{"id":2809,"date":"2022-03-26T16:02:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-26T15:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/?p=2809"},"modified":"2022-07-06T23:42:19","modified_gmt":"2022-07-06T22:42:19","slug":"3-brilliant-life-lessons-from-a-decade-of-blogging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/26\/3-brilliant-life-lessons-from-a-decade-of-blogging\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Brilliant Life Lessons From A Decade Of Blogging"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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I\u2019ve told this blog\u2019s \u2018origin story\u2019 a few times over the last couple of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My blog started one bright, sunny Saturday morning in March 2012 at an unlikely place \u2013 my local Catholic church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had dropped off my then eight-year-old son at church for his obligatory catechism lessons to prepare him for his First Holy Communion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t make sense to leave and then return in one hour, so I decided to stay behind. While waiting in my car, an inner voice prompted, no compelled<\/em> me to begin writing. Now, I\u2019m a woman of faith, so given where I was at the time (the church\u2019s parking lot), I believed that inner voice was divine prompting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I whipped open my Blackberry device and started writing an article on communication. I became so engrossed in writing that I wasn\u2019t aware when an hour passed. It took several exasperated knocks on my car\u2019s windowpane and my son yelling my name for me to realise he had finished his classes and wanted to go home. Reluctantly, I saved the article, turned off my phone, and attended to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back at home, after settling him in along with my five-year-old daughter, I sat in front of my trusty, old desktop and finished the article. Knowing nothing about blog design, I googled free blog platforms and settled for Blogspot. I promptly signed up for a free account, chose a name for the blog, and posted my first article. From typing the first word on my Blackberry to publishing the article online, the entire process took eight hours \u2013precious time divided between lunch, dinner, and other chores. My children checked on me from time to time and whined about my still being at my computer for hours. But I was determined not to sleep until that blog was live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, the Rethinking Business Communications Blog was born on 24 March 2012.  Six years later, I migrated from Blogspot to a self-hosted WordPress site. I needed a more \u2018serious\u2019 website to boost my growing personal brand and business communication training side business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last ten years, I\u2019ve blogged every month regardless of the circumstances. I\u2019ve blogged through unemployment, formal employment, and launching my side business. I\u2019ve blogged through a third pregnancy and through writing (and publishing) a bestseller. I\u2019ve blogged through health concerns, and in 2020, through the loss of my beloved father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I\u2019ve written over 127 articles and provided undisputed value in all. (You could check out the blog archives or type keywords\/phrases in the \u2018Search this bog\u2019 box in the sidebar to find relevant articles).  But I\u2019d never forget my first post<\/a>. And I vividly remember the sense of achievement I felt after I clicked \u2018Publish\u2019 and my post became live. I was thrilled to blog about what I\u2019d become passionate about \u2013 business communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I\u2019m thankful that the thrill has remained throughout the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, in celebration of a decade of blogging on business communication, sprinkled with management issues and workplace dynamics, below are three life lessons I\u2019ve learned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1) Discipline trumps motivation, inspiration, and passion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I knew I needed to be consistent from my first article, but I didn\u2019t want to set myself up for failure. So, I ignored conventional advice about blogging daily, weekly or bi-weekly, and I settled for a doable schedule of posting at least one blog each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the earlier years, blogging monthly was easy since the euphoria of delving deep into business communication was strong enough to sustain my drive. I even blogged twice or three times a month in some instances. However, after a few years, it became somewhat a chore. It was no small feat to churn out informed, engaging, and helpful articles constantly. Moreover, the pressure required me to read voraciously and draw learning points from others\u2019 experiences and what I observed in society. (My husband\u2019s workplace tales of woe also became fertile fodder for my management posts and communication \u2018how to\u2019 articles).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inevitably, there were times I didn\u2019t \u2018feel\u2019 like blogging. I was too tired, stressed, or had no inspiration. Fortunately, I recognised the danger and forced myself to continue. Even after the caesarian delivery of my third child from which I needed to recover, I blogged. Then years later, after unexpectedly losing my father, I still wrote; blogging about the lessons he taught me about communication was actually therapeutic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never knew I had it in me to persevere in blogging. But I\u2019ve realised that discipline overrides everything else – motivation, passion, or inspiration. Becoming disciplined in one aspect of your life builds your stamina, guarantees results, and sharpens your critical thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t wait for inspiration to write or the \u2018right\u2019 circumstances to improve your communication skills. Start where you are. Start now. But keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commit to discipline, and the others will follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2) Learning opens doors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I was an unemployed mother of two when I began this blog. Nevertheless, I did have prior work experience. I\u2019d worked at the Embassy of Sweden and the Swedish Trade Council in Nigeria for four years as a commercial officer and business developer. Concurrently, I worked for two years at the Nigerian-Swedish Chamber of Commerce as its first executive secretary. Then I resigned to focus on my family. I was told that was an unwise move, but I needed the break, and frankly, I needed a career change. Before I began the blog, I often read articles and observed how leaders communicated. Then I\u2019d complain aloud to my husband and wonder why effective communication was problematic. So, I\u2019d already developed an interest in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as I continued to blog, I eventually began to read more resources and learn more techniques. I became hungry for knowledge. The more I read and blogged, the more I wanted<\/em> to read and blog. As a result, my critical skills became sharpened, as did my writing, persuasive abilities, and speaking skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learn new things in business communication every day. Keeping informed about insights and best practices has increased my knowledge and led me to connect with intelligent, driven people across borders. Continuous<\/em> learning has also helped me become well-rounded in different aspects of the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this globalised world, as you continue to network, ask questions, and expose yourself to different thinking, this happens: You\u2019d expand your reach and increase collaboration with people who appreciate you and challenge you to dream bigger and to attempt bold, daring feats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3) Communication is a critical differentiator in life<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I\u2019m biased, but I cannot think of any<\/em> field where excellent communication skills would not announce you from afar, sharpen your credibility, amplify your influence, and inspire mass movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can differentiate yourself from others and generate massive support through speech. Below are excellent examples based on current affairs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I) President Volodymyr Zelensky\u2019s stirring speech to the UK parliament summarising the devastating first 13 days of the Russia-Ukraine war and soliciting their help is unforgettable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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