Kate Winick

I learned the only productivity hack I actually use when I was 15 years old.

It’s called “TK”

As a magazine intern, it was my editor who first introduced me to the magic of “TK.” It’s an editing mark that means “to come,” meaning you’ll fill it in later. It’s spiky and weird looking and is meant to catch the eye so nothing accidentally goes to print without that detail being filled in.

The magic is in the flow state it allows.

Churning out copy on deadline and in need of a very specific fact? “There are TK boutiques on Madison Avenue,” and look it up later.

Building a deck and can’t find your reporting from last month? “We beat our target engagement rate by TK%” and keep it moving; you’ll finish 10 times faster if you get the bones built first.

Even doing something creative, it eliminates the pressure to invent in the moment—“TK description of handsome villain” so you don’t lose the plot point that’s finally twisted its way out of your head.

TK is the one thing every former editor I know has refused to give up in our second acts. We carry it with us into decks and proposals and pitches; we reject the “XXX” and “fillmeinlater” or whatever gibberish someone comes up with and insist on teaching it to others. Because TK is freedom. TK is the power to self-direct how your work gets done, even when someone else is giving you work. TK is an invitation to the muse to strike when she will, and when she’s ready, you’ve left space for her.

TK is the way forward. Long live TK.

Hey you, working in social media! You’re really brave.

It’s not easy, stepping into a field that’s existed less than 20 years. The most senior people you can look up to are generally no older than their 40s. No one has ever retired after doing this for a lifetime; the road to senior management is still rocky and unclear.

Everyone working in social right now, just by showing up, is contributing to the notion of what this career can be. You stepped off the established paths offered to you; you saw an opportunity in something that’s still pretty new and unproven, and you took your future into your own hands. I’m honored to be writing the future of an entire profession with y’all.

Go make today great. You rock.