So…I just got back from a few weeks of holiday. Needed the break. There is something magical about breaking routine. Feels like taking a break from an intense chess game; pressure is off and can see solutions you couldn’t think of while playing the game.
A holiday for me is usually not about going away on a trip – but more about taking a break to relax, read, plan, think, relax and lots of Netflix. The less traveling the better. The Coronavirus restrictions have ensured of that anyways!
Thanks to the nature of my time off, I did not plan in advance for this week’s blog. I am free styling this post. Don’t worry, I will be intentional with my next blog posts with specific topics.
Despite this being a freestyle article, the first thought that occurred is for me to write about why I write. Why do I blog? What is the end goal? Is it a hobby? A content business in the making perhaps?
Most people that work with emails already do a lot of writing – myself included. There is beauty in a well-crafted email, especially when there are no spelling or grammar mistakes. Same goes for newspaper articles and other written content. Grammar or spelling errors tend to put me off (yes I also make such mistakes). Imagine creating the “perfect” CV for a prospective employer, only to contain spelling and grammar inaccuracies. Frankly I get annoyed by these. One of the reasons I write often is to minimise such mistakes. Practice anything often enough and you become proficient at it.
The second reason I write is to immortalise my thoughts. It’s amazing how quickly we forget. Apparently “an average human being forgets 50% of information within 1 hour, 70% of information in 24 hours and 90% of information within 1 week.”[1]
The third reason I write is because I learn better by writing my own version of information. More like an extension of taking down notes and formatting them into a more formal manner that I can comprehend better.
I also write because I enjoy the process and the finished “product”. It’s not easy. Like most great things in life. A typical writing process for me involves lots of reading, research, editing, editing, editing and lots more editing.
The fifth reason I write is to share my experiences with others. Human beings seem to progress exponentially when we share ideas and experiences. The Wikipedia and Open-Source software are great examples of the benefits of sharing.
That’s all for this week folks! Wishing you a productive week. Oh and happy new year!
[1] http://www.mediator.ee/blog-1/72-hours-use-it-or-lose-it