This year, I finally got to start writing for my blog. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time now. So far, it’s been really insightful. I think it’s an amazing way to share my life with family and friends while developing skills I need for work.

I’ve had some great hits as well as some epic flops in the 20+ stuff I’ve written so far. Maintaining my blog has been a really important part of my personal growth this year. I feel like I’m still crafting my writing style and finding my voice.

I understand now why people hire copywriters or why authors take long to finish a book. Writing looks easy but it’s not. There is so much that goes into a single page or paragraph. It really is an art form that takes years to master.

Here are some of my favorite insights about writing thus far:

1) It’s hard to write beyond tweets, emojis, and witty captions.

I go absolutely bonkers whenever I can muster out a third paragraph. Stretching out a thought or insight into a whole article comes with its own set of challenges. I think I can write on for pages about a subject matter but writing has showed me that there’s only so much I can actually write on the first go. Writing has forced me to reflect and to plan accordingly. I can only freestyle for so long.

I used to draw a lot of satisfaction from being able to express my thoughts in 280 characters or less. I’ve set the bar higher for myself now than I’m producing 500-1000 words per article. Is this maturity?

2) Writing comes with responsibility.

One of the most flattering things I’ve heard this year was how I “changed” the life of a friend after he read an article I wrote. He began to see things differently thanks to me. He even vowed to make adjustments in his daily routine. I didn’t have a particular reason for writing that article. I just thought it was a cool topic. I actually got to change a worldview simply by sharing my thoughts on a blog post. This is both fascinating and scary stuff.

A quick personal audit shows that many of the important lessons I’ve learned this year alone were shaped by articles I’ve read. These were pieces written by big publications and Facebook posts written by friends. Writing is a powerful tool. It should be used to make life better for yourself and for others.

3) Inspiration rarely gets it done.

Like many endeavors in life, inspiration is only good for starting something. What gets you across the finish line is discipline. I’ve thrown away dozens of articles simply because I didn’t have the willpower to finish it.

I didn’t do enough research. I didn’t make a great outline. I don’t know a lot about the topic. I come up with so many excuses for not getting it done. Writing has served as a reminder that achieving great things requires great mental strength.

TL;DR

Writing is hard AF. I’m far away from where I want to be. I need discipline to be a great writer. I’ll get there someday. And of course, you’ll read about it here first.