to blog or not to blog… Why is it even a question?

I procrastinated starting my blog for over a year, grappling with the typical writer’s fear of criticism and concern about what people would think of my writing and me. The self-doubt about whether to blog or not is finally over!

I am not an English native speaker, so the anxiety and perfectionism kept me out of good writing habits for years. Not months, but years! Hence, the question: to blog or not to blog?

Here, I share with you 4 life-changing habits that made me a more confident and prolific academic and online writer:

1. Approach writing as a skill, not a gift 

This blog shares insights from my journey to become a better writer. While I accept perfection as unattainable, I am forever dedicated to becoming a better writer. My journey began with the psychologist Dr Paul J. Silvia’s ‘How to Write A Lot,‘ emphasising that writing is a skill, not a gift. You just need to sit down every day at the same time and write! It has to become an automated habit, like brushing your teeth every night before bedtime. 

2. Remain a student and learn constantly

I also explored Stoic philosophy for practical life advice to overcome personal obstacles through Ryan Holiday’s books, blogs and videos. I took the first step into stoicism by controlling my ego and stopping my fear of criticism thanks to his book The Ego is the Enemy. I particularly enjoyed Ryan’s blog post, ‘Life Is School. School Is For Life introduced me to Seneca’s idea that “you should keep learning… to the end of your life.” This combination of accomplished authors’s advice on writing and stoicism brightened my academic writing journey. I embraced the challenge of becoming a better writer and completing my Ph.D. 

3. Abandon outdated paradigms

On my journey, more importantly, I abandoned the unhelpful belief that famous writers are geniuses with incredible ideas, writing books and articles effortlessly. This belief kept me in a writing rut for months, a tough spot if you must write a long dissertation. In another post, I will share more about the myths students, especially at the Ph.D. level, tell themselves to procrastinate writing. 

4. Demystify academic “talk” and unhealthy beliefs

Determined to improve my writing and complete my Ph.D. dissertation, I embarked on a self-learning journey to become a productive writer and, perhaps one day, a published one. But first, I still need to graduate from my PhD studies! In addition to learning strategies to write effectively, I also turned to psychology to demystify “academic talk” on writer’s block, the genius creator, inspiration, and the notion that you must be born a writer to be successful. 

This first blog post is an accomplishment as I share my thoughts with the outside world without fearing criticism but welcoming others’ views as feedback to remain a constant learner. So, if in doubt, you should always blog!

I use this post as a bit of fun in my daily writing practice to become a better writer. I hope you enjoy it!

I plan to share what has worked for me and the ongoing ups and downs of academic and online writing. Stay tuned!