7 reasons I love blogging on Medium

Laila Zouaki
Aug 28, 2017 · 5 min read

When I wrote my first article, one of my dear friends asked me “Why don’t you have your own domain?”

I had a simple answer at the time, but I now realize many other reasons it was a great choice.

1. It makes it easy to just start

I had been contemplating blogging about my experiences for a while. However, I would find a lot of excuses not to start. The main one was that I didn’t know how to approach starting. Do I present myself? That seemed odd. How do I introduce the blog to the world? How do I get it out there?

In addition, I would make more excuses around building the actual infrastructure for the blog—oh, I have to buy a domain, set it up, make it look pretty… meh, I’ll do it later. And that same friend would always tell me:

Later=Never.

2. I engaged in the community

Medium’s community is not only a great way to reach an audience easily. It was built to be a platform for exchanging ideas and opinions.

I had started by simply reading articles. But after I started writing, I also got engaged in other people’s articles. I was confused at first by the fact that a Response on Medium was the same as writing a new story, but eventually realized it facilitates discussions.

Photo by Aidan Meyer on Unsplash

Plus, I found many interesting authors just by reading their response on articles. Similarly, commenting articles draw a certain number of people to read my own articles.

3. I met incredible people who want to help

The Medium crowd is very accessible, and eager to help.

What matters: “It’s harsh but I want you to succeed”. Thanks Tim Denning!

Joel Mwakasege started publishing me in BeYourself, an amazing publication, and helped me change the tone of my writing to share more rather than instruct.

I’m not citing everyone I’ve come across, but couldn’t not mention Tom Kuegler, who’s been sharing and engaging in my articles, supporting me, giving me advice and tips, and has just been incredibly eager to help!

Tom was also the first to share his story in Success in Failure.

4. I started favoring shipping over perfection

For a few days after getting Tim’s feedback, I didn’t publish anything because I was trying to make the following articles better. Well, essentially trying to make them perfect.

Thankfully, I didn’t stick with that mindset. I decided that good was enough.

Even if there’s a lot more to improve, that’ll come along the way. By doing, and getting helpful feedback. Not hiding.

5. I stopped seeking external validation

Or at least, it makes me practice to stop that.

It’s really hard emotionally to publish an article. Pressing “Publish” without wondering what will other people think.

How many people will like the article? How many people will even read it? What will the people I know think?

That’s the hardest part. What will the people whose opinion I value the most think?

I try to really pay attention when this question pops up in my mind. That’s why my rule of thumb is to share a little more than I’m willing to, in order to make it uncomfortable.

So the very fact of hitting “Publish” while feeling this way is a tangible way for me to reaffirm myself, regardless of what anyone else thinks—including family, friends and mentors.

6. I show up for myself when I’ve made a decision

I don’t know about you, but I break promises I made myself all the time.


Pexels

So, I know there are some pros and cons about writing an article everyday, but it’s just a challenge I’ve set up for myself. It challenges me to rethink about my priorities. It’s become part of my daily routine. And it has had a massive impact on my creativity. It’s one of those things that I try to do, even on the days I don’t feel like it.

It’s a way for me to show up and reinforce the idea that I’ll stick to the promises I make myself.

A practice that proves to be useful way beyond blogging on Medium.

7. I get inspired

I can’t keep up with the number of articles I want to read on Medium. Authors like Benjamin P. Hardy, Thomas Oppong, Jessica Semaan and many others are incredibly empowering, simply by sharing their perspective and advice.

I really love the tone of the platform. It’s a great source of knowledge for many topics, from technology to personal development. It actually fuels a lot of my inspiration and own self-awareness.


So, I’m simply grateful to have found my place within Medium. I would not have access to this kind of resources, ideas and writers elsewhere.

What about you? Why do you love Medium?


Thanks for reading me!

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Success in Failure

Start. Build. Learn. Fail. Learn. Repeat

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Laila Zouaki

Written by

24. Product manager. Yogi. Writer. Painter. Connector. Awareness junkie. Published on Thought Catalog.

Success in Failure

Start. Build. Learn. Fail. Learn. Repeat

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