Probably there are many articles with such a title. Maybe lots of them will give you an even better motivational “shot” so you’ll be inspired to start your own blog right away. Or not. I haven’t checked what is out there for a reason - didn’t want existing arguments to affect ideas I currently have in mind. Also, I just want to quickly get done with this article. This one is for both of us - you, my dear reader, and for me too to remind myself why I once choose to write. So this is kind of a “second first article”.
Expectations vs. reality
I admit it - I am yet another lazy ass. I started a blog in early 2020 and have written just 4 articles in 18 months. The initial plan was far different - at least one article per month. Well, I’ve learned something - blogs are not very self-sustaining. They are more like dogs than wolves - attention is really needed. Hmm… Good that blogs are not similar to wolves - it’s much safer this way… Shit! You see how rusty I’m :).
It strengthens your mind
If there would be just one thing that you will remember from this article (and me too) let it be this: writing strengthens the mind. It’s a great thing just by itself, no matter what one writes. It could be an article, personal diary, a novel, a joke - it trains to express thoughts better both on paper and verbally. There is literary no downside to writing. Well, might be for others if somebody is writing something like Mein Kampf, so… yeah, I guess the writer still must have some sanity.
It develops pride in you
If you’d say that pride is a vice and we need to cultivate humbleness then - first: (facepalm); second - I’m not talking about external validation, but about internal one. And, of course, in healthy measures. One should have pride in everything he/she does. Writing is such a great activity that, when done consistently, will definitely develop healthy pride. Just think about it - somewhere out there are thoughts of yours… Tempting, right?
Blog is the digital you
The Internet offers a lot of ways to present oneself out there: Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and so on and that is totally fine. But still, I would argue that making your own personal space with a domain owned by you is much more rewarding. It requires some effort and this is great for a couple of reasons. First of all, you’ll have more respect for it. The same respect will come from other people - it looks way more professional this way. Also, own an online home is the same as having own apartment (or house) versus renting one. There is nothing bad about renting, but still owning one is different. From where I stand, which is IT, I believe a blog is a necessity. But, most probably, it should not hurt having one in other areas too.
Small paragraph for those who want to start a blog
Start small - don’t spend a lot of time on infrastructure at the beginning. Buy a domain, use Jekyll or WordPress or something similar. Spend your time on writing, not on setting up the thing. A couple of hours is enough for anybody to google for solutions and set up everything. You can always improve it in the future. And you will. Just don’t fall into trap of overcomplicating at the beginning.
Regarding the actual writing, it’s good to develop a habit. Writing every day for a bit starting at the same time is the best. This mundane thing (doing something every day) even has a fancy name - the Seinfeld Method. Which is basically writing every day sharp! No matter what kind of shit “keyboard” generates. There is nothing better than practice.
Well, this is it for now. It really feels harder to write after such a long break. Consistency is key.