Change Your Life – Start a Blog
Luck Occurs When Preparation Meets Opportunity.
Believe it or not, one of the reasons I’ve gotten so lucky is because of this blog. I’ve been asked to sit on panels, do webinars, speak to students, and write articles for a local publication.
But before all of that, (like everyone else) I had to start somewhere. Luckily I met Mike Sansone during my junior year of college. Our conversation went something like:
Mike: ”If you’re graduating in a year, you need to be blogging right now. It’ll help you get a job.”
Me: “Blogging? That’s a fun word.”
I was clueless. So Mike started teaching me the basics… And I hated it. For two reasons: 1) I had nothing to write about. 2) I sucked at writing. (No. Like, I was really, really bad at writing. I’d spend two or three hours trying to write a post that would look something like this.)
Being a bad writer with nothing to write about isn’t the best foundation to start a blog. But I quickly realized that blogging isn’t just about writing. It’s about ideas. And conversation. And relationships. But mostly… blogging is about people.
It’s about relating to people who are going through the same struggles you are. Or having a conversation about a passion you share. Or simply chatting to learn something new.
What’s amazing is that everyone ends up being your mentor in one way or another. (Every man I meet is in some way my superior – Emerson) And what’s really fun is finally meeting these people in person. Because of blogging, I have friends in almost every major city in the U.S. When I was in Madison, I saw Ryan and Ryan. When I was in New York, I met Lindsey. When I was in Chicago, I met David and Allie.
These are the types of people that will change how you look at the world.
But blogging has also taught me a new way of thinking. See, creating good, original content on a regular basis is really hard. To do so, you have to start observing things, analyzing them, and figuring out how they apply to life. It forces you to be in a learning mode all the time.
So how will blogging change your life?
You’ll be smarter, more observant, and a much better writer… But most importantly, you’ll surround yourself with the people who think different, who share your ambition, and who have accomplished more than you.
These are the people that will teach you new things, mentor you, and continually push you to new levels.
These are the relationships that will change your life. .
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Andy,
I put off starting a blog for a long time. Suddenly, this week brought a flood of reasons why I needed to do it NOW.
Layoffs across the news, overhearing someone at SES talking about Twitter and aspirational posts like this.
Thanks for continuing to inspire. I’ll show you my baby when it’s past the ugly stage.
Writing is therapeutic “in these troubling times. (drink)”
Drinking can be therapeutic too, but writing is better
Great post Andy: as usual relationships are key.
Couldn’t agree more. Blogging has introduced me to some amazing people and got me into the job I’m in today. It’s so worth the time it takes.
@Tim – It’s about time. Let me know when it’s up and running.
@the weakonomist – lol
@eschapp – Thanks for linking in your post.
@allie – I’m anxious to read a bunch of the posts for the BC contest. Did you write one?
Agree with first post…I am getting very close to building my blog. Hope to have one up within the next 2 weeks. Great content!