Get Out The Way
(apologies to Ludacris for the title…..)
This is my fourth week of my commitment to post something every weekday. I’ve had seventeen posts to the blog before this one and some are definitely better than others. The one defining thing that separates the top of the pile from the rest – I didn’t edit them.
Some of my better ones (from what little feedback I get) were written in about as much time as it takes you to read them. I just trusted myself to put something on paper and let it run.
I described this to someone as “staying out of my own way” and I can’t think of a better way to describe it. This methodology will apply in any place where you have the opportunity to self-censor. Most of the time your first instinct will be right – your brain is smarter than you think – so if you run with that, you’re likely on the right track.
Don’t be afraid to say something without thinking through all of the possible responses your client will have to it first.
Don’t be afraid to publish a blog post without reading through it first and changing the wording so it sounds better.
Don’t be in your own way.
This obviously isn’t going to work everytime. Don’t follow this advice when upset, angry, frustrated, or otherwise in a bad mood. I’m not to be held responsible when you get fired for failing to heed the previous sentence.
Nice work on the rapid posting. I’m in complete agreement that most good blog posts come from little or no editing, rather as a stream of consciousness for whatever you’re thinking.
Damnit, now I want to rap.
This depends on who your intended audience is I suppose. If it were for a professional relationship, I’d go ahead and follow the advice of the last paragraph, but if you’re writing just to write, you should never edit or censor yourself. However, if you’re trying to make a valid yet controversial point, you should check for grammatical and spelling errors. Take for example a comment we got on our website in regards to something someone wrote about those tea parties a few weeks ago. I don’t know if this is a joke or if it’s for real, I’m going to believe it is real because life is better that way
Walt Mentzer wrote:
“Scott It is amazing how you feel so supiorer to Lloyd as you redicule his work and here you are a big web man with no followering. What an accompishment to have a voice that no one gives a damn about what you say. I would suggest you visit a Tea Party and see how well Lloyd is received. You can say like so many dim viewed liberals say that these people who attend are just red neck complainers , but the truth is these are people who are smart enough to realize what the current administration is doing to reuion this country. Just stay in your own self praising attitude and preach to nobody.”