"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Remember being asked that question? Depending on my age, I may have said I wanted to be a veterinarian, a lawyer, or an international businesswoman. One answer I never gave? A writer. If you had given me the option of doing algebra all day or writing a two-page essay, I would have picked the algebra every time. Yet, strangely enough, I did become a writer – and so did you.
The day we started using email on the job is the day we all became professional writers. (After all, you’re spending a good chunk of your day writing while getting paid.) Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize we’re writers because we think this designation only applies to people like journalists, novelists, or copywriters. What we do isn’t writing…it’s just email. Right? Wrong!
Because we don’t think of ourselves as writers, we often don’t take our craft as seriously as a so-called “professional writer.” We don’t train; we don’t pore over our words; we treat editing as a nice-to-have. The result is that we wind up with a lot of email lemons out there – damaging, unproductive emails that waste time and hold us back.
I want you to change your mentality today – right now – and start recognizing yourself as a writer. Recognition is only the first step, but once you’ve taken it, you’ve opened a door to greater productivity and stronger relationships. Like any good writer, you’ll have to hone your skills, but fortunately, every email is a chance to be better. If the typical inbox is any indication, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice!
Remember being asked that question? Depending on my age, I may have said I wanted to be a veterinarian, a lawyer, or an international businesswoman. One answer I never gave? A writer. If you had given me the option of doing algebra all day or writing a two-page essay, I would have picked the algebra every time. Yet, strangely enough, I did become a writer – and so did you.
The day we started using email on the job is the day we all became professional writers. (After all, you’re spending a good chunk of your day writing while getting paid.) Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize we’re writers because we think this designation only applies to people like journalists, novelists, or copywriters. What we do isn’t writing…it’s just email. Right? Wrong!
Because we don’t think of ourselves as writers, we often don’t take our craft as seriously as a so-called “professional writer.” We don’t train; we don’t pore over our words; we treat editing as a nice-to-have. The result is that we wind up with a lot of email lemons out there – damaging, unproductive emails that waste time and hold us back.
I want you to change your mentality today – right now – and start recognizing yourself as a writer. Recognition is only the first step, but once you’ve taken it, you’ve opened a door to greater productivity and stronger relationships. Like any good writer, you’ll have to hone your skills, but fortunately, every email is a chance to be better. If the typical inbox is any indication, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice!
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