My Whys On Blogging

I wrote quite a bit in high school as part of the writing-heavy IB program and got a chance to exercise my creative muscles on a weekly basis. Then came college, and I barely had to do any writing, save for my thesis, which required more documenting than actual writing. That trend continued into my first two jobs until about three years ago, when my manager suggested that I write about my transition from individual contributor to manager during a lighthearted conversation about blogging. But he was also quick to remind me that the real challenge with blogging was keeping the momentum after the initial post. Challenge accepted. Almost thirty blog posts later, I’ve had plenty of time to think about what has kept me going for the last three years. Well, my manager for one but there are certainly a couple of other good reasons too.

Conversations At Scale. I see writing as an important part of my voice because it gives me a stage that is not confined to the small number of people I get to interact with daily. By posting in public forums, I’m able to scale my reach and share my thoughts with so many more. And even more importantly, it allows me to have rewarding conversations on topics of interest with people near and far.

A Personal Time Machine. Some people like taking pictures to capture moments in their lives. I find that words, more than anything else, allow me to capture my thoughts at a moment in time and allow me to relive that moment over and over again. I sometimes go back and read my posts and I’m always brought back to the time when they were written, which is always special.

Professional Branding. Last but not least, my posts are a big part of my brand and they give others a sense of who I am without ever meeting me. There have been instances in the past when people that I barely know walked up to me to share their thoughts on one of my posts. Initially, I used to find it a little odd but over time, I have come to realize that these posts arguably draw the most personal and compelling picture of who I am, making them ideal conversation starters for others.

Yes, blogging can be fun but it comes with some real short and long term benefits, as well. Having seen this first hand for three years now, I would echo my manager's words and encourage anyone who has ever considered blogging to make 2020 the year they finally take that plunge. A toast to all the new bloggers out there...your readers await with great anticipation!

I want to thank Lokesh Bajaj for inspiring me to start blogging and being generous with his time in giving me helpful editorial feedback.