Speaking vs. Typing

At work I have a lot of really good conversations. Whether discussing various tech topics or specific tasks I find it very easy to articulate my thoughts. If I'm asked questions or challenged on deadlines it doesn't take me long to formulate a response. I've come to realise that I can speak about things a lot more easily than I can write about them.

I think it's partially to do with my typing speed. When I sit down to write, I already have a rough idea of what I want to get across, but I often find making that translation into written words ardous. I try to keep up with my thought process but I make typing mistakes or will rush a description and not quite find the right words. I will then read back a sentence and want to reword because it may not capture what I intended and I don't want to lose that context. It's enough of a delay to impede the process.

To try to overcome this I've found that speaking for the purposes of writing has really helped me. I will either record my voice or use dictation software. On the latest versions of Windows or macOS this straightforward, it's just built in to the operating system. On my Android device recording my voice could just be recording a video. It's not necessarily an optimal approach but when I don't always have the time it's often the most convenient one. When transcribing the audio, it also gives me a good opportunity to review what I've said without it affecting that original flow.