This Extreme Editing Exercise Can Help You Nail Your Core Message

A fun, but challenging method for finding focus

Photo by Chase Clark on Unsplash

I looked up at the clock. 11:58. Only two more minutes before the world’s most boring meeting would finally end.

As I started quietly gathering my things, I felt my spirits lift at the thought of my lunch waiting for me in my office. All was good until I heard her voice.

“Can I just say something real quick?” she said.

Oh no, I thought. Not Linda.

Linda was brilliant, kind, and a great asset to the team, but she never said anything “real quick.”

She was notorious for minute-long pauses in between thoughts as she carefully crafted her ideas.

She always had to insert several stories to get even the most basic point across.

Linda liked to ramble.

I felt my heart drop at the realization that my lunch would be waiting for at least another 15 minutes while she took her sweet time to tell us something that could easily be shared in a three-sentence email.

We’ve all been there — stuck in the middle of a lecture, conversation, meeting, or presentation where the speaker will not get to the point.

These days, with social media and online formats, it’s easy to think that we have all the time in the world to share our message.

The reality, however, is that if we want people to pay attention, we need to be intentional with the time we take up.

So before you worry about creating content or trying to polish that PowerPoint, make sure you know the answer to this vital question:

What is the ONE thing I want my listeners/readers to take away from my message?

And if you’re not sure, here’s a fun little exercise to help you figure it out:

1. Write out everything you think you want to say. Don’t edit. Just get it all out. (Your paper/screen has a better attention span than us humans.)
2. Cut HALF of it. Take that red pen or get intimate with your delete button and go to town. However many words you had when you first started, reduce it by 50%. Leave only the…