Rationale behind writing blogs

Why I write articles and what I think while writing.

When I started blogging in 2007 I had zero experience on publishing articles. All I had was self-belief that if I started writing the kind of text I liked to read, giving my best shot for every blog post, then I would be happy by doing the stuff I wanted to. As things turned out I got more than what I had anticipated, and after few years I started writing for my employer as well (may god bless them for being kind to me, and may god bless them even more if they raise my package for praising them 😉 ).

My journey has been full of unexpected surprises, and I encourage people around me to write for it can make their life better in a lot of ways. I believe there are always multiple ways for doing things and so instead of promising stuff like “how writing can improve your life!” etc. I am only sharing what goes in my mind when I write. I hope it makes you learn stuff you might not have thought about not just in writing but any creative activity.

1. Have fun

All of us have a purpose that drives why we do things. For instance some people go to work because they can’t risk being an entrepreneur. Some people become Software architects because they love technical stuff more than management. Some people believe that a journey is far more beautiful than its destination. I write because I enjoy it. Big time. I keep my writing pure, that is I don’t get pressurized by what works in the market. In fact as I type these words I am  h a p p y. V e r y [space] v e r y [another space] h a p p y [full stop].

2. You are your biggest fan

Write what you want to read, it doesn’t matter what your fans want to read. The only fan whose opinion truly matters is yours, everything else is like a lottery. The day you start fearing stuff like backlash from critics or less number of page views etc. you give someone else the remote control to your happiness. As long as you know where you are coming from and are not delusional about yourself you need not worry what others say about you.

3. Be yourself

I once read a quote by the famous Russian thinker Leo Tolstoy “There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth“. He was right. When writing ensure that your words speak the thoughts you believe in, in the vocabulary you use while talking. Keep things as real and as simple as possible.

4. Quality over numbers

They say that “god lies in details“. You don’t need to cover each and everything halfheartedly. Be meticulous, focus on select few and pay attention to detail. When you are done you’ll be delighted going through the final product, maybe amazed why didn’t you do this earlier.

5. Focus on your strength(s)

Bruce Lee was the most popular martial artist of 20th century. He famously stated that “I fear not the man who has practiced 10000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10000 times“. Highly impactful words. If you are good at writing humour but weak at philosophy then there is no need to panic. Keep focusing on your humour skills and make it as strong as you can. That way you’d become expert in one area (at least) instead of being mediocre in just about everything you do. I genuinely respect those having masterly perfection in any one field because it requires hard work, because it requires patience and because it requires intense focus to avoid distraction.

6. Discipline

As a kid Sachin Tendulkar made a hanging ball out of cloth, hung it from his house ceiling and would practice the same shot thousand times. Everyday. All great singers I have observed get up early, go to a place they are comfortable with and spend hours practicing. Same way you have to be disciplined in what you are doing. Find a place that inspires your creativity, follow discipline and spend hours practicing. You are your best critic and you need to realize that a weakness is nothing but something you didn’t spend much time improving. If there is something about you that you can’t improve then it’s not really a weakness, don’t waste time on it.

7. Gratitude

Everyone is born creative but very few develop this ability, because we trust others’ opinions much more than ours. You should be proud of everything you do but never forget that everything is temporary. Your role models are humans just like you, they knew nothing when they were born and must have done something extraordinary to reach where they are today. Now pause for a moment, remove all noise around you, and think on this for a while.

8. Eliminate fear

There’s no reason why you must fear.
Do you fear getting ridiculed? As long as you are improving there is nothing to worry about.
Do you fear making a mistake? Remember that a mistake is a mistake if made twice.
Do you fear rejection? All trend-setters and thought leaders were consistently rejected in their initial years. They didn’t change their belief and made themselves mentally stronger.
Fear losing it all? Never give up because the human potential is endless. Stay positive and be an inspiration to those around you.

You like reading success stories, don’t you? Now go and write yours. 🙂