I must admit that up until a while ago, the thought of ever producing a first blog post seemed daunting and overwhelming – “Where on Earth would I start?” were my initial thoughts.
In all honesty, until a few years ago, I was not all that digitally savvy. Isn’t that wizardry left to all the Gen Zs and Alphas?
Trawling through thousands of fancy websites designed by hi-tech gurus, I got struck by ‘analysis paralysis’, not knowing where to begin designing my own.
Reminiscing About The Old Days
After all, I was brought up in an era where hand-held graphical calculators were the craze in my high school. And even during university in the mid-1990s, I was scrawling my medical notes copied from rectangular acetates swiped on and off from overhead projectors in huge London-based lecture theatres.
Even then, I used to write my dissertations using pen and paper. The amount of ‘white-out’ I used for those glaring errors must have amounted to a litre or two over six years as an undergraduate, keeping stationers in business by the time I qualified as a junior doctor.
And despite being resistant to change, thinking there would never be a substitute for the smell and touch of the glossy pages of a physical book in my hand, I had to start thinking about the environment too.
So, learning through podcasts, e-learning, and audiobooks gradually carved their way into my daily routine at work. All in a positive way, I hasten to add.
I remember relying heavily on using brightly coloured sticky notes, pencils and highlighters in textbooks and carefully written flashcards.
These visual prompts gave me that unique 3D point of reference in how to commit those obscure diagrams and facts to memory. I would close my eyes and think of the information underlying the fluorescent yellow, blue, pink and green.
Thank goodness I am not colour-blind.
And to a degree, I’m still stuck in the ‘print-out-to-commit-to-your-hippocampus’ generation. This is increasingly redundant now, as most of my work is performed from a computer screen.
That also meant having to learn how to touch type properly. And even now, my muscle memory fails me, and my keys don’t glide over the keyboard so well. But then again, I am only human!
Sending my first successful e-mail in the late 1990s was a cause for celebration! And nowadays, I cringe at an overflowing inbox, most of which is nonsensical spam or a link to another website I once subscribed to. One that delivered false promises of a freebie that was never destined to arrive by tortoise or hare mail.
Back To The Present
So, I think you’re getting the idea of how technology has really rapidly progressed. And to still think my transition began dating back to the last century seems rather bizarre.
And just like my younger digital natives, I am even embracing that artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay forever and make our lives easier, whether we’d like to think we’re exclusively independent thinkers or not.
So, back to this blog. Well, if I can create one, anybody can.
I think we’re all guilty to a degree of having our thoughts and documents labelled as ‘final’, ‘final2’, ‘final3’, etc., stored on our electronic devices.
But having an online presence is something completely different.
Showcasing my written work meant overcoming my mental barriers and having to build a simple website. Along the way, I needed several mentors and self-taught courses that encouraged me.
Though it may be easier for others, I had to try and avoid becoming distracted in learning everything at once. Trying to do so would mean ending my day regularly by taking two paracetamol and an eye pad.
To design a website meant only having to learn basic terminology regarding SEO, SERPs, the various types of traffic, and what converts and what won’t. But, with grit, determination, perseverance and lots of caffeine to assist in the process, a dream suddenly became a reality.
Finally, I felt I had that little bit more credibility through my online space as doctorpaulwrites.com was born.
It just goes to show that even a Gen-X can learn a few new tricks.
So, what challenges did you initially face, whether you’re a newbie or aficionado when it came to writing your first blog if you have already done so?
I would love to know your thoughts, so please comment below.
About the author
Dr Surrinder Singh is a medical doctor, blogger and freelance writer. He is passionate about healthcare, medicine and education and works professionally with B2B and B2C clients.
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