Most people who want to get ahead spend useful time writing personal notes of gratitude¹（感谢的心情） , sympathy（同情，慰问） and congratulations. But when it comes to routine memos², letters, fact sheets and forms, they save a lot of time by relying on previously³ written material.

Susan Taylor, editor-in-chief of Essence, has created some 40 form letters for everything from article rejections⁴ to replies to requests for donations. Stored on her computer, the letters can be called up, copied and customized by changing a few key words. Taylor then often adds a handwritten greeting at the bottom as a personal touch.