100 Days of Blogging: First Step of a Lifetime Journey

Today marks a special day for me. They say a habit takes 21 days to form. Later, I read online that most people quit a new venture within 100 days. And personally, I don’t care if someone extends the timeline of this so called ‘test’ to a lifetime. This hobby is here to stay. From no prior professional writing experience to writing 64,266 words in these 100 days, life has definitely taken a new turn. So, today, its all about my blogging inspiration, experience, impact and results.

<Khushi ke aansu time>

My blogging journey began on 13^th October 2020. After a thorough research, tons of motivation and plethora of YouTube videos later, I posted my first blog on 14^th October, 2020. Talk about chewing more than you can swallow, this was the most overwhelming projects of my life. And this is coming from someone who is working on the likes of recommendation engine at work.

So let’s quickly get started. . .

Motivation/Inspiration for Blogging:

So, pandemic hits the world and life is at a standstill. Well, it didn’t bother me at all. All my college life I used to be one of those people who could stay in their 10×10 hostel room for days if not called out explicitly. So, what was lockdown for the whole world, was almost my daily routine before I started to work.

Blogging didn’t have anything to do with my free time and staying home in the lockdown, it was broadening of the perspective that made a difference. I was one of the lucky ones who retained the job, got a promotion and a hike in an year where people were being sacked left right and center. And that is the time I realized that lightning doesn’t strike twice at the same place. I need to have a side gig.

Evaluating Options:

So there were multiple things that came to my mind. I could upskill and look for freelancing opportunities there. Therefore, for about 4 months, I completed a 42 hour course on Salesforce administration. But that isn’t an alternate stream of revenue? That is just an extension of my existing job.

Then I thought of polishing my guitar skills (I have been playing since 2017). But once again, too much of a resistance. Also, this was something which is hard to learn online. Anything that involves a technique (cooking, running, playing any instrument) needs an in-person guidance. So that was ruled out.

Finally, it struck me that I have a knack of trying out new stuff and sharing my experiences with different people. And that inquisitive nature could be of some use. Voila! Idea of blogging was born. Shoutout to my homie Atul the Social Maharaj, who guided me at each step and motivated me to jump in.

From the day one, my expectations were set right. Monetization would come at a much later stage. But once you evaluate money vs something you love to do, of course the latter carries much more weightage.

<Insert Kamyabi Jhakk maar ke something dialogue here>

The Journey:

Man, it was hectic in the beginning. There was just too much to learn. Still is. But my attention span went berserk for first 20-30 days I believe. I would start looking out for a solution to one problem and 15 minutes later, ended up with 25 tabs and 10 new issues.

I changed my WordPress theme about 8 times just to revert back to the original one. It was a crazy time. I spent about 9 hours at work and 6 hours on my blog. Soon enough I did realize that content is the key and these things can be taken care of any time. My digital wellbeing dashboard says that I opened WordPress app to check out the views every 10 minutes.

30 days into the business, I diverted my focus to writing. Writing more and writing better. I started to learn more about this gigantic universe. And more I learnt, more I realized that numbers will follow. (Even without me checking on the app every now and then).

And finally, I came up with a vision for my blog. A vision statement is indispensable for any brand. It helps you get back on track as soon as you digress from the mission. It reminds you what you stand for.

Vision:

To help people make the most of the technology they have spent on ( or plan to).

If you have read my blog, that is the entire theme of technology section. You buy something or plan to buy it, research the crap out of it. Make sure there isn’t a single feature of the device, application, appliance you are unaware of. It gives me immense pleasure when someone asks me, “Ye kaise kiya? (How’d you do it?)” I feel no less than a magician.

To help people become financially smarter and help them avoid financial pitfalls

And the finance section is full of articles that will help you to make smarter financial decisions. Our education system lacks the subject of personal finance. However, learning it, is not optional when it comes to real life. Therefore, I try to help people out by preventing them commit blunders like I did. No body should have to learn all this the hard way, like I did.

Intention is to present it in the simplest possible manner. No jargons, no technical terms, no out of the park examples. Uncomplicated, the way it should be.

Benefits of Blogging:

Blogging has had a tremendous impact on my life. I feel incomplete until I sit and jot down some words for the day. And of course there is a lot of merit in it. Here are some key benefits I registered after I started blogging:

1. Introduction to New Technologies/Platforms:

Yup. No prizes for guessing. Technology is my passion. Blogging introduced me to a brand new domain of tech. I learnt about Google Analytics, Adsense, Keyword Planner, likes of Ubersuggest, Moz, HARO etc. I went ahead and did a 8 hour course on SEO from LinkedIn Learning.

The best part is that all this seems to be never ending. Each day I find something new to play around with. New techniques, tricks to enhance the blog traffic. And while you are doing this, you will eventually end up in helping someone looking for something on the internet. Need I say more?

2. Analysis:

While I write down what’s on my mind, inadvertently I learn to organize my thoughts. That has helped me at my work as well. Being a business analyst, one of the tasks I have at my disposal is to review a problem statement from all the angles. Writing has helped me polish that trait.

I have often found myself doing a point wise analysis (listicles), ever since I started blogging. That helps formulate a clear communication which is a key skill back at work.

3. Reading:

As Socialmaharaj once pointed out, blogging is not just about writing. In order to add value to other’s lives, you need to upgrade yourself constantly. Therefore, there is a significant jump in my reading hours ever since I started blogging. If not reading, I’d be found watching some video on YouTube to keep up with the latest trends in tech and finance industry.

Ever felt that you really want to learn more but you are just lazy? Start blogging and you won’t be able to afford it any more.

4. Networking

Blogging community is really warm. They are always ready to help you out if you are stuck somewhere. I found many such people in this 100 day journey and plan grow my network further in future. As an example, my LinkedIn community grew by 100 connections in the last quarter. All these people connected with me after we read each other’s work.

Apart from that, I found solace in blogchatter, a community of bloggers. There is so much to learn from some top bloggers on the site. And most of them will help you happily.

5. Better Routine

Do you also dream to wake up at 6 in the morning, work all day and end your day with a good read? Yup, I do that every day since 10^th October. If you want to manage work and hobby together, this seems to be the only way. And if you are a Punjabi, your father would be so proud. All they want is their kids to wake up Satti Savere (early morning, when it’s still dark)

Results:

Finally, the moment of truth. Where is pandatechie standing today after all this? Here are some key facts and figures that you might be interested in:

But as Shakespeare never said, “What is there in numbers?”

The real impact lies in influencing and helping the community for good. And trust me, I never thought my blog would be able to do that. However, some people were so kind to drop a feedback and this was the biggest motivation I could’ve asked for.

And Finally:

Do I know all about blogging world and have this sorted? Not even close. Will I ever reach there? Hell Yeah! And then there’s this old saying that encourages you to enjoy the journey rather than the destination. Well, I am sort of living it, at the moment. We will meet again with a similar blog when I celebrate my blog’s first birthday. Finally, I would like to quote a line from Papon’s Ghazal

“niyyat-e-shauq bhar na jaa.e kahīñ” (May the desire of passion never reach satiation)

And this is what I aspire for. . .

Got questions? Want to take it to the next level? Reach out to me using your preferred platform from the links below

Until next time..

Until Next Time. . .