5 Ways Blogging Changed How I Think

As I’ve shared before, I used to hate writing and I never would have imagined that someday I would be blogging everyday - let alone share it publicly. Nevertheless, here I am! Still shocked, but even more so about the ways in which I’ve grown. Sure, I obviously knew that my writing skills would be improved, but I never would have assumed that it would actually change the way I think.

1 - Thinking through others’ eyes.

When I write, I basically throw a bunch of thoughts into one place. Then, I go back and change those thoughts. Then I do it again. But if all I do is provide a bunch of thoughts with no context or any structure, there was no point in writing at all. You see, I understand what I’m trying to say at first, but you probably don’t unless I write it a certain way. A writer has to read their writings as though someone is reading it for the first time. That seems obvious, but I didn’t expect to see that cross over into how I communicate and act. I guess you could say writing has made me become more self-aware.

2 - Everything is words.

It almost becomes a habit to be on the lookout for sentences that I believe should be written another way. On billboards, advertisements, movies (etc.). I’m always asking myself how something could be written better, even if I don’t think I’m the greatest writer in the world. I’m just learning, but everywhere I look I notice the words.

3 - Constantly looking for new ideas.

I laugh at myself every night because I always slightly worry that I’ve run out of ideas for blog posts. All day, every day, I’m searching for something to write about. Whether that means engaging in a conversation with someone, doing something new, or searching for something within. I’m always looking for ideas, and that’s always been a part of who I am naturally, but it’s been enhanced ever since I began blogging.

4 - The second thought.

Typically, I erase the first paragraph I write. It’s hardly ever authentic enough, and I usually find that the second paragraph (or thought) is a better place to start. I’ve also seen that play out in how I think and act, because I know that if I can skip the first step and still manage, I’ll be one step ahead.

5 - Thinking backwards.

In the instances where I’m not thinking ahead, I’m actually thinking backwards. I first begin with an idea, then I ask “Why?” or “How do I know this statement to be true?”. Ta-da! You have a blog post. But bringing this into real life context, I do this constantly when observing others or situations. Sometimes it’s more important to first learn how something came to be so that it’s easier to predict where it will go.

They say time goes faster the longer you live because each day is a smaller portion of your life. For a 10-year-old, a decade is 100% of his life, but to a 100-year-old, it’s only 10%. When it comes to blogging, it’s a bit of an opposite effect. I find that the longer I do this, the more I enjoy it. I find that with each post I care just slightly more, and instead of losing it’s significance, it becomes a bigger deal to me. If this all came from only 159 days of blogging, I can’t wait to see what comes in the future.