Blogging has been around since the 1990s and has evolved in many ways since then. Initially blogging started off as a way for people to share their personal lives in the internet. Blogs were a kind of online journal where people shared their experiences or the things they were passionate about. Now it has become so much more. Nowadays, there is a blog post for almost any kind of question or topic you can think of.
8 best exercises to lose weight
How to start a business with no Money
12 reasons you’re always tired (and what to do about it)
Feeling stupid: A guide to your emotions
Will robots take over the world one day? (FYI the above stated are all legitimate posts)
Type in any kind of question you have in mind and I can promise you someone out there has written a blog post about it. In fact, most of the popular results that pop up when you search something in the internet is a blog post. Blogging has become a trusted source of accurate online information. Even businesses are utilising blogs as a means to increase their online visibility. It has proven to be an effective marketing technique. Whoever you are or whatever you do, it’s clear that there are benefits to starting a blog.
Today I want to share the 5 main reasons why I am, and you should as well, start a personal blog.
#1 - To become a better communicator
A personal goal of mine right now is to become a better verbal, written and interpersonal communicator. My work puts me in the position of interacting with many people on a daily basis. Being a shy introverted boy for the most part of my life, this has been a nerve-wracking challenge for me. Introverts, like everyone else have thoughts, opinions and ideas. However, we often have trouble expressing them.
Blogging obviously involves a lot of writing. It gives the opportunity for someone to put their opinions, thoughts and research into words. This actively promotes self-expression. Over time as you continue blogging, you will get more and more confident in expressing yourself. For people like me who naturally tend to overthink about how the world might end because of my stupid opinions, the fear slowly wanes out.
Blogging also requires a lot of planning and brainstorming. From planning the structure(introduction, body and conclusion) of each blog to brainstorming for creative title ideas, there is much thought process put into each post. Gradually you get better and more importantly faster at formulating your own thoughts. This helps you to be a more spontaneous speaker, which can be very handy in high stress situations. One example would be, Q&A sessions. I’m sure we can all agree that Q&A sessions are the toughest parts of any presentation. I’ve seen some of my friends give the most eloquent presentations just to be stunned to silence or give stuttering responses when the audience started firing questions at them.
Like with any skill, to be a master communicator, it requires practice and perseverance. I believe blogging is an effective yet fun way to practice the art of communication.
#2 - to meet other like-minded people
Writing online is one of the best ways to network. By putting your thoughts and opinions out into the vast internet, you’re increasing opportunities for serendipity to occur.
“Serendipity”; NOUN – The fact of making unexpected or fortunate discoveries by chance
In that sense, this blog becomes my means of making these chance encounters with like-minded people. The blog is thus my “serendipity vehicle”
This concept, originally coined by David Perell in his article on “How To Maximise Serendipity”, talks about how by regularly publishing some kind of content, people are more likely to discover you. These can be readers who relate to your content or those that are inspired. They can even be other content creators who may want to collaborate with you.
My hope is that these small interactions can pave the way to building relationships with others who are passionate about the same things I am interested in. I would love to make more friends as well learn from them.
#3 - To document my learning process
I consume a lot of information daily. I read books, magazines and articles, watch videos, listen to podcasts etc. There is so much useful information to be gleaned from these sources but the one problem I have faced is remembering all of them.
I would be listening to a podcast about cultivating good habits, and at that moment it would feel as though I had an epiphany. There would be so much insightful information such as tips and advices. However, within a few days I would have forgotten ever having listened to that podcast. My brain getting lost in the bustle of work responsibilities and everyday worries. For all the information that I had consumed, the countless hours I had spent reading and the bus rides spent listening to podcasts, I had next to nothing to show for it. A complete waste of time.
“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them” – David Allen, Author of Getting Things Done
As the quotes beautifully surmises, the human brain is not meant to be a storage depot. That is why we have to-do lists to keep track of everyday tasks and calendars to track of the various events in our lives. My plan is to use this blog in a similar way. The blog would be my “digital repository”. I want to record everything I learn over here so that I can always come back to it and refresh my memory when needed.
By consistently documenting my learnings, it allows for reflection to take place. I gain insights and question the true value of what I have learned. “How can I apply this into my life” I believe this allows for learning to occur at a deeper level.
#4 - To share useful information
One of the main goals I have for this blog, is for it to be helpful to at least one person out there. At the end of the day, if I’m able to add value to at least one person through my articles then I would consider my efforts a success. As I consume information and conduct research, I am sure to gain knowledge on a myriad of topics. My personal interests lie in self-improvement, efficiency, productivity and wealth building. Most of my blog posts will be on these topics. While I’m documenting my learnings, my hope is that you are able to take something way from them as well.
“Knowledge shared is knowledge squared”-some wise dude out there(?)
Just like how I’m sharing my knowledge, I do hope you as readers are able to gain something and pass it onto the next person.
#5 To serve as a personal diary
We all have memorable stories in life. These can range from vital events that shaped us to hilarious encounters that put a smile on your face just thinking about them. I for one love storytelling. I’m always yapping away about the things that happened in my life eliciting laughs from my friends.
Through this blog, I want to share these stories and reach a wider audience. I want the blog to be a place of comfort for all readers. There are also many scientific benefits to keeping a diary such as this, but that is a topic for another day. I have but two simple goals. To share and to entertain. I already have many stories brewing and cannot wait to share them here.
You can start off by blogging about literally anything. It could be simple as simple as writing about your feelings or something more significant like describing life-changing events. You could also blog for the purposes of networking and building professional relationships.
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