Introduction:
A tactic is a technique, question, or an action which can be used to bring clarity, understanding and focus to the thinking project. “Write it Down” is one such tactic. It simply refers to the discipline of capturing your thoughts in writing. Adding this discipline to your routines will, by itself, improve your results.
Writing is an integral part of thinking better. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we use pen and paper, although it could. Rather, it means that we record our thoughts in a system that allows us to bring them back, read them, and revise them. So, committing words to paper and pen qualifies, as does notes on a cell phone, documents on a laptop, markers on a white pad, etc.
Used for:
“Write it Down” is a necessary part of every thinking project. It is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Menta-Morphosis system. Every step should be written down.
Benefits:
Writing forces precision
When the words are on paper, we have described, for ourselves, for others and for posterity, what we meant. The act of recording those words forces us to try to say exactly what we mean. If we don’t write it down, then we can keep the idea fuzzy and unfocused in our minds.
For example, in our B2B salesperson preparing for a sales call, he/she could ask, “I’d like to find out what my customer’s problems are.” He/she writes it down and then thinks about it. After a moment or two of reflection, he/she decides to change the work “problems” to “challenges.” It is a broader word, encompasses a wider range of answers, and doesn’t have a negative connotation. Had he not written it down and studied it, he/she would probably never have made that simple observation. So, the act of writing it down provided an opportunity to reflect and refine and brought greater clarity and purpose.
I have found that, for me, I don’t know what I think until I begin to put my thoughts on paper. That discipline of placing the words on paper correctly helps me to ferret the precise idea out of the rows of file cabinets that make up the vague and fuzzy recesses of my mind.
Writing forces commitment
When we record it for the future, we are committed to that idea as accurately captured. We believe in it and are willing to stand behind it. When we keep it fuzzy and unfocused in our brains, we can choose to defend it or reject it, depending on our reading of the situation. Every step of the Menta-Morphosis process requires the act of committing the ideas and outcomes to paper. Good thinking requires writing.
When to use it:
In every step in every process. You cannot use Menta-Morphosis without writing it all down. So, for example, when you create a beginning question (described later), write it down. When you create a list of items in a brainstorming session, write them down. When you come to a conclusion, write it down. If you are wondering if you should, error on the side of writing it down.
By the way, some recent research has indicated that handwriting, with a pen on paper, provides a longer retention than any other form.
In one sense, good thinking is this: Ask the right questions, in the right sequence, and write down the answer.
How to:
Prepare to capture the process and output of every step. Before you begin a thinking project, and before you implement any and every step prepare a means of writing it down. You may have a notes app on your phone, a pad of paper and a pencil, or anything in between.
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