Why Do We Write?
#1850
The grocery list scribbled before leaving home. The phone number jotted on a napkin. The journal entry exploring your deepest thoughts. Writing is braided into our lives in ways we rarely pause to consider. It's as fundamental to being human as conversation itself.
I write a lot every day. On my laptop, like now. But even more on my notebooks. There's something almost magical about the physical act of pen meeting paper. The movement and pressure of my handwriting create a physical connection to the thought itself.
I write to remember. I can't say I'm great at remembering things, but writing works in two ways. If I write something, the chances of me remembering it increase. In particular, when I handwrite meeting notes or ideas for future articles, they seem to embed themselves in my memory in a way digital typing never does. Plus, I have them somewhere in case I need them later and my memory fails.
I also write to reflect. Writing helps me explore what's going on in my head. It helps me find order in my messiness and discover the connections. I lost count of the many times writing has helped me process what was going on in my head and find clarity. Laying my thoughts down makes them more real and often reveals truths I hadn't consciously acknowledged.
I write to organize my day and my work. I create lists of things to do, the timeline of the workshop I facilitate, and the outline of articles I want to write. It helps me create clarity and gives me the confidence I need to begin things. It's like having a map ahead of a new journey.
And I write to share what I see, hear, and learn with others.
This little morning practice is a bit of all these things. The simple act of writing these daily reflections has transformed my relationship with my own thoughts, turning the swirling chaos of morning ideas into something tangible I can share with you. Even on days when the words don't come easily, the commitment to this practice has become an anchor in my daily rhythm.
Do you write?
Why do you write?
And how has writing, in whatever form, shaped the way you move through life?