My First Blog Post
What you will gain from this: hopefully, something that inspires you and a laugh.
As the title suggests, this is my first blog post. As with starting anything, I believe it is important to set some intentions, and some planning. I hope you like boats.
My Rudders 🛞
The intentions that will guide me through this process.
- To write consistently
- To share openly
- To create accountability
- To teach what I am learning (selfishly)
I believe these rudders are a good start; goals and intentions mean little to nothing if not followed up by process oriented thinking. So, what will be driving me forward? If rudders are what steer me, these are my oars!
My Oars 🚣
To write consistently
This is priority number one. As I've read from folks like James Clear, Scott Young, and (insert third author to satisfy the rule of three) directly practicing what it is you would like to gain skill in is key to, well, developing that skill. My posts may be garbage, but it'll be like putting on make-up: my writing is for me, not you.
I'll be setting a deadline for two posts a week: Mondays and Thursdays. Today is neither of those days, meaning I'll be getting extra practice.
To share openly
One of the most daunting things about writing is that others will read it. Worst of all, I may read it. By sharing what I write, I hope to be allaying what anxiety I have about my writing being perceived. Heck, even writing this section is a testament to this rudder.
One way to be open and honest is to share personal reflection. As such, I will dedicate a biweekly blog post to my success with these very goals.
To create accountability
While my intentions with this may be good, I will not trust myself to be the sole arbiter of my own success. Luckily, I have friends who will likely drudge through whatever bog I put out.
Duncan, Nick, (and now!) Avi, Please hold me accountable to this. Perhaps this means I have to send you a draft the evening before my post is due, or we meet weekly to discuss yours and my goals, or something along those lines. Anyhow, I already mentioned to you both that I wanted to spend this year developing my skill as a writer.
To teach what I am learning
You may be wondering why I wrote “...(selfishly)” in my outlining above. The simple answer is that teaching is, in my experience, the best test of one's knowledge possible. And, in my opinion, if you want to truly learn what it is I am writing about I am not going to be the best source.
In the near future, you can expect posts on a collection of my favorite books: Ultralearning, Deep Work, Essentialism, and Atomic Habits. Additionally, you may see some writing on ultimate frisbee, knowledge management, and (is this joke funny a second time?).
Thank you for reading
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns please reach out to me by email at caedensethln[at]gmail[dot]com. Cal Newport may scoff at this invitation, and you may learn about why if you keep reading.