Anniversary Post

I got the annual reminder of the anniversary of my blog which is usually followed by me doing a post in the same week, but not this year. Every week, I seemed to find something more compelling to write about.

So this anniversary post is overdue by three weeks but I couldn’t let 5 years of Purposeful Me Blog happen without marking it.

It seems like only yesterday that I had the idea to start a Blog and clueless about how to set one up. I didn’t let this deter me choosing instead to focus on why I was doing it. Over the past five years it has been a labour of love, with ups and downs, to fulfil my dream.

Some posts were easy to write while a few were like pulling tooth, some were emotional pieces and others educational. Ultimately every post is meant to be a lesson for me and help others to become better versions of themselves.

Here are a few thoughts from my reflection of the past five years.

Write even when you don’t know if it will be read

One of the best pieces of advice I read when I first started the blog was to write consistently and not be distracted by the stats of who is reading what. It’s useful to consider the stats as it lets you know what people are engaging with and is a basis for continuous improvement, but there is also a risk of the numbers affecting one’s motivation.

I learnt it was important to focus on the why and use that as the motivation to go on. Some readers engage with contents months or even years after it was first written.

Having a blog or any other creative content is akin to playing a long game or running a marathon.

Being present

We are constantly learning. We are surrounded by lessons we are meant to learn. Majority of my posts are inspired by me listening for direction, being observant and paying attention to what others might miss.

It could be from watching a match or a line in a movie, reading a book, a poem or nursery rhyme, observing people, responding to visual cues, news headlines, global and social or environmental issues.

We are put in this world for a reason and when we stay present, listen and pay attention, we get to discover why and how we can fulfil our purpose.

Milestones are key

If I had thought of contents for five years when I first started, I would have immediately given up and told myself that there is no way I have that much content in me. It’s been a case of one post at a time; 52 posts make a year.

When we have daunting goals or goals that span lengthy periods of time like building a brand or a business, it’s important that we have milestones and recognisable measures of success linked to each one.

What’s in your hand?

Use what you have. In my case, I have a knack for writing, storytelling and cooking and they give me a voice or a platform to reach people and hopefully make a difference.

We all have something we are great at and we can choose to leverage it instead of focusing on what we are not so good at and wishing we were.

When you use what you have, you often find more doors open up to other things that compliment the original talent, skill or gift. It’s often a case of ‘use it to get more’ or ‘don’t use and lose it’.

#Grateful

Thank you to those who provided inspiration for the posts, those who suggested post ideas or accepted my offer to write a post. A special thank you to all my readers, those who take time to share their comments or provide feedback and my sincere appreciation to those who diligently share my posts.

You have all championed my journey and over 45,000 people from across all continents have directly accessed the posts over the past 5 years.

I know a lot more have benefited from it as people tell me they use the content with their workplace teams, charity organisations and congregations. I may never truly know the impact of the posts and that’s okay.

I am simply grateful that I am wonderfully and fearfully made with a unique set of talents, abilities and gifts that I can in turn use to be a blessing to others.

Thanks for reading my post and encouraging me every week. See you next week.