The Magic of Pen and Paper
"The discipline
of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen."
- Lee Iacocca
American
Businessman/Author
On your
journey to achievement, many will discover a principle or two that really grabs
you. These principles are things you
have learned, used and found to make a world of difference in your life. When you talk with others and try to
encourage them on their journey, these principles are the ones you always pass
on. I have had many such principles in
my experience, but few have made the powerful difference that writing this down
has.
If you have read my books,
articles or blogs, you know that I have often told you to write something
down. I have you write out your goals in
detail; make lists of things you want, need or must do. I have encouraged you to think out problems
on paper and to write out your daily tasks and make them off as you accomplish
them. I believe that writing things down
is key to anyone's search for success.
I would like to give you four
reasons why this principle of writing things out is so important and how they
work.
#1: Writing Things Out Makes Them
Tangible
When we get a thought or idea it
is just words floating around in our head.
You really cannot grab it or work with it. It is like chasing a butterfly. However, when we take a few moments and write
it down we begin to give it life. It
becomes something that we can touch and work with. Writing things down makes them real and
useful to us.
#2: Writing Things Out Gives
Consistency
If we keep our ideas only in our
head, they will change each time we think about them. There will be things we forget or that we add
on each and every time we set out to work on it. Once we write an idea down we give it consistency
that we can work with. Each time you go
to it, you found the same idea or goal that you began with. It is hard to work with things that always
change.
#3: Writing Things Out Starts
Action
Nothing happens without
action. Once action starts however, it
builds momentum and keeps moving forward.
The place where many people have the hardest time taking action is that
first step. Writing down your ideas and
goals is the first step. It is decisive
action that will lead you to the next step and beyond.
#4: Writing Things Out Defines
Completion
Once you start on your journey
to achievement of anything worthwhile, how do you know when you have
arrived? If you have written out, in
detail, your desired results you will have the description you need to know
where in the process you are. It is a
measuring tool that will also let you know that you have arrived at your goal.
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