There is no time like the present to get started!

You can write.

There is nothing stopping you from getting your thoughts and ideas down on paper or device. Well, nothing other than your own trepidation perhaps. We often stop ourselves from doing many things by listening to that nasty negative voice in our heads that seems to be constantly looking for reasons for us to fail.

Here is the great thing. There is no failure in writing! You don’t need to be published. You don’t need to be great. You don’t need to be read by anyone other than yourself if that is your preference. So, how can you fail? You can’t.

Why Write?

There are many reasons why writing is a great habit to get into. Here are a few.

Engagement

Writing helps us to engage more fully with the world. If you experience something, hear something, read something, even if you imagine something, take the time to write down your thoughts.

When you write, you use different parts of your brain. Not only this, but you are rehearsing the material. This will help with retention.

The more engaged you become, the more you learn. The more you learn, the easier it is to become engaged in a broader range of topics and the deeper you can dive.

Expansion

As you write, you will begin to discover more ideas and connections between the current experience and others. This might not happen right away; however, we normally begin to broaden our scope over time. The more you practise writing, the more your “web” will expand.

You will find yourself on a road to discovery that you never would have found without this extra step.

Increase & Improve Vocabulary

Frequent and careful writing will increase the breadth of your vocabulary. It will also improve the quality of your writing because you will be able to use more accurate and descriptive adjectives, adverbs, and so on.

This doesn’t necessarily happen on its own. You will need to help it along by aiming for more accurate descriptions and definitions. Used correctly, your thesaurus can become your friend (Note: Not all synonyms are equivalent. The thesaurus is only a tool – not a brain replacement.)

Beyond vocabulary gains, you will become more adept at using various sentence structures, clauses, and phrases in ways that are both informative and entertaining. 

The best way to improve your writing skills is by writing!

Psychological Benefits

Writing frequently is a kind of therapy for many people. Reading works in this regard, too; but, if you add writing to your repertoire, the benefits are exponential.

Engaging with your world has a powerful effect. You not only belong, but you have the feeling that you control at least a small bit of it through analysis, thought, connections, and emotion.

It is a great feeling.

What are you waiting for?

Start writing!