I have always wanted a blog I would consistently write in, and never quite got to the consistency part. I think I may have been trying too hard to find some obscure niche, or force an audience, or maybe a blog just wasn’t in the cards for my life right then. So in my best attempt to fulfill my blog writing dreams, I recently started this personal blog.
After hesitating with the blog name and what the content should be, I decided to just go with the flow. I realized that I was spending too much time on perfection. So I kept it simple and I decided if I don’t know what to write yet, just write about why I want a blog. So here it goes…
1. It Keeps You Engaged
I have lots of things to say. Seriously, ask my fiancée, she will tell you I never shut up. In our house it is a constant thought stream of whatever pops in to my brain. Maintaining a blog can be a nice place to hold an ongoing conversation and a place to focus that energetic stream of thoughts.
Writing about ideas can allow you to explore the topic more thoroughly. It encourages you to develop the ideas into more well rounded and concise thoughts. Posting regular blog posts can also keep you engaged and create an environment of discipline.
2. Become A Better Writer and Thinker
When I was a college student I had a journal, which I would carry with me wherever I went. I started the same way I started this blog, just wanting to keep a journal, and it caught on. After a while I found myself pulling out the journal to jot down ideas or thoughts through the day. Eventually I realized that I had created an inner narration to my life. Eventually, the journal became more than just a log of things I had done or thoughts, it became an experience when writing. As a writer, I have more control over my words, I grew a larger vocabulary, and I began to think more poetically. As a thinker I was more creative, I had more ideas, and I was able to better focus my thoughts.
This is a perfect example of how blogging can help you become a stronger writer and thinker. The consistency of writing regular blog posts can allow you to develop a personal writing style and tone. It also demands critical thinking when formulating the blog posts, keeping your mind working.
3. Meet New People
Having an online presence is one of the best things you can do to create networking opportunities. Whether it is for creating business networks or meeting friends with similar interests, actively using social media gets the job done.
It can create an environment to share and explore ideas, connect with professionals in the industry, or even be invited to meet-ups.
4. Keep Learning
Something I have come to realize in my adult life, that seemed lost on me during adolescence, is that I feel most alive when learning. I never like to let the dust settle in my brain, and I am always looking for something new to learn. Blogging creates a perfect opportunity to actively learn and participate.
When writing blog posts, whether it is about astrophysics or being super mom, it increases your knowledge of the topic. It creates an opportunity to research current trends and participate by responding with your own perspective. In addition, the act of researching and organizing your thoughts into a blog post allows you to commit that knowledge to memory.
Staying current and publishing regular posts will also help grow your reputation in the industry. If you stay consistent and grow your readers it is even possible to become regarded as an expert on a particular topic.
In conclusion
Creating a blog and publishing consistent posts has a great number of benefits. It keeps you engaged with your topic of choice, strengthens your writing and thinking, creates networking opportunities, and keeps you learning.
How about you? What benefits do you think blogging has to offer?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments.