Our guest today, Laura Bailey, has a great idea on how to get good at something!
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If you are currently a blogger, chances are that your blog covers an area in which you are an expert. Of course it would only make sense that you are naturally drawn to write about and share with others something that you’re already good at. But consider the benefits of blogging about your experiences as you embark on learning something new. While blog readers love to hear from experts, there are plenty of beginners out there, and they need beginner’s inspiration to. If you are considering taking up a new hobby or learning a new skill, consider the following reasons for blogging about it:
1. You’ll achieve a certain level of mastery faster.
When you blog about a new skill or subject you’re in the process of learning, you’re essentially explaining to others your new skills. “Learning by Teaching” is actually an established method of learning that more and more schools, especially in Germany, are starting to adopt. The idea is that when you are forced to teach someone a skill you just learned, you become more aware of that skill and thus you progress through that skill faster.
2. Blogging about your experiences will keep you on track with learning.
If you’re learning a new skill or hobby by yourself, you only have yourself to keep you on track. Learning any new skill always involves a certain learning curve. What keeps you motivated in the beginning is that you’re exposing yourself to something new. After a period of time, however, learning more becomes more difficult, and it’s at this point—after the honeymoon period and before mastery-that most people just give up. If you consistently blog about your experiences, then you’ll have your readers to keep you on track. The enthusiasm and motivation that your readers give you will inspire you to continue learning when the going gets hard.
3. You’ll motivate other beginners.
As noted earlier, there are more beginners out there than there are experts. And while beginners love to read content written by experts, they also like to read material written by people who are in the same boat as they are. The power of empathy will go a long way in your quest to gain a wider readership. What’s more, you’ll motivate them to follow in your path of learning.
4. You’ll be able to document your progress over the months and years to see how far you’ve come.
I always like to think of the art of blogging as sharing some aspects with the art of journaling. This is especially true when it comes to keeping track of progress. If you’ve ever rifled through any of your high school diaries, you get this wonderful sense of having grown personally. Once you become an expert at whatever subject matter you are aspiring to learn, you can go back through your blog to Day 1 and be truly proud about the progress you’ve made.
Learning anything new is never easy. But if you blog about, the journey will be that much more fun. Good luck!
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Lauren Bailey is an education writer and freelance blogger. She frequently writes about online colleges and courses and welcomes comments and questions via email at blauren 99 @gmail.com.