One of the many side-benefits of blogging is that it will lead to your personal development. I say that because I have experienced personal growth in many areas of my life since I took up blogging as a hobby and an avenue to interact with the rest of the world in written form.
Apart from being a veritable platform to share my thoughts and experiences with the world, I have also now realised that blogging is for personal development.
In this post, I will show you several ways blogging has helped me in personal development. If you have been blogging for a while, I am sure you will identify with some of the benefits on the list.
Otherwise, feel free to extend the conversation by sharing your own experience in the comment section.
8 ways blogging has helped my personal development
1. Blogging has made me wiser and more knowledgeable.
As a blogger, you don’t only write posts, you read other peoples posts as well. You also find yourself researching on areas of your interest. As you do all that you will pick up plenty of wisdom and knowledge.
Apart from sharing your own thoughts, a huge part of blogging involves learning from other people through what they have written.
A reader of this blog agrees with that when he stated that “… blogging is strongest in the realm of knowledge and understanding. You can gain a great deal of insight into how people think from the vast number of personalities spread across the many forums.”
2. Blogging has made me a better writer
Writing is not blogging. But blogging is writing and more. And the more I blog, the more I write and the better I become at it.
I have not arrived yet, but I know I have improved on my written communication skill since I took up blogging. For someone whose first language is not English, blogging has definitely paid-off in helping to hone my writing talent.
So if you consider yourself an aspiring writer, blogging is one step you should take in that direction.
As one commenter on this blog once stated, “I believe that blogging can definitely be helpful in achieving personal development goals. Not only with getting to develop yourself by writing out your thoughts and beliefs and helping yourself grow from laying it all there. But, you also get thousands and thousands of examples and lessons to learn from other bloggers in the community.”
3. Blogging has strengthened my ability to handle negative criticisms.
Believe it or not you will have fun blogging. But at the same time, you will face some negative backlashes. The fact that you are getting criticised shows that you getting noticed. Or would you rather be ignored?
I don’t know about you, but as for me, I have never faced as much criticisms and negative attacks in life as much as I have faced in my short blogging journey. I am okay with the fact that not everyone will agree with my points of view. But it degenerates to a negative experience when some people become abusive or unnecessarily annoying with their comments on my blog.
That doesn’t mean I should shut down the blog. But it certainly means I should find the best ways to handle the negative criticisms.
And I do that by learning from the criticisms, responding in love rather than with hate, trying not to be offended and by staying focused on the bigger picture – refusing to give up.
I already talked about that when I advised that despite the challenges you might face along your blogging journey, you should not quit on your blog’s mission.
4. Blogging has improved my interpersonal relationship skills.
I am sure you have encountered some internet trolls whose stock-in-trade is to post “inflammatory and digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages” on your blog. To be honest, they are not fun to deal with, and I have encountered a couple of them! But I would say I am doing better now in handling such people than when I started blogging.
I have learnt the hard way! I am not saying I have arrived. But both online and offline, I have improved on the way I relate with people on the blogosphere.
Blogging has taught me to be more patient, more gracious, and more understanding with people.
Some people may behave nasty to you, that’s their cup of tea. You have to be nice. It may not be easy, but don’t give up before trying.
5. Blogging increased my discipline with time management.
Just like many people, I have many times been guilty of wasting my free (valuable) time doing not-so-productive things (eg watching TV) and procrastinating on doing worthwhile things. But blogging has helped me use my spare time more productively.
As blogger, you write a lot. And you need to read wide as well. You need to discipline yourself more with the time at your disposal to achieve these two goals.
6. Blogging has enriched me spiritually.
In a way, blogging has assisted in my spiritual growth. As some one whose opinions are largely based on Biblical worldview, I read several Christian blogs whose authors have continued to impress me with their deep insights and teaching of God’s word.
In that process, I have been fed with the truths of God’s word in ways that have left me spiritually uplifted. So if you are keen on your spiritual growth, be aware that blogging can help you in that area.
7. Blogging has taught me Web-designing
If you had any web-designing skill before starting your blog, could you raise your hand please?
Well, congratulations if that’s you! As for me, I had zippo idea about web designing prior to when my blog was set up.
Setting up my blog was my first experience. Thanks to WordPress’s menu-driven processes, I can set up a functional blog for you if you want.
Before I started blogging, I had thought web development was not my thing; that it was meant for only programmers or those who have a working knowledge of markup languages such as HTML and CSS.
But now having successfully designed my own blogs and a few for other people, I am convinced I would not have known web designing if not for blogging? So you see what I mean?
8. Blogging has increased my creativity
I have found that there is an improvement in my mental creativity as a result of blogging. That’s hardly surprising because, you find that in writing blog posts, you have to be imaginative, you brain-storm on topics to blog about, you engage in meaningful conversations and so on.
That’s because creativity involves “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something.” And both imagination and originality are familiar concepts in blogging.
You have read my experience. And hopefully, you were able to observe that beyond being a form of self-expression, blogging has become an avenue for personal development for me in many ways.
My knowledge in many fields, places and people has increased through blogging. I hone my writing skills as I write posts after posts. I am being more productive with my spare time, and I am now more self-confident than ever with blogging.
Over all, blogging is helping me become a better version of myself. I am not saying all this to draw attention to myself. Rather I am just trying to show you how blogging can help you in your personal development journey using my own experience as a case study.
I will like to hear your own story in the comment section.
