You and Improved: 30 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Life

12. Send a Smarter Message

Yes, we live in a 140-character world, thumbs furiously tapping out terse missives. But consider an e-mail received recently by O magazine's editor-in-chief: "susan: hows it goin?? Annny chance you might know some peeps that could get a screenplay 2 production?"

The chances of this e-mail being taken seriously, of course, are south of zero. Literacy speaks volumes; all these disposable little messages themselves send messages—about you. So we humbly suggest: When faced with the choice of writing "because" or "becuz," "for" or "4," opt for elegance. Spell out words, end sentences with periods, consider the comma. Oh, and one exclamation point will do.