Write Fast

Writing fast is critical for success.

The legendary basketball coach John Wooden often advised his players, “Be quick, but don’t hurry”. In other words, learn to move fast, but don’t sacrifice quality. This applies to both basketball and writing.

The problem is, school teaches us to write slowly. 

Even in university, the syllabus we would receive at the beginning of every course would detail exactly what I had to write and when. We were given weeks at a time to complete outlines, drafts, and final copies. If you didn’t comply with this strict regimen, you were penalized. 

While this approach to writing might be effective in academia and research, it does not apply in most areas of business. Most of us have pressing work to finish, meetings to attend, and responsibilities to take care of. That’s why writing fast is a superpower. 

I like to begin my writing process with a page of notes. But how do I get there? 

Often I am inspired by a conversation I had with friends, an essay that I’ve read, or a YouTube video that I’ve watched. As I think more about what I'm going to write, I try to share my thoughts and ideas on Twitter. Twitter gives you quick and honest feedback on the veracity of your ideas. Most people are quick to poke holes in your argument or even provide insights that you are missing. 

If possible, I then combine these loose thoughts into a Twitter thread which I use as the outline for the article. Once again, if you are ideas are incorrect or can be improved, the kind citizens of Twitter will be there to help!

Once I sit down to actually write the piece, these tweets and notes are fuel for my writing. When you are done with your draft, try to share your article with a friend for their critique. There’s a reason why the best writers always have someone review their work before publishing. Use this as the final feedback loop to polish your piece before publishing it. 

In total, this process will not take up a large portion of your time but can ensure that the quality of your written work increases while the time it takes decreases. 

Give it a try!