From Evernote:

New Tools, Old Rules Part II

In my most recent post, I talked about new social tools and etiquette (read rules/norms).   In the last 24 hours I remembered a very old rule that my father taught me long ago -- first the background.
 My father spent nearly his entire professional life writing and never used anything higher tech that an electric typewriter.   He is pictured below, with even older technology, a manual typewriter cira 1950.   He had one "process rule" that he followed when it came to his writing -- "Write it, sleep on it, re-read it in the morning and make sure you still feel the same way". 

Last night, I read a work e-mail thread before going to bed.  I stayed up feeling the need to respond before going to bed.    I mentally drafted several responses, none of them felt right.   I went to bed and tried to clear my mind.   When I awoke in the morning, there were more messages in the thread (work is global and around the clock today).   I pulled out the iPhone and typed a short, upbeat response before leaving for the office.   It was much different than I had felt the previous night.    When I arrived in the office, the reply was "Great Thank you".    I know the response would have been much different had I sent what was swirling in my mind the night before.

I fear today's "24x7, always on" work mode does not allow us, makes us think we can't take the time, to be thoughtful and introspective. I doubt my father ever envisioned the speed at which e-mail, blogging, micro-blogging, social networks, and mobile devices would have us writing and sharing our thoughts.    I also don't think it would have mattered to him -- "Write, Sleep, Re-read, Send".