The surprising benefits of writing every day
I didn't see these benefits coming.
When I first started posting daily on LinkedIn two years ago, I had various outcomes in mind. But I never expected these results.
A casual conversation with a LinkedIn content creator this week veered into why we write. I realised I've reaped many benefits I never envisioned.
Here are 3 of them.
New learnings
When I started writing here, I told myself I'll only write on things where I can add value. Whether explaining how something works or sharing little-known insights, I also endeavoured to share everything I know.
It might sound like a one-way street, but in reality, I’ve gained far more in return -through the thoughtful comments and DMs from a rich community of experts and professionals.
My only regret is how hard it is to track down an old comment for the insights shared there.
Attracting the like-minded
I share as I would in a face-to-face meeting; I don't try to be another person or put on a polished persona to, you know, sell something.
- Topics that interest me.
- My honest take on a topic.
- What caught my interest of late.
What I found is a group of like-minded professionals who read and engage. They chime in through various ways:
- Reply to my weekly newsletter.
- DM me their appreciation (or tell me of typos).
- Take the time to add incredibly thoughtful comments.
And you know what, these are the people I know I can sit down for coffee with and have a great chat with.
Developing thought leadership
In the early days, my insights came from my limited experiences with enterprise IT and data centres. But as I wrote, something happened.
- My questions got sharper.
- Fresh opinions started to form.
- I start to write with greater precision.
- Penning them down helped crystallise my thinking.
Suddenly, I had invitations to present at industry events. This week, I spoke to a room of senior data centre leaders and experts on my thoughts about how AI will shape data centres of the future.
As Ian shared in an excellent LinkedIn post recently, "[Write] for a year, and I have no doubt you'll find yourself transformed by your own writing."
What about you? What have you gained from writing regularly?
