I started this blog in 2009 using the Blogger platform. For three years, I posted a few times each month. My posts were primarily personal although I occasionally included posts about my teams and my work. After a significant amount of research, I decided to move the blog to this WordPress self-hosted site in February 2012.
I am now posting 3 to 5 times each week. And I am becoming more focused on what my life and work means to others and how I write about it. These new changes are significantly impacting traffic and engagement- the first month following the move, the blog received more views than in the previous 36. More about that later.
Most people want to improve
I believe that most people want to grow personally and professionally. But you and I both know that it’s easier to read about and talk about growth than it is to actually do it. If it were easy – everyone would be doing it all the time.
Life is far too short to coast – even for a moment. Your life and legacy are immensely important to so many who are ready for you to lead with passion and intentionality.
I want to inspire you to grow on purpose, to live more effectively, to develop influence, and to lead your tribe. I want you to know that you can grow intentionally and lead today. Status quo is for the birds. And mediocrity is not just boring – it’s repulsive!
Yeah, I know – it’s so easy to get stuck in the rut of comfort and familiar wondering, How do I get out? And what’s it going to take to get moving again?
The alternative to apathy is purposeful growth – to be passionately intentional in your life and work. So, I relaunched this blog with more clarity and purpose than ever before. And, I’m challenging you to regularly join with me here. Join the elite tribe of individuals who are serious about growth and are doing something about it. It’s time to grow on purpose!
Here are the three reasons I started this blog…
1. Clarify my thinking
I have a confession to make – I am textbook ADHD. (No, I haven’t been clinically diagnosed, but that may be because we couldn’t afford to visit the doctor when I was a kid.) I can think of more things to do than I or my team could ever hope to accomplish. To make matters worse, my attention span is short. So, substantive achievements in my life and work require real clarity and intentional focus. The disciplines of critical thinking and writing bring clarity, focus, and commitment to my vision.
2. Process what I am experiencing
I dream a lot. My vision is huge. And I work hard to achieve it. As a result, I have enjoyed many incredible experiences in my life.
There have been incredible highs. And there have been heartbreaking lows – times when I had no idea how to move on. Writing has helped me to process these experiences and archive my growth through these events. As a result, I’m healthier mentally and emotionally. When you and I are healthy, we are better positioned to help and encourage others.
3. To pursue a recreational hobby that takes my attention away from work
For years, I’ve known that I needed to settle on an outlet – some recreational endeavor that would distract me from my career work. This has been challenging for me because I love my work – I honestly don’t view my work as, well…work. I made a life decision several years ago – If it’s not fun, I’m not doing it.
In my quest for a hobby, I tried golf. I love golf – I’m just not good at it. For someone who’s as competitive as I am, my golf outings simply created more stress. Although I enjoyed hanging out with friends, the golf part wasn’t fun for me. And, it was expensive! I haven’t given up on golf altogether, I’ve just put it on hold for awhile.
Several years ago, I discovered that I like writing. To be totally transparent, I actually enjoy having written. I’m learning to enjoy writing.
I’ve found myself carving out more and more time to focus on writing. The more time I spend doing it, the more fun it has become. I’m not sure that I’m very good at it yet, but, as with anything, that will come with practice and experience.
When developing post topics, I ask, What do I most need to hear today? And I write about it. As I do that consistently, I will accomplish my purpose. So, I blog for myself, and others can listen if they want.
Question: Why do you write? What do you think I should add to my list of reasons? Share in the comments.
Mike, great post. After a couple of military deployments over the last couple of years, I’m trying to get back to a consistent writing habit. I like what you said about loving having written. I also enjoy the journey. It’s always interesting to see where I’ll end up in a writing project. Thanks for what you wrote here!
Thanks Greg!
Your posts are always encouraging and timely, so I’m often grateful for your words. They bring insight into a particular situation at just the right moment. I published a new post within the last hour. It was my first in about two weeks. This is my first year publishing posts for myself; I write often for my profession, but never kept a personal blog. This year brought a lot of change, so blogging for me is a way to (a) check in with myself each week, (b) highlight the major thoughts of the week in a positive light, and (c) provide a little more awareness of the darker corners of life. I’m happy to be a part of this world and enjoyed reading others’ reasons before me.
