Findings Concerning Email Draft Avoidance

The email was first drafted on Monday.

Draft one was too long. The background was over-explained. The request was buried. The tone was apologetic in a way that undermined the request. Draft one was deleted and redrafted.

Draft two was correct. It was direct. It stated the request clearly. It had an appropriate opening and a functional closing. It was the email that should have been sent on Monday.

It was not sent on Monday.

The Investigation

The reason draft two was not sent on Monday was that it felt too direct. Direct, in the context of this specific request to this specific person, felt like it might come across as demanding. The review concluded that the tone required softening.

Draft three softened the tone. The softening added two sentences that reduced the clarity of the request without changing its content. Draft three was also not sent.

Draft four removed the softening from draft three and restored most of draft two while adding the word "just" in two places, which is supposed to make requests feel smaller. "I just wanted to check" and "I just need a quick confirmation." These words were removed in draft five after research suggested they reduce perceived authority.

Draft five was draft two with slightly different word order. Draft six was draft two with a different subject line. Draft seven is open on the screen.

The Findings

The email says what it needs to say. It said this on Monday. The seven drafts are evidence not of refinement but of avoidance: the action of revising replacing the action of sending.

The email is not difficult to send. It is difficult to send because sending it means the process is no longer in the writer's control. The inbox decides what happens next. Drafting keeps the process manageable.

Draft seven will be sent. Probably today.