The best writing advice I've seen
The best writing advice I've seen
About 2000 years ago my mentor Marcus Aurelius said, "the happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." I believe writing is the best way to improve the quality of my thoughts. It's why I love journaling and note-taking.
Writing → Quality of Thoughts → Happy Life
But up until this year, my thoughts had remained locked up, hidden from the world. So at the start of 2021, I launched this Work Smart, Lead Better newsletter.
My newsletter goals:
- Write habitually.
- Share thoughts with the world (one idea, once per week).
- Understand new ideas by writing about them.
- Improve my written communication skills.
Last week I celebrated my 26th newsletter broadcast. I'm halfway to a full year of sending one idea, once per week. (This is probably the first time I've ever followed through on a New Year's resolution!)

Why it's the best writing advice I've seen:
In a flat, increasingly remote-first world, writing is one of the most critical skills a leader can develop. Whether it's an email, Slack thread, social media post, or a company memo, written communication needs to be engaging to hold the reader's attention and inspire or persuade them. Rhythmic writing is engaging.