You wake up at 6:00am. You’ve got a big day ahead of you – maybe you’re meeting with a client, pitching a new offer, or you’ve got a big presentation to prepare for. But before you get out of bed, you need to write a quick note to yourself. It can be as short as a tweet (but only if you want to keep it really short) or it can be a long email to yourself. No matter what, you need to be sure to jot down some key points to remember so you can go over them once you’ve got some time to yourself.
What would your note look like? Would it be a list of to-do’s for the day, a draft of the letter you’ll be sending off to your boss at the end of the day, or a reminder of the big presentation you have to give this evening? Whatever you decide, make sure you write it down so you can go over it with clarity once you’re in a relaxed and calm state. If you want to write a long note, then why not make it a to-do list that you can refer to whenever you need it?
The Importance of Notes
It’s well-established that writing things down helps us remember them and makes them easier to access when we need them. But what happens when we don’t have time to write things down? If you want to write a long detailed email to your partner, will you pause to jot down some key points? If you want to remember to lock the back door, will you write it down on a piece of paper just so you can get it done?
All of these little things could be done easily enough if we had access to instant information. But we don’t, so we have to make do with our incomplete knowledge. In these situations, notes can be incredibly useful. They can provide us with the information we need to complete a task, and since we’ve already got the information on hand, we can get on with what we need to do without having to go back and retrieve it. It’s the perfect alternative to forgetting exactly what we need to do and having to waste time looking for it later.
How Long Does It Take to Write a Copy?
The amount of time it takes to write a copy will depend on the length of the piece. If you’ve got a 500-word article to write, then it’ll probably only take you about 15 minutes to write (and then another 15 to edit and proofread). If you’ve got a 10,000-word novel to write, then it’ll probably take you several hours (and then you’ll have to get a break to go over it and make sure you didn’t make any mistakes — so it’s probably a good idea to work in batches of about 2,000 words).
Whatever the case, don’t rush it. It’s often said that rushing makes us careless and inaccurate. So take your time. Make sure you’ve got everything down and that your language is clear. Then, when you’re absolutely ready, start typing away – not because you think you’ve got enough time, but because you know that sitting down and getting into the right mindset is often the hardest part.
If you want to write a quick note, then simply write it down on a piece of paper before you leave the house. If you want to write a long detailed email, then put it on your to-do list and check it off as you go. As long as you’ve got everything written down somewhere, then it’ll be much easier to follow-through on everything once you’ve got some free time.