The Proofread Spiral: Why Re-Reading the Same Email 7 Times Destroys Your Productivity

You've read your email seven times. You know it's good. So why can't you hit send?

The 18-Minute Email

It's 2:47 PM. You need to send a 3-paragraph email to a client.

Timeline:

• 2:32 PM: Start writing (5 minutes)
• 2:37 PM: First re-read (grammar check - 2 minutes)
• 2:39 PM: Second re-read (tone check - 2 minutes)
• 2:41 PM: Paste into DeepL (verify phrasing - 2 minutes)
• 2:43 PM: Third re-read (incorporate suggestions - 3 minutes)
• 2:46 PM: Fourth re-read ("Does this sound natural?" - 2 minutes)
• 2:48 PM: Fifth re-read ("Is 'regarding' better than 'about'?" - 2 minutes)

2:50 PM: You're about to send. Then you notice "I wanted to follow up" and start questioning if it sounds too casual.

2:55 PM: Sixth re-read. Change "wanted" to "would like."

2:57 PM: Seventh re-read. Change it back. Original was better.

3:02 PM: Finally send. 18 minutes for a 3-paragraph email.

You're exhausted. You have 23 more emails today.

This is the proofread spiral—and if you're a multilingual professional, it's costing you 5+ hours per week.