor, in the Harvard Law Review. He said he cringed when he reread his early writing in the publication!

Well, I cringed too when I read my first article that was published by an online newspaper. It was factual, grammatically correct, it flowed but I now felt that it missed something. The critic in me was out.

Critic

I have heard actors say that they do not watch their movies immediately. They needed time they were not ready, they said.

I believe it is about having the time and space before engaging the inner critic, who could potentially be very judging. Just as Barack Obama’s critic was out judging his old writing, though it is hard to believe that his writing could be cringe-worthy.

But we are our harshest critics and my critic came out too. Of the articles that I read, I wanted to re-write some parts, change a couple of titles to enhance them. And with a couple of others, I wanted to edit the content.

Pride

However, with some of them, I was in total wonder. It had me thinking, “wow, I wrote this?”  I was proud of what I had written. The content was timeless (okay maybe I am a little biased here) and it captured the essence of who I was and still am today but with one key difference. 

Growth and evolution

I have grown. Who I am, fundamentally, has not changed. I held myself by my core values and beliefs back then and these are the same today but with some refinement. The core me, what I stood for and what I stand for today are the same but the way I say it is different. The difference comes from a more refined sense of self, one that has grown and evolved and will continue to do so. As will my writing.

So, to all writers reading this, keep up the great work. Writers enjoy reading the work of fellow writers for all the reasons I mention above. It stimulates ideas and provides alternative perspectives to many things. And to those who write daily, I salute you.

For those of you who are yet to venture into writing, start with a topic that you enjoy or is important to you. This could be a hobby, a pet peeve, or something you have a strong belief in. Put it into words. Start with the why and how of your topic and see where it takes you. Tell your story.

It is a journey to yourself. A journey that will help you gain clarity of your thoughts around your topic and you.

The written word forces us to think about what we are trying to describe, the subtle nuances. The essence of who you are will show through your story, your choice of words and the sentences you construct. And it will evolve with time, as will you on this evolutionary journey.

For more on Future-Proofing You, click here.