Am I making it different or making it better? I didn’t always wonder this, but nowadays I do. When I’m holding the editor’s red pen, my tendency is to use it liberally. At first, each idea that flows from my mind feels like a gem I’ve found laying in plain sight. Bestowing that gem on the beneficiary of my feedback is obviously the right thing to do, right? Holistically, yes! The creative process is iterative, benefiting from good and repeated editing. Still, I’ve certainly made edits to others’ work that changed rather than improved it. Today I work to avoid editing unless I have a good reason to believe I’m making the outcome better.
Opinions: stronger than ideas but weaker than beliefs. Our brains instantly, and dangerously, take each passing thought from 0 to 100% conviction. Once we’ve taken the time to examine a thought, it’s far less dangerous. If I’m collaborating and offer my views, I think it’s my responsibility to express my level of confidence. In order of weight, any point I make might be a thought, an idea, an opinion or a belief. Not all are created equal. I may have an opinion on how to word the sentence, but that doesn’t mean I believe I know the very best way to word the sentence.
Am I doing something that matters? A few times this week I started drafting a note to a teammate only to delete it mid-way through. The notes all start with good intention—typically I come across something and wonder how it works or if it might be improved. Of course, I’m immediately convinced that whatever thought I have is important so of course it merits action. If it’s not clearly directed toward my goal, though, it might not matter. I’m grateful that sometimes I can recognize that before I hit send. Focus is challenging because opportunity is everywhere. By deleting the note, I believe I’m reducing noise and promoting focus.