If You’re an Entrepreneur or Knowledge Worker, You Need to Make Writing a Habit. Here’s Why.
Balance, innovation, and introspection
As a businesswoman by day, having a creative outlet in writing has enriched my work and life.
I’ll give you three reasons you should start doing it, too.
1 — It gives you balance in contrast.
The free flow of writing complements the frenetic energy of work life.
Unlike my time spent managing people and resources, writing allows me to let myself go without aim. I can follow my curiosity without the pressure of reaching some over-arching goal. It’s a space for me to just be.
2 — It fosters innovation.
Innovation lies in unique combinations. Our brain has the natural ability to connect disparate ideas.
Writing’s contribution is cementing those ideas as I write them down. Often unexpected, I pull up ideas from long-term memory and tie them to a completely new context. I get eureka moments while writing. Random things I thought of doing for our business, for friends, etc. surface while typing. At times, it feels like a magical experience.
3 — It’s a way to reflect on your experiences.
Writing is a wonderful way to review the events in your life and extract their lessons. Every interaction becomes a format for learning and applying what I learn.
For instance, I keep a log of every interaction with friends, which includes the following details:
- Date:
- Friend:
- Place:
- Key Insights (in narrative format):
I keep it for later reference, but also to unpack the ideas sparked and connect them with other areas of my life.
Writing is thinking.
It’s brainstorming, reflecting, expanding, analyzing, and synthesizing on paper. Writing isn’t just a creative process. It sharpens your thinking skills and turns ideas into practice.
Thus, whatever your endeavors/career in life, pairing it with writing will benefit you.
Hannah To is an entrepreneur and creative educator. She writes about thinking, productivity, and lifelong learning. Stay in touch on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. ✨