Mar 23, 2023 | Personal
I recently browsed a few blogs that have a tone like mine, and I didn’t enjoy what I read.
They were too preachy. Too narcissistic.
I don’t want to come off in the same way, so I want to discuss why this website exists and why I write on it.
Because I’m so new to my current role, I encounter many difficult problems that don’t have simple solutions.
What is the balance between acting quickly and having a solid plan? How do you avoid micromanaging without letting work go off-track? Which projects are most important, and who should work on them?
There isn’t a scientific answer to these questions. Potential answers bounce around my head all day, and the only way to get a clear answer out of them is by grabbing them and forcing them into coherent thoughts through writing.
I can talk about them with coworkers or friends, but writing gives me a way of thinking that is much more methodical and insightful compared to conversations. Conversations are great at working through ideas quickly, but they fail to help me think deeply about big issues. Conversations, especially in a business context, can happen at 100 MPH. There’s no time to think through what people are saying.
So I plan on writing about most problems I encounter, in an effort to figure out what I think and to consider potential answers.
I personally take this a step further by believing in the idea that Paul Graham discusses:
"If writing down your ideas always makes them more precise and more complete, then no one who hasn't written about a topic has fully formed ideas about it. And someone who never writes has no fully formed ideas about anything nontrivial."
I want to have fully formed ideas, and I think the only way to do that is through writing.
By now, you can probably tell I’m not great at writing. I haven’t practiced it in a long time, and there are so many nuances to it.
I use “that” too much, I’m obsessed with transition words, and I have a poor understanding of grammar.
However, it is becoming evident that my career and hobbies will include writing in some form or fashion. The more responsibility I get at work, the more writing I do. Chats, emails, project updates, meeting notes, research reports. Some days it feels like all I do is write. This makes writing a critical skill for me to improve. If I can improve my writing, I can improve my work.
I’m convinced communication is the hardest, but most important skill to get better at. Writing is part of that.
In the same vein as a diary or logbook, this website is a record of my thoughts, concerns, and experiences at different times in my life. I’ll be able to look back on these posts and learn from my insights, if I can avoid cringing too much. Many of these thoughts would slowly fade away if I didn’t write.
I write these posts and work on this website because I think it’s fun. It’s a hobby where I get to flex my critical thinking, HTML/CSS, and writing skills all at the same time. It would be way too much effort to keep up if I didn’t like it. And I enjoy the freedom I have here, which is a stark contrast to most of my life. I can write about whatever I want, and I can design new website features whenever I feel like it. This is my creative outlet.
To summarize this whole article, I’m writing for myself. I don’t particularly care if anyone reads this, and I have never tried to advertise that this website exists. I’m writing because it’s the best way to solve hard problems and refine a skill I really care about.
So I’m not trying to preach to you or say that I have some hidden insight that nobody else knows about. I’m trying to figure things out, and the most effective (and fun) way I’ve found to do that is through writing on this website.