Friday, January 25, 2008 Lee: Farewell (For Now) By Kelvin Lee Babble on
THIS will be my last column for the Sunstar Davao. I'm taking a break from column-writing (with Sun.Star's permission) in anticipation of some personally significant events coming up this year.
I'll still write once in a while on my blog (http://kelvinlesterlee.wordpress.com) and you are welcome to visit it, but 2008 will mostly be a rest year for me when it comes to writing, although I do hope to return to these pages. By then I may focus on a different area of writing instead of the Op-Ed topics.
Writing an opinion column for the Sun.Star Davao has been a life-changing experience, and it has taught me many lessons over the years some of which I would like to share with you:
1.) Not Everyone Will Agree With You. - Writing week after week on the most controversial topics usually means that not everyone will agree with what you have to say. Some people will even strongly disagree with you and go out of their way to insult you.
Writing on politics, in particular, tends to bring out the worst in people. I've had people call me names because of something I wrote. In this line of business, one's opinions can get one into trouble.
But I guess this is normal for writers. Publishing your opinions and opening them to public scrutiny means that those same opinions are fair game and open to criticism, and that you yourself are fair game as well.
2.) Discipline is Key - I once thought writing my opinion about anything meant that it would be a fun job. I realized however that writing something every week is a challenge. Especially if other responsibilities get in the way.
There have been days when I wanted to skip the column. This happened a lot when I entered law school, and its horrible demands began to take over my life. Some days I would arrive at the house and simply want to plop into bed and sleep.
This is where discipline is key.
You have to set aside time for your responsibilities. You have to find the discipline to write, even though you would much rather get some sleep, or perhaps watch tv to relax after a long day of studying.
As I write this for example, I have a paper due for a class, and midterms to cram for. But I am pounding out a column instead, because I somehow found the discipline to do it week after week after week. This isn't easy. But writing a weekly column is a responsibility, which shouldn't be taken lightly.
Discipline is a good thing, you see. And it can be the key to success.
3.) Attention to Detail is Necessary - another lesson I picked up while column-writing is that one must pay attention to the smallest detail. I am not the only one who believes attention to detail is important.
Liew Mun Leong, the CEO of CapitaLand, the largest real estate company in Singapore, is such a perfectionist that others have said that he is "very fussy on details." He credits his success to his perfectionist streak and paying attention to the smallest detail.
Applied to writing, paying attention to the smallest detail can mean the difference between a good column or a bad one, an accurate one or a totally wrong one.
In one column I wrote, one missing letter somehow made it seem like I was insulting a doctor I respected, rather than lauding him for his medical expertise. I apologized immediately of course but that was something that shouldn't have happened.
One small detail can obviously make all the difference.
So Long
And with that final lesson, allow me to say thank you for your patience all these years. I hope you can join me when I return to writing one day in the future. Until then, you can still read my some of my random thoughts on business, law and life on my blog http://kelvinlesterlee.wordpress.com.
Until then, farewell. (Email me at kelvinlesterlee@gmail.com . Read more of Kelvin's writings in The Bizness Blawg at http://kelvinlesterlee.wordpress.com
