Find what matters in the mess

Today I want to share a trick of the trade that has come to serve me well in my writing, and enabled me to complete major projects with clients in short windows of time.

(And honestly, it’s helped me in my daily life, too.)

The secret is this:

Look at the mess, figure out what matters, and focus on that.

This might sound obvious, but I think this is a crucial step that’s often missed.

Something I’ve noticed over the years is that many folks fall into the trap of getting too in-the-weeds with finer details before establishing the part that matters most: the big idea they’re trying to share or the main story they’re trying to tell.

They focus on exactly the right word choice, or more minor copy edits, while missing a cohesive narrative that communicates the essential concepts.

That’s not to say that you can’t look at the big picture and make some edits along the way. But I do think it helps to bake “focusing on what matters” into your process.

Here’s what that might look like.

Once you’ve got an early draft started, do a big-picture review of your work, and ask yourself this one question:

Does this piece of writing clearly say what I most want it to say?

If the answer is “no”, or “maybe not”, or “I’m not sure”, consider the following:

→ What are you REALLY trying to say?

→ Why does that message matter? What is the significance of that message to the reader?

→ Is that message clearly communicated to the reader in a relatively straightforward way? Can they follow along, understand, and make meaning from what you’re saying?

→ Is there anything included that detracts or distracts from the main message? And if so, should it be removed? (This is not to say your writing always needs to be 100% focused on just one concept; there is room for complexity. But too many stories, side quests, and sidebars can get in the way of your big idea. It’s probably one of the most common mistakes I see.)

→ If you think of your writing like a journey, are you taking your reader from Point A to Point B? In other words, after engaging with you, have they arrived somewhere new — a new place of understanding, thinking or feeling? And, would your reader be able to articulate what that “somewhere new” is?

Oh, and if your answer is “yes”, consider this:

→ Are you sure? Why / why not? (Just give it some thought.)

→ For bonus points, get some feedback on your work. Test the theory!

These questions may feel challenging. However, I think they also let you off the hook here a bit.

Because when you focus more on what matters, you can focus less on what doesn’t.

While the finer points of editing are definitely useful, I think the vast majority of people could improve their writing, not by expanding their vocabulary or increasing their grammar-nerdiness, but by paying more attention to the very idea they’re trying to communicate.

When you know what you want to say, and you devote yourself to communicating that message in a clear and meaningful way, you are much more likely to make an impact with your work.

And here’s the added bonus here:

Thinking about what you want to say, and ruthlessly focusing on the Big Idea, makes everything better.

It makes you a better writer and communicator. And it also gets you in the practice of focusing more on what matters, and filtering out the other stuff.

There is a whole lot of opportunity for distraction out there right now. I mean, there always is. There will always be competing demands. And too, there will always be the bright, shiny objects competing for our attention.

Learning to close your ears to the noise that doesn’t matter and zero in on the messages and ideas you REALLY want to share with the world? That is how you get the big, meaty, meaningful stuff done!

So here’s one final idea before I go:

Personally, I like to take some time over the holidays to edit — not my writing, but my life. I clean out some closets, organize my office, take stock, reflect, pare down.

If you share this vibe, might I suggest taking a few minutes with these two questions:

→ What Big Ideas (say, 1-3) are you going to go big on this year?

→ What ideas (projects, concepts, distractions, etc.) are you deliberately going to filter out, to make room for the above?

Whatever you choose, I wish you the absolute best with it. And you know I’m always here if you need me.

(FYI: My 2026 calendar is starting to fill up, so if you’re curious about working with me, reply to this email and let’s line up a chat for January.)

Meanwhile, happy holidays, and wishing you an amazing New Year!