Your writing sucks (probably). The problem? You write too much.
Think about it. You pick up your pencil (or open your laptop) and start writing your message to your audience. Naturally, you will over-elaborate. Your writing will become verbose as tangents populate.
That is why editing copy is so important, and why every human has to do it. We are imperfect, therefore the first version of anything is overly complicated.
But, the secret to writing better copy isn’t to just edit it. The secret is to cut it in half.
Why? People read to learn, to be inspired, to escape — your job is to make that easy.
To make that easier, you must take away anything that doesn’t truly move your copy towards that purpose. The easiest way to guarantee that there is only quality content within a given piece of copy is to cut it in half.
Here’s a challenge:
Take anything you’ve ever written — a blog post, an email, a tweet; make it your goal to take 50% of the words out of it. Ask yourself: how can I say what I’m saying in half the amount of words? It’s not going to be easy (especially the first time). It’s not always as simple as just deleting sentences. You have to really think about how you structure your sentences — every word you use must earn its place.
Once done, you’ll be amazed at how unnecessary most of your copy was. What else? You’ll be amazed at how much better your copy is — how much more effective it is at getting to the real purpose of its existence.
Don’t believe me? Here’s this post, but cut in half:
Your writing sucks (probably). Why? You write too much.
When writing, you will naturally become verbose and create tangents.
That is why everyone edits — we are imperfect.
But, the secret to writing better isn’t to just edit.
It’s how you edit.
Edit your copy by cutting it in half.
Why? People read to learn, to be inspired, to escape — Your job is to make that easy.
How? Take away anything that doesn’t move your copy towards its purpose.
Challenge:
Take 50% of the words out of something you’ve written.
Rethink your piece — every word must earn its place.
When done, you’ll be amazed at how much more effective it is at getting to the real purpose of its existence.

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A simple exercise to improve your writing

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Don’t do stuff you hate

Do you ever feel stuck in your creative process?
Most creators stumble into uncreative prisons. They are unable to manifest original ideas and continue to produce new work. For writers, this is called writer’s block.
Writer’s block can be a frightening and equally frustrating experience. But it can be beaten.
As a frequent writer, I am forced to overcome creative stagnation regularly. Here are two exercises that pull me back into the flow of creativity:
1. Write a shit-list
One form of writer’s block is the inability to produce new ideas or topics of discussion. This lack of ideas transpires from mental borders that you impose on yourself. For example, you’ve always written about mental health, so you “aren’t allowed” to write about climate change. But when you realize that you are the only one who is stopping you from writing outside of the “normal”, you can begin to expand your creative horizons.
Expansion of ideas can take form in what I call the “shit-list.” To begin, grab your paper or open a new document. Now start listing every writing idea that comes to you, the more awful the idea, the better. The goal is to create a list of the shittiest ideas possible. The crafting of a shit-list is simply an exercise that allows you to tear down self-imposed borders by giving you the freedom to generate horrible ideas.
Once you complete your list, step away for a few hours or days. When you return to your list, you might be surprised. More often than not, there will be a quality idea mixed in with all the bad.
2. Drink from a fire hydrant
Ever heard of the phrase “You are what you eat”?
It’s by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, and it speaks to the idea that to create content, you must immerse yourself in content consumption. When you lack ideas or the ability to write the concluding paragraph, consume content relentlessly. To produce, you must feed your brain consistently. In actionable terms, listen to a podcast, read a book, indulge in online articles daily. Drink from the fire hydrant of ideas, overflow your mind with the creations of others. The result is a surplus of inspiration.
Are you stuck? Try the above exercises.
Return to the flow of creativity.

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How to overcome writer’s block

Title

Are you a jack of all trades? Do you like numbers, systems, organization, communication, and making shit happen? 

Then a role in operations might be for you. 


To be confident in this conclusion, here are five traits of a successful operations manager. If you possess these traits or have a desire to grow in them, a career in operations might just be a great choice.

1. Organization
To be successful in operations management, you must be extremely thorough and organized. Operations is all about systems and streamlining processes. Staying organized is a must when you are dealing with constant communication and managing a thousand moving parts. Being a naturally organized person will allow you to perform in this role with greater ease. 



Questions to ask yourself: 
Is my room always clean? 
Do I follow a calendar?
Do I use task management software such as Trello, Asana, or Monday? Or a task management system I created?
Do I plan out my week?


2. Effective Communication
Clearly communicating plans of action and operational changes is crucial to a successful initiative. This is especially the case when solving mission-critical fires or when tasked with leading change management during a transisition in processes across many teams. You must be able to communicate quickly and hold others to a communication standard. 



Questions to ask yourself:
Do I respond to emails within 24 hours?
Do I hold people accountable?
Am I good at writing to the point?
Do I communicate clearly and concisely under stress?

3. Simplicity
At the root of all operations, the goal is to find a simple, more efficient way to do things. Whether you are automating tasks, removing steps from a funnel, or streamlining the logistics of an operation, your every action should be efficiency-driven. Being naturally attuned to simplicity will give you the eye needed for success on the job. 



Questions to ask yourself:
Am I a "minimalist"?
Is my desk set up clean or cluttered?
Do I have tons of apps on my phone that I don't use, or does every app have a purpose?
Do I get rid of things when I no longer need them?

4. Action-oriented
Operation management exists for one reason. To make shit happen. Consequently, having an action-oriented mindset gives you the edge needed to keep processes progressing. Having the desire to proactively find inefficiencies in systems, then taking action on your findings is crucial. It is also about getting your hands dirty when needed - putting out operational fires whenever they arise.



Questions to ask yourself:
Do I enjoy getting my hands dirty?
Do I enjoy talking about what needs doing, or actually doing it?
Do I procrastinate?
Do I proactively search for the next task I need to accomplish?

5. Adaptability
It's the job of an operations manager to implement changes that make the business more productive. To do so, you must be adaptable. You must be willing to experiment and employ new systems and ways of doing things, or nothing will ever improve. Being open to change is key to making operations successful. 



Questions to ask yourself:
Do I experiment with my habits in my personal life?
Do I like trying out new foods, or do I stick to what I'm comfortable with?
Do I learn and take action quickly?
Do I experiment with my habits in my personal life?

So, do you have what it takes to be successful in operations? 

5 traits of a successful operations manager

A simple exercise to improve your writing

Don’t do stuff you hate

How to overcome writer’s block