Why do we still blog?

Author and business strategist, Euan Semple (@euan), writes that blogging doesn’t get easier even after all these years.

Why do we do it? Because we get to test and improve our thinking in real time. And as Euan says, “What’s not to like about that?”

There’s lots of reasons I continue to blog. Near the top of the list are the two Euan shares.

One:

…I don’t know what I really think until I write it down, and my guess is that many of you are the same. “What happened today that was worthy of note?”; “What do I really think about this topic?”; “What am I trying to say?”; “How can I get across my ideas as concisely and effectively as possible?”

And two:

…[B]y sticking it out there magic happens. People either reinforce your idea, modify it, disagree with it or just take it in and mull it over.

I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know what I know until I put it writing, reflect on the thought as it flows through my fingers to the screen, see it in print on the screen, and push the button to publish to get my thoughts out there.

And then, like Euan says, the magic happens. People agree, comment on, or mull over your idea. It’s not always overt feedback. You can feel it through a share, like, or a favorite. You can read more into the feedback by who’s giving the feedback – you’ve engaged these folks before.

Crazier yet, you just feel the response without responses being expressed. You know what certain people are thinking out there once you’ve blogged an idea.

I’ve blogged before about lawyers and law students using blogs and social media as vehicles for learning. What better way than to follow others in areas in which you have a niche interest, share what you’re reading along with your insight, and get feedback from others with a similar interest.

On that point I got plenty of feedback. Many of you thought I nuts to say lawyers ought learn in an open and public environment such as social media and blogs.

I remain convinced that blogging is one of the better ways for professionals to learn.

You guys see all those tweets I cull from my newsreader each day. I’m looking for gems that get me excited (like this one from Euan). I am looking to learn about things I don’t know. I’m looking to engage and meet people I can learn from and do business with.

I am not sure I’d review my feeds each day if I wasn’t blogging. What good is just reading when you don’t get the pleasure of sharing, expressing yourself, and meeting folks as a result? It’s just half a loaf. There’s no magic.

Not only can blogging be good for your career by getting known, but as Euan says, your ideas get tested, they get expanded, and you adapt. You grow as a person.

Euan calls it evolutionary thinking. It’s actually something greater, our evolution as a person.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Giuseppe Milo