Thanks for your kind words, Niki.Love how your reasons for writing are similar to mine. Keep up the good work!
Candid, insightful, and helpful blog Michael. Thanks for sharing. Your reasons are similar to mine in penning my vertical learning curve about the Amish and their runaways.
Thanks Brenda. I appreciate your encouragement.
Thanks Michael, thats really insightful. I havn’t even really started yet and I have writers block already! Truth is I’ve been trying to work out what aspect of my life to blog about work, social, chrch, family…I’m still unclear but I think if I make an honest attempt at answering the Why Blog?? question I may be better able to take the next step in my journey…so yeah, thanks for that.
Thanks Michael, thats really insightful. I havn’t even really started yet and I have writers block already! Truth is I’ve been trying to work out what aspect of my life to blog about work, social, chrch, family…I’m still unclear but I think if I make an honest attempt at answering the Why Blog?? question I may be better able to take the next step in my journey…so yeah, thanks for that.
When I started out, I had the same problem. It sound counterintuitive but WRITING helped me get over the block. Free write. Keep a pad with you all the time and note things that you want to write about as hey happen. Then write. After doing this for a short period of time you’ll begin to see a theme or themes.
Absolutely true!
I find writing a blog post is an outlet for my creative side as well as a place to share the good stuff I learn in life. Still learning, and having fun doing it.
And even though I have no idea if anyone is reading my blog, as Victor Hugo said, “Not being heard is no reason for silence.” Thanks for the encouragement.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Kathy. Love the quote!
Thanks for sharing, Michael. I need to examine why I am writing- thanks for asking! Congrats that this newer approach is working for your blog.
I know I’ve probably had wrong motivations for writing in the past, but perhaps, as God shapes us, we eventually recognize WHAT voice we have, and why we need to speak it. I’m still trying to figure that out!
So, why do I write? To clarify. To dial in a lesson, usually for myself 🙂
On some level, we’re all refining our writing and our voice. I appreciate your transparency. Just keep writing!
Hi there! I love what you say about enjoying having written, and learning to enjoy writing. How true is that for me! I guess if pushed I’d say I write because I have to. If I don’t the things I need to write go round and round in my brain driving me crazy! My biggest issue is the baring your soul/self indulgent aspect of blogging – a part of me thinks why not just keep a journal, but I’ve little interest in that. Writing for a more public audience helps me process things – and reading your piece here I am inspired to keep on keeping on – thanks! Linda (lindaaanderson on Twitter)
Thats great Linda. And I agree – writing out in the open brings a necessary accountability. Keep writing!
I also had an “old” blog, which I used mostly as a procrastination outlet. My writing was erratic, and while there were some frequent themes (film reviews, education-related news, Bible studies, …) the blog itself had only one common denominator: me. Nothing that could gain an audience outside of my circle of friends, no added value whatsoever.
Then in January this year, after reading some other blogs, I moved over to a new blog, which would be more consistent in both its theme and its update frequency.
To me, my new blog is about discipline – forcing myself to write (at least) weekly and also adopting a style which is more engaging, rather than assertive and authoritative.
It’s not just about building myself up though – I do hope that through it, people will be impacted and respond. But that was one of the reasons I overhauled my blogging!
Great thoughts Pierre! I can relate. I appreciate your comment: “adopting a style which is more engaging, rather than assertive and authoritative”. This is important – we can be passionate about topics while effectively serving others.
Michael:
I stumbled upon your blog and have been following you since. I found this post about the 3 reasons you started your blog very interesting. Like you, I blog for myself and others can follow if they want too. I especially identified with your 3rd point on pursing a recreational hobby that takes you away from your work. This is what my blog does for me. I started my blog to venture outside my comfort zone and just do something different. I never pictured myself writing and posting daily updates about people, places, and happenings around Smith Mountain Lake and then having people read what I wrote everyday…but they do. I think a reason you could add to your list is to write so you live life with NO regrets. Thanks for the thought provoking posts. Dianne
Thanks so much for your encouraging note Dianne. Although I’m originally from Northern Virginia, we love the Smith Mountain Lake area. Please let me know if I can ever do anything for you. Michael