Ask HN: How often do you write things by hand?

I don't know if I count as a highly-qualified professional, however I find writing essential to my organisation skills, efficiency and integral to the ideas & value I bring to a team. As for how often, without a doubt several pages every day.

I found this in University where I combined CS with a minor in English. I was told by the administration that I was the first person to choose that combination in the history of the University. I thought that was strange - language, syntax & communication at the core of both subjects, right?

When writing my weekly paper on the latest assigned text I would always start with paper, while my classmates would always start with a blank page in a word processor.

They often complained of lack of creativity or 'writers block' - where I suggested they were going wrong is that they were expecting their ideas to come in an ordered fashion - when they never do. You have a great idea for a closing statement and you're going to hold it in mind until you're ready to type it?!

For me, paper allows me to gain clearer focus. Handwriting can flow effortlessly between text & sketches. I bullet point out every idea that comes to mind. Now I have improved focus as I'm no longer using brain power keeping those ideas at the forefront of my mind. I then review the bullet points and start to identify which ones naturally follow on from the one before, which are on the same topic & which are conflicting ideas. From that process I derive new ideas. Gaps in my thinking become obvious as I start to assemble an order.

This is all impossible within the confines of a .txt file.

This method later helped me in exams where for the first 15 minutes I wouldn't even touch the question paper. I would just write down everything that I was worried I would forget on the first page of my answer book. Formulas, dates, names, mnemonics, quotes etc. I would then read through the questions and refer back to my first page as needed. It felt almost too easy, like I had taken the answers in there with me. At the end I'd just cross that first page out and write DRAFT at the top.

These techniques have followed through into my work. Presentations to executives, important technical documents with step-by-step user guides, e-mail updates explaining progress, apps, websites, even blog posts - all start on paper and are only moved to digital when it's time to put live and share.

For me - paper is the planning tool, printed word is the presentation method.

I wouldn't call myself successful yet, but I had mostly stopped writing stuff by hand. I started working in a new place a few months ago. This new job involves a lot of planning and meetings, which requires note taking. I noticed how bad my handwriting has become. I wouldn't trust my handwriting for leaving notes for others.