tl;dr
I’m trying to blog. Again.
My website broke down a few weeks back for some reason so I decided to tear the whole thing apart and just build it up from scratch… again. This is probably my fifth attempt at creating a blog. Maybe this time is the charm. The stack I chose this time around is very simple and easy to maintain. I’ll try to write a post about the entire infra setup later. It’s actually a pretty cheap and neat setup that is highly flexible too.
That said, I’m not a very consistent blogger, mainly because I don’t particularly like writing to share. Literally with every word I type, I cringe a little inside. I guess it’s mostly self-consciousness. Lately though, I’ve been inspired to not just write my thoughts down, but also to share them with people around me. This first post will be a quick rundown on why I’ve decided to blog again and what this blog will be about.
Why Am I Blogging?
Honestly, the main reason I’m blogging is for my own personal growth and enjoyment. Over the past few years, I realized that I’m a heavy external processor so I need all the outlets I can find. I need spaces where I can essentially think out loud and synthesize my ideas or just simply document them. Blogging publically has the inherent accountability that I think should help me think more critically about what I’m learning. I have to make the content at least semi-presentable and coherent.
Document Tech Things
Certain things, especially tech, can be niche and hard to figure out. Even with this very blog, figuring out how each piece of the tech stack works together took me a couple of hours. I’ve personally benefited a lot from other blogs when I needed to understand a new concept or learn how to use a new tool. So what better way to share my struggles and findings than through blogging!
Some topics I’ll be digging into would be projects like building my own algo-trading desk, statistical analysis on markets, etc. I’m probably too busy and too dumb for a lot of this, but a man can hope. Jim Simons started RenTech when he was 40.
Synthesize Nerd Stuff
Whenever I read books or listen to podcasts, I tend to forget things soon after. It’s hard to retain all the information after a quick read or listen. The range of subjects I dabble in is pretty wide too. I’m currently researching how to safely distill potato vodka at home. The disadvantage though, is that all the context switching just accelerates my loss of understanding. I retain the big ideas, but most of the details that are essential to deeper, critical thinking become lost.
If I write a blog post about a topic, however, then I’m going to naturally reinforce those ideas in my brain. My hypothesis with this blogging experiment is that the act of writing things down will help me synthesize ideas and establish stronger and longer lasting connections between them.
Externally Process Life
For the more personal posts, my goal is to really sit in the space of vulnerability and process without avoidance. I love learning about others’ lives and experiencing them vicariously through the stories they tell. What I end up sharing here may be an abridged version of things I’m going through. But the exercise of processing should still be the same. The real personal stuff will probably stay in my journals thought. Those will be published when I die.
I’ve come to accept and cherish the fact that my own life is a unique journey that may speak into someone else’s life too. As a Christian, I hope that I can share authentically my convictions, victories, struggles, and failures. I am not perfect but hopefully my posts will show a glimpse of how the Perfect One works in my life and continues to transform me into the image of Christ for the sake of others. May whatever I share here be encouraging to whoever is reading!