©Copyright 2018 | Victor Uyanwanne
Victors Corner Blog 
Wow Victor my response for sure is going to have a lot of wordage but I do agree with all you shared and want to say from my Heart,Thank you for Blogging, you have and do Bless me and others.
I have not watched T.V for over 10 years Victor accept for a few times at friends homes but for less than 10 minutes the same as twice at my home and yes there is a Story why I don’t watch TV but I have not missed it at all. If needed I ask my friends about News events in detail that I hear others talking about.
To be Honest I didn’t want to have a Blog because of my being Dyslectic, I can’t write fluently, spell or use punctuation or grammar correctly, yes I’m a Cracked Vessel but Thankfully God is the Super Glue and of course today we have help from WordPress and Firefox etc.
But because a friend kept encouraging me start a Blog so I could share my Life Testimony I agreed and than she kindly set it up for me but at first I didn’t realize I was in America. Freedomborn was not my first choice for my Blog Name either but the ones I chose were not accepted by WordPress, so I prayed and Freedomborn came into my mind and was accepted.
I did change how my new Blog looked to fit in with the First Story I shared on it and surprisingly I used America’s Eagle without knowing it was their Symbol.
How I Blog Victor is still amazing to me because writing fluently is also very hard for me but my Post and Comments just flow although correction with my writing and where I write is sometimes needed but the content of the Scriptures I use comes into my mind as I write and so I look them up in Context. Sometimes I have shared what I have written before or I add to what I have written in previous Posts when I’m lead to do so.
At first I committed my Blogging to The Lord as a Job to glorify Him, I had been rejected for paid work and also for Volunteering because of my disabilities and my age. I use to Blog for 5 days a week which sometimes included the Weekends and Nights but of course this Job was not a source of income but like with you Victor it has offered rich rewards and still does and yes God uses it to Teach me and there is Wonderful opportunities to Witness and make friends both of which give me great Joy as they do you too.
As you also shared Victor about your Blogging, like any Job it has had it’s ups and downs. The hardest for me to endure has been the rudeness of others both Christian and Unbelievers. Because they reject God’s Truth I’m also rejected and ignored but Jesus said it would be this way, many have itching ears but He also reassured us that those who are like minded, meaning having the Mind of Christ (Corinthians2:9-16) or seeking to be Perfected in His Love and to walk in Righteousness as He does, they will have no problem accepting God’s Truth and so we will be in True Unity and we won’t be worshiping Pagan gods and seeking worldly chattels or putting people to the test and being disrespectful to them, not just because we are told not to do these things by God but because we don’t want to do them.
But to me Victor nobody is a Troll although I have been accused of being one too but if they share from their Heart and it’s not abusive even though it may not be in reference to my Message than I listen and respond in Love and for Love, Blogging is not just about me.
I have also been Blessed by doing my Devotions Blogging, God often leads me to Blogs both to learn and share His Truth and I Thank and seek to Encourage those who Post but I also correct error if needed and yes I’m also willing to be corrected but only with the Confirmation of Scripture when they are read in Context the same as I do. But although I’m still learning I don’t doubt what I share is God’s Truth because I asked for His Wisdom and Empowering and He gave them to me as He does to all who ask according to His Good Will for us.
First and foremost Victor, Blogging for me is to glorify The Lord God and to than be in Unity with His Body The Church who of course come from all Countries and Denominations.
Christian Love Always dear Victor – Anne.
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Thank you Anne for the contribution and of course I agree with you.
From our encounters so far, I know that God is using you in encouraging people with scriptures, despite your dyslexia. I have not met anyone else on the blogosphere that churns out relevant Bible verses on a post as effortlessly as you. I appreciate the grace of God upon your life in that regard.
You know Anne, our lives should bring glory to God, whatever we do – including blogging. The good part is that we are not alone in this journey. God is with us.
Yes, some people may not accept our message. But if we are rejected by the world, let it be because we speak the truth of God’s word and nothing else.
Yes there are people who would not agree with our Christian views – I have met many by of them online. But that should not demotivate us. Our purpose remains to please God and not men.
One thing I’m learning better to do one to respond in love and truth no matter the provocation I get on the blog. Oh I have not arrived yet but I have left.
One other thing is also clear to me: God is changing me as others and being changed through me. Oh thank you for your time Anne.
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Hey Victor, nice post. You initially mentioned ten ways, but then you only cited eight. Are there two more or was that a mistake? I have similar lessons and experiences from blogging. It really has helped me to identify my calling and develop my talents and gift.
Cheers, Ufuoma.
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Thanks for the feedback. Let me not say I ran out of ideas to continue with the rest of the post.😀. However, I have adjusted the number from 10 to 8 as appropriate. Your contribution is appreciated.
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Thank you Evad, you nailed it. We all have something to learn from other people. And as we agree, reading blogs is a good to start.
It is okay not to put pressure on yourself writing/ reading blogs, especially if you are like me doing it as a hobby. But then, we should not be lazy about it; we should take it more diligently because more and more people are looking forward to our posts to read what we have to share.
So when God gives us a message we should share it to bless others. Thank you for commenting.
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Thanks for sharing.
What I love about blogging is taking the time to read other peoples thoughts about faith stuff as its important to get perspectives different from my own. And re reading my own thoughts long after I have posted- good encouragement for myself and to reflect and see what God has done. I think I have a lot to learn still.
I am also learning to not put a lot of pressure on myself to post 20 times a week, but to post when I feel I have something important to share and not just post for the sake of posting.
Sooo much to learn when it comes to writing to encourage others in their faith
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