I’m a slow processor

I’m not one of those people who can instantly come up with a well thought response on the fly. I have to ponder. And the way I ponder is by writing. When in doubt, write it out.

For most of my career, I’d stumble through instant replies in meetings (because that’s rule number three of the five BS rules for life). It usually involved rambling and talking in circles, plus some form of the statement “I’m doing a bad job explaining this.” Then I’d spend the rest of the day cringing at the confusing metaphor I used, or wishing I hadn’t forgotten to say that other thing, dang it.

Lately I’ve started saying “let me think about that.” Then I go off and write about it, and send the person what I wrote. This helps me figure out what I really think, and say it clearly. Plus, there are plenty of other benefits to writing.

If you’re a slow processor like me, try it. When in doubt, write it out.