Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
The greatest free gift you can give to others, and to yourself, is time.
Why it matters: An easy and universally applicable way to give this gift is to simply stop. Just stop sending confusing notes. Just stop hiding drenched thoughts in a vomit of words. Stop writing and speaking for yourself.
💡 Our new book, “Smart Brevity” will help you sharpen and shorten the way you write and speak. These tips will help you be heard, whether you are a student, parent, teacher, manager, or leader:
Tip 1: Stop being selfish! It’s self-indulgent to force myself to sort through hundreds of words to figure out what you’re trying to tell me.
Neatness and meandering are fine in fiction and poetry, but terrible in everyday life. Think about your audience, not yourself.
Tip 2: Grab me! Before you write something for Twitter, or send a text message to your boss or group of friends, think about the most important thing you want them to know. Then break it down into a sentence.
The first sentence of anything you write should include the most essential information, using as few words as possible: This is all I need you to know.
Tip 3: Write like a human! Most of us are pretty normal in conversation. But when we sit down to write, we try to sound like Walt Whitman or a Harvard professor.
Authenticity and simplicity are big winners in this age of noise. Stop using SAT words, or any words you would never use in a bar. Showing off words makes people want to throw something at you, not admire you.
Tip 4: Keep it simple! Short, tight words and sentences are always winners. Theme. Verb. Object.
You would never call a banana “an elongated yellow fruit” or say “prevaricate” when a friend is lying.
Tip 5: Just stop! Use as few words, sentences, and paragraphs as possible. Then it stops.
Remember: the data shows that you will be lucky if you keep your reader for 200 words. So why waste time?
The panorama: You can train your mind to think and communicate more clearly. Notice how your ideas begin to take hold and get put into action when you do.
📚 Get “Smart Brevity”. Proceeds go towards Axios writing grants for early-career journalists from underrepresented backgrounds.
Source: news.google.com