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As often as I can, I publish work I’m proud of because I want others to do the same.
We need more thoughtful ideas circulating. And that’s not to say I think my ideas are profound, but I do put my best foot forward. I try to write in a productive direction, in a way that I know at least one person (myself) can improve or learn from the work.
Outside of my journalism colleagues, few of my friends publish anything. The odd Instagram or 140-character blurb here and there, sure. But today these are table stakes.
In a landscape brimming with tweets and internet chatter, conversations can be elevated, I think, by a simple mindset shift.
Instead of thinking about hitting send, post, or Tweet after you write something, think “publish.”
That’s my big insight for the day.
Publish. Don’t think send, post, or Tweet.
When you frame something like this, this places a responsibility on the action. Publishing implies thought and care. An act of nuance. Something that you should be proud to put your name on.
What do you produce everyday? What shows up online? Can you improve upon it?
Work that takes time and effort is work that should be shared with people. You have a lot to teach others, no matter what walk of life you hail from. But too often, people don’t consider everyday productions (like photos or Tweets) as things that require effort. Things produced on a whim usually don’t add value to a conversation.
This mindset shift — publish — can help filter less thought-out ideas, and help produce more good ones.
In a space bogged down and infinite as the internet, good ideas can rise to the top. News people can use, ideas that can make each other better — these things matter. When everyone has a loudspeaker, the people with the most nuanced ideas have the best chance of standing out.
When you reframe your productions as things to be published, you impart a value on them. Adding value per item of production can lead to an elevated conversation, culture, and content standard.
Putting time behind something takes effort. It is work. If that work can be reframed as something you intend for others to see, you’ll put more care into it. That’s the publishing mindset.
Others will see this. How can I make it better? How can I refine my idea a little bit more? What can I produce for others to learn from?
So now it comes back to you. Make something. Produce something. Do work you are proud of.
But don’t just post it, tweet it, or send it.
Publish.
Because if you don’t, we can’t get better.
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