Even if you aren’t interested in investing the time and effort needed to create a high traffic website, a blog can still be a powerful self improvement tool. The web is an amazing medium, and a blog will help you build motivation while also serving as a container of knowledge.
Here are some ways you can use a blog to achieve your goals.
1. Track your development over time
One of the biggest benefits of a blog is the ability to track your thoughts chronologically. As I look through the archives of PickTheBrain, I can follow my stream of thoughts over the past several months. This reminds me to get back to goals that deserve more attention and to evaluate my progress.
A blog makes it easy to store ideas and articles with personal commentary. Although bookmarking services work great for saving articles, I tend to accumulate so many bookmarks that I rarely, if ever, go back to them. A blog is a more navigable and substantial way to track your most important ideas and bookmark articles that you really want to revisit.
2. Clarify your ideas through writing
The best way to determine if you understand a concept is to try explaining it to someone else. Similar to a journal, a blog forces you to crystallize your thoughts in writing. This clarifies the ideas floating around in your head and makes them more permanent.
The advantage of a blog over a journal is that your writing is read by other readers. This will push you to improve your writing ability and develop a better understanding of the subject matter. It also motivates you to keep making progress. When other people are paying attention, you don’t want to let them down.
3. Discussion
One of the best ways to learn is to exchange ideas. Blogging is a great way to ask questions and learn from people who are knowledgeable. A small blog can actually offer a better venue for discussion than a large blog because it creates a more personal environment. Frequently, a comment thread will take on a life of it’s own that goes on to surpass the original post.
Using a blog to explore new ideas gives you the chance to learn from thousands of people you’ll never meet in person. By commenting on other blogs, you can participate in a conversation and share your expertise.
4. Accountability
It’s easy to write down a list of goals, resolve to follow through, put the list in a drawer, and forget it after a week. By using a blog to chart your self improvement goals, you make yourself accountable to everyone who sees them. This is a great motivational tactic. Once people know about your goals, you’ll be forced to act on them or admit that you gave up.
You can also get support from readers with similar goals. This is useful for sharing progress and staying excited about new habits. When I posted about my experiment with the slow carb diet, a number of readers decided to try it too. The weekly progress updates kept all of us motivated to stick to the regiment.
5. Feedback
Probably the most useful part of a blog is the feedback — when readers tell you how and why they disagree. Frequently, others will think about a question from a perspective that you never considered. This will help you find holes in your reasoning and develop a better understanding of the world.
Readers are a great source of knowledge. Every time I post a list of tips, readers leave twice as many in the comments that I wasn’t able to think of. By putting your plans and opinions up for criticism, you’re able to benefit from collective knowledge and learn much faster than you would have otherwise.
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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A blog can also have great therapeutic value. They can be a great way to work through life issues in such a way that can usually get helpful feedback from readers who have gone through similar experiences.
This is a great idea and I’ve been using it on my computer. In a separate folder I’ve installed a copy of WordPress (I have an Apache/PHP/MySQL installation on my laptop) and I use that personal blog to organize my thoughts.
Amrit,
A self hosted blog or free blog from Blogger or Wordpress.com can be great alternatives for people mostly interested in blogging as a personal tool.
I do it particularly for numbers 2 & 4. Probably most for 2. Because I’ll sit around and have an idea, say, about how we can pay off the credit card earlier. But it floats around as nebulous numbers and thoughts until I make it concrete. Having a blog gives me more motivation, since I can then post the concrete idea.
Dear John,
I am unsubscribing from your rss feed and I’d like you to know why:
1. I find your posts with numbered lists quite uninspiring.
2. Most of your content is anything but original. In fact, it’s boringly obvious.
3. Meta-blogging, i.e. blogging about blogging, is a form of wankery.
Yours,
not a fan
John.
I wonder why “not a fan” reads your posts if he/she doesn’t find them original or inspiring :-). I hope you are immune to such reactions. When you blog or interact in public such things are a norm.
I was wondering the same thing myself, Amrit. Although you get used to getting bashed every once in a while, it does hurt a bit. Still, I do appreciate the feedback. Trust me, I’m the first one to realize when I hit a blogging slump. I do my best to create interesting content, but it’s tough to please everyone day after day.
Fortunately, the recent growth of the site indicates that many readers don’t feel the same way.
This post pretty much sums up why I started blogging.
One of the key reasons was to practice my writing skills, but I chose to write about what I discover as I work towards my goals in life. I am currently writing a series of posts about identifying my goals and once I know what they are I’m sure I will work towards them much more quickly because I know I will writing about my progress.
Personally, if I don’t get bashed occasionally I don’t think enough people are reading my blog articles.
Now about the article: I agree with all points. Writing helps me clarify my thoughts and come to come to a better understanding of the topic. Also, I now read with more purpose and observe life in greater detail as I might come across something I want to share with others.
I agree. Most blogs do show personal progress. I have been reading blogs for a little over a month now and while I love the ‘47 better way’ blogs, I find the ones that also track the personal to be the blogs I jump to first for updates. I just started blogging. I had to learn about it so I could set one up for someone else. Nothing this good has happened to me in ages ;D)
Wow this is a really great blog! I read today’s posting and was intrigued by the simplicity of message. It was not puffed up with big techi words…many of my friends love this type of style of writing…I will be sure to forward this info to them.
In addition to you your message…I believe if you visit my blog site and look to the lower right side of it, you will notice a banner for a company called blogi360…in my opinion, you should find a way to incorporate this in your future messages like the one I am commenting one, being this product only compliments your efforts…my website url is:
http://www.subliminalmentalperception.com
Thanks again, and keep up the good work John!
Given a previous comment, it seems an opportune time to jump in and say that I am a new fan. I especially like your articles on motivation, including this one. Given how poor previous information I’ve found on this subject to be (eg, check out wikipedia), I’d say yours are exceptional.
Another subject I’d be curious to read your take on is time management. I like the book “Time Power” by Charles R. Hobbs because it teaches good organizational skills and “Time Management for System Administrators” by Thomas Limoncelli since it covers time management for a non-managerial type occupation. Particularly, I’d like to learn more about other non-traditional approaches, if you have any.
Hi John,
I just want to say that I am following your tips righ away. I jsut finished to post my first writing on a blog, explaining the reasons behind my new blog (to develop my writing skills) and how your post helped me to start doing it.
Everyone is welcomed to visit there and give a hard feedback on my first essay.
BF’s effort to upgrade his communication skills: http://bfcommunicationskills.blogspot.com/
Regards
Bernardo
[…] 5 ways to use your blog to organize and motivate yourself […]
@Peter — That’s a good way to look at it.
@Barbara — That’s fantastic that you’ve found the world of blogs. There is a ton of great writing and information out there once you find your way around.
@Lesly — Thanks, I’m glad you like the site and will check out the link you suggested.
@Nil — Thanks as well. The books by Hobbs sound really interesting. Time management is actually a topic I need to learn more about.
@Bernardo — Congratulations on starting your first blog. I think it will be very productive in developing your writing skills.
I started my blog so that my friends and family could follow along with my scratch-building model train cars. People kept asking me what I was doing and how was I building these models. The blog answers those questions, but it also keeps me going sometimes. Some nights I am tired and don’t feel like working on my models, but then I think “it’s been two days since I posted on my blog - I had better do something!” So I do a little work and write a post.
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Take care!
Mental Perception
http://subliminalmentalperception.com/blog