Why I'm starting this blog
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
“Every journey begins with a single step.”
― Lao Tzu
I did it! I've been wanting to start this blog for quite a while now, and today marks my first blog post, or my first step! 🥳 Now I know that starting is not the same as finishing. And in the context of blogging, where there isn't even a finish line, starting is not the same as staying consistent. But taking that very first step is far from trivial: many things are left undone because we don't even start them. So you can bet I'm celebrating this start! Celebrate with me by reading why I even started in the first place!
In no particular order of relevance or importance, here are 7 reasons I started this blog:
- I see others do it, I know I can do it, and now I want to do it
- I love teaching
- I love learning
- I want to connect better with my peers
- Personal branding
- Complement my YouTube channel and my online presence
- Make the world (and my world) a better place
My 7 Reasons for Starting this Blog
1. I see others do it, I know I can do it, and now I want to do it
Monkey see, monkey do. Some of my (ex-)colleagues like Juhis or Pablo have great blogs. I see lots of other great blogs by reading newsletters like TLDR. "Me too!", my inner child insists.
2. I love teaching
If I could make the same amount of money by being a teacher instead of an engineer, I would definitely be the former. As the latter, I gravitate towards opportunities to teach when they arise. Blogging is one of those opportunities.
3. I love learning
I'm passionate about learning. One of the best ways to do so is by sharing and showing what you're learning, even teaching it! Yes, imposter syndrome and the fear of having "real experts" criticize your content may hold many of us back. So what if you're wrong and others know better, though? Isn't that an opportunity to course-correct and learn faster and better?
4. I want to connect better with my peers
Networking. If I write something publicly, others may have things to say about it. That can spark juicy conversations and connections. And not just professionally or online! If I meet someone F2F in a casual setting and a topic I have written about comes up, it's really easy to share a link or reference to the corresponding blog post.
5. Personal branding
Marketing. I want people to give me their attention, approval, and money. I don't want to obsess over these, and I for sure don't want to tie my worth to what people give me. But it for sure is attractive to increase my audience, sales, and job prospects.
6. Complement my YouTube channel and my online presence
Related to the above, I already have some online presence and content. Some people prefer video content, and others prefer written content. I plan on having some blog posts be the script of some of my YouTube videos, catering to both kinds of people. And some content just presents itself better in one form, so when it comes to options, the more the merrier.
7. Make the world (and my world) a better place
Stereotype, I know. Being creative and expressing myself is chock-full of benefits. Even if it's only me checking this blog in the future, my world will be much better because of it. And if others find what I share useful, then their world will also be better!
Final Words
Let's see how I feel about blogging after some months or years! It will definitely be fun to revisit my reasons for blogging (or NOT blogging!) in the future.
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