This Is Why You Need To Keep Blogging and Journaling

Keeping a regularly updated blog can be one of the best things you can do for your career. Trust me, its the reason why I can do what I do now.

However, it does require a certain amount of discipline, determination and grit to keep blogging and journalling. Especially when your work starts overtaking the rest of your waking hours.

However, it is something that I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world.

Begin by Taking Stock

Every once in a while, I make it a point to take a step back from what I’m doing and to ponder over where I am and where I ought to be headed to.

This involves asking myself some hard and honest questions such as the following:

• Am I progressing on all fronts of my life – work, family, social, physical and spiritual?
• Have I grown and developed professionally as an “after office hours” business blogger?
• Are the quality of my posts improving or regressing?
• More importantly, am I en route to achieving my personal goals if I continue along this trajectory?

Building a Personal Archive

As I ponder these questions, I find it useful to keep a written record of where I’ve been and to look back at my previous posts/ article to gauge how far I have gone in achieving these goals.

With a written journal, I am made more aware of what I’ve accomplished. I’ll also be reminded of what I’ve yet to achieve, and prod me to calibrate my own expectations for the future.

Keeping a blog is a good way of instilling the discipline of record keeping. Yes, its kind of like building a personal repository of thoughts, feelings and knowledge that you can always fall back on should the need arise in future.

By capturing my thoughts, views and ideas on marketing, business, events and lifestyle, I am assured that I have a digital archive that can serve as a convenient reference for me should I need to tap onto my own years of experience and expertise.

Teaching and Learning

The other advantage – and a huge one I must add – is that a blog allows me to contribute to the body of wisdom and knowledge that is freely available online for anybody to tap onto.

I feel immense satisfaction in empowering my readers with useful information and bits of knowledge that they can use in their professional or personal lives.

Doing so also gives me a reason to constantly learn more, going beyond my comfort zone to experiment with new methods and techniques of achieving resonance with my audiences.

Striking Inner Conversations

Writing a journal also allows me to have a conversation with myself (albeit in a sane way) and to embrace an attitude of reflection.

We can ask ourselves tough questions, ponder and mull over them for a few days, and revisit the questions again at the appropriate time.

For matters that are less sensitive, we can even “poll” our network of readers, fans and friends online, seeking their views on a decision that is difficult for us to make using our own resources.

Their comments and interactions help to make the subject matter come alive.

Boosting Creativity

Keeping an online journal helps us to extend our creative capacity, tapping into both our left and right brains. Committing to produce content on a regular basis on this blank canvas gives me the flexibility and freedom to write in a relatively unbridled fashion.

While I do read, write and edit a fair amount of information at work, the style and flow of my writing is radically different from what I do at home on my blog.

By combining structured and unstructured writing, we exercise all aspects of our brain. This also helps us to approach an issue or a problem in a more holistic manner.

Embracing Mindfulness

Finally, maintaining a journal helps us to quieten our hearts and minds, acting as a conduit for us expend our nervous energy. It compels us to be more mindful in what we think, see, hear and do. It makes us adopt a more meditative and less impulsive view of the world around us.

In times of difficulties and trials, your diary/blog can act like a constant companion. One where you may pour out your frustrations, sadness or fears (of course with the right levels of “protected” access).

Blogging and journaling keeps you sane in this crazy world where change is the only constant. It anchors your innermost thoughts and emotional life, and is perhaps the only “work” which you do where you have complete control. Well, almost complete control since you still have to consider whom you are writing for.

If you haven’t already started to keep an online journal or blog, I strongly encourage you to start one today.

While the initial stages may be tough going, the process will get easier and easier as you ingrain it into a part of your everyday lives.