Slowing down to write can increase focus and retention
Handwriting is going out of style. Look around any school or office in North America, and the chances are that most people will be typing on electronic devices - computers, smartphones and tablets. Handwritten notes are fast disappearing with the possible exception of sticky notes and scratch pad workings. Almost everyone has abandoned cursive hand-writing quick printing. Moreover, this reliance on technology will only get worse. Children no longer learn cursive handwriting in school, and many kids today can’t even read a handwritten script So is cursive writing obsolete? I do not think so and believe there is a case that we should spend the time to practice and improve our writing abilities to enhance our productivity and effectiveness.
I am sure you are asking how I could think that using a dated, slow, and potentially messy capture tool is in any way superior to the efficiency and expediency of using a digital device? My answer that handwriting allows an ability to focus intensely.
Distraction of the digital world
Would you agree with me that despite the undoubted efficiency of computers, they are also a significant cause of distraction? From emails, Skype and text messages, meeting reminders and task notifications, your technology (by default) is always making some noise, some vibration and some red-dot popping up and demanding your immediate attention.
The focus that handwriting allows gets away from all the distractions of technology. It inspires creativity - filling a blank page in any way that meets the needs of the writer without working with the confines of a computer program. Writing allow you to distill your thoughts into meaningful and memorable points and prose rather than merely capturing as much data as possible. Writing allows you to give your entire attention to the task at hand.
Being present
Focus also means being present in the conversation that you are having. I was recently in a business meeting where everyone was sitting behind their laptops. The focus of the meeting was supposed to be one presenter on the large screen. Looking around the room and at any one time, half of the people in attendance were checking email, responding to messages or just generally doing other work. The value of the meeting was significantly reduced for those remaining focused as the distractions took attendee’s attention away from the discussion at hand. I had a notebook and pen instead of technology which I felt allowed me to focus on the presenter without distraction. I could make short, appropriate notes of things that I either needed to know, needed to act on, or where I could add value to the conversation. I came away wondering why the organization wasted so much money by having non-present people in the meeting. I am sure we have all been in ineffective meetings like that.
Slowing Down
Another reason I find handwriting to be a focus tool is that it provides for a way to distill thoughts down to the key points. I did my Master’s degree with a fantastic typist. Her fingers were incredibly fast, and she could almost transcribe the entire lecture verbatim. Her notes were pristine and complete. So were a useful reference library for her. She could look up any question and see what an instructor had said about the topic, which was very impressive. I had a hard time keeping up with the lectures using the same approach. I was always racing to capture the data, the slides or the conversation. Also, I felt that because I was rushing to catch up, I missed out on the learning opportunity. I found what worked better for me was to make short, appropriate notes by hand. It took much longer, but I had to actively listen and distill the essential information into meaningful notes that I could write down. Field Notes, a notebook manufacturer, has a tag line - “I’m not writing it down to remember it later, I’m writing it down to remember it now.” Also, for me, distilling my ideas to crucial points that I wrote down allowed me to learn them and retain them.
Advantages of cursive
While handwriting has some apparent advantages, let’s go one step further to the almost long lost art of cursive writing. Cursive takes even longer to write in a cursive script than to write with the typical hybrid speed-printing that many people fall into. You need to think a little longer to plan out the word and how to set up the transitions from one letter to the other. It takes more effort to write in cursive, but the results are much more beautiful and more memorable to this that compose them.
The extra time and effort to write in cursive stimulates your creativity, improves your thought process and increases your retention of all that you write down. With a little practice, your cursive writing will also become a beautiful trait that others notice. For example, writing someone, a cursive note stands out in a world full of text messages and scrawl. It adds a personal touch to any written transaction and is very memorable. An MC recently introduced me at a speech I gave as the person with the beautiful handwriting. I don't feel that my hurried cursive is great - and I don't have an Instagram worthy hand. However, people notice and appreciate. And that makes me feel good.
Why don’t you give cursive another try and see how your writing, retention and reputation increase?