What's the first think you do when you have to prepare a new document?
A lot of people tell me their first step is to open a new computer file and jump in to start their draft, and I've even seen advice to that effect (just start, get something down, beginning is the way to overcoming procrastination, and so forth).
While there's value in getting started, the way you begin will impact what you end up with.
I'd like to suggest that we try a different approach - one I fondly think of as messing around.
Yep, that's right. Messing around.
I know, everything in your life pushes against this idea and you're probably fighting the urge to click on to the next article about being more productive, but hang with me for a moment.
We are constantly encouraged to do more and work faster, and the underlying message is that there's no time to waste. Especially now, if you're juggling work, family, schooling, pandemic, life, and so forth, your to-do list may feel especially intense. That's when we need this step most of all.
Messing around means taking out a pencil and piece of scrap paper (the scrappier the better at this stage, we don't want to get too attached to our ideas) and start sketching. Outline your main ideas, use bubbles, lines, bullets, scribbles, whatever it takes to dump all your thoughts about your topic on the page. This is for you only, so it doesn't matter what it looks like; pretty isn't the goal, right now, you're after ideas.
"Pretty isn't the goal - you're after ideas."
Put it all out there and then take a breather. Get a cup of tea, go for a walk, do something else, whatever you do, don't think about your project.
While you're ignoring it, the back of your brain is at work, sifting through your work.
When you're ready, come back and take a look.
Do you see a main idea?
What about some supporting ideas?
An interesting connection between parts of your project?
What else?
Take another piece of paper and do some sorting, use words, images, or whatever notations best help you organize your project.
For bigger projects, I know people who like to use post-it notes for their main ideas, sticking them on a wall and moving them around until the order is right.
Look at that - your messing around turned into an outline!
This isn't rocket science, and for a short project, it might take just a few minutes to brainstorm and then outline, but now you're ready to go.
I know some of you are thinking "Seriously? Why would I bother - I know what I'm going to say."
Once we start working in a digital document, we shift from creativity-thinking to finished product-thinking. A digital document looks more "done" and we don't tend to question it, throw it out, start over, or try something radically different. When you're just messing around with a piece of scrap paper, anything goes.
But if you want the best end result, you need to start with your best thinking.
Still not convinced? You can read more about studies between handwriting, learning, memory, and thinking in this New York Times article. But seriously, wouldn't you like an excuse to get away from your screen and mess around for a few minutes?
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