Blogging About Decisions

Blogging is a great way to share ideas, experiences, and lessons learnt with a wide audience. It can also be a valuable tool to assist in making better decisions.

My decision to start a blog is an extension of my interest in sharing stories. 15 years ago I learned html and put together a simple website to share what I was up to with the world. Now we have facebook, twitter etc etc but I don’t learn much about the real issues from stories in these types of media.

A personal web log or “blog” gives a deeper level of reflection, analysis and direction. I like how there is a clear intention to take the reader on a journey, and package an issue or opinion within the context of the wider community.

As an active member of Toastmasters I can see strong parallels between blogging and public speaking, with good potential for each platform to compliment the other. Carol McCulloch, fromAlbury Wodonga Toastmasters [1] is a particular inspiration for my interest in starting a blog. As an educator she is pursuing the potential for blogs, YouTube, wikis, online forums and other collaboration software to build capacity for online learning. Living in a rural area is a particular motivation for me to explore online tools for networking and learning.

Over the Xmas break I read the career advice from Richard N. Bolles perennial classic [2] which encourages job seekers to write a blog. From a career perspective it can showcase a level of expertise in a particular field of endeavour. What really connected with me when reading his book is a common pursuit for competence in life, and that working with others to learn from mistakes is the surest way to build it up.

Some other reasons why I want to start a blog include:

• Having a better online presence
• Reflecting on what I have done
• Sharing advice with others
• Seeing other friends start their own blog [3]
• Practice different writing skills
• Being accountable to keep a public journal of activities
• Seeing a friend publish a book based on her blog [4]
• Putting together more comprehensive arguments
• Meeting new people with similar interests, and possibly dissimilar ones
• I can say I have a blog
• Possibly contributing to other blogs I enjoy [5, 6]
• Getting feedback on my opinions
• Gaining others perspectives on life and decision making

Well, here we go, I hope it works out. There no promises on how often I will post articles but I am keen to at least make a start.

Have you started a blog? How did it go, and do you have any tips? Any suggestions on topics are also welcome.

References:

[1] Carol McCulloch “Coach Carole” http://coachcarole.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/cool-tools-for-21st-century-learners-why-blog/

[2] Richard N. Bolles “What Colour is Your Parachute” http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/

[3] +Amber Weightman “Cyberspace Tech Diary Place”http://cyberspacetechdiaryplace.blogspot.com.au/

[4] Carmel McCartin “The Budget Bitch” http://www.budgetbitch.com.au/budget-blog

[5] Lifehacker http://www.lifehacker.com.au

[6] Brian Green http://www.briangreen.net/