Seth Godin has just written his 3000th post. I have written about 345 on this blog, just over 20 on Protecting Alpha. I also tried to write regularly on a work blog at my previous company.
Why am I trying to write regularly? I find that the process has reinvigorated me along with reading more. I am constantly thinking of things to write about or respond to from MuttBlog's posts.
I was recently speaking to someone who is due to start their MBA at Oxford in September. I was trying to understand whether the only thing that we are paying for in tertiary education now is the signal. This is because you could quite easily set up home in Oxford, study during the day, and socialize with the same bright stars at night. All for nothing but the opportunity cost of not working.
One of his arguments is that it provides the structure necessary to learn. That it provides the competitive energy and deadlines to get you to learn.
Maybe. But I found that my studying ability improved once I no longer had to attend tuts and lectures and could simply work through the stuff myself. Now that I am no longer studying towards formal qualifications, I find the freedom to read where my mind takes me awesome. Not something I would trade lightly.
But... I agree that you still need something to keep you going. That is why I like the idea of blogging. When I haven't posted for a few days, I am aware of it. Sometimes a friend will mail me an moan.
And as Seth mentions, it becomes a habit. Even the idea of one day writing a book no longer seems as daunting when you have written over 300 posts. Maybe, once I hit 3000 I will have got to a level where the quality of writing warrants it.
Sometimes I think we have to trick ourselves into doing the things we want to do. I want to write... but like the MBA friend I need motivation. Daily posting provides that for me. Maybe that is what the price tag of the MBA is for him (other than the signal).
Drip drip drip... till 3000 posts one day?
1 comment:
It's an interesting problem. One thing about the signal is that it is actually very valuable to have associated with prestigious people. but as far as actual learning goes I think you're mostly right. we could just admit that we don't especially care about learning, but that would undermine the signal.
if the motivation of deadlines etc is what you get from actually signing up then people could just as well sign up for any old university. strange that people still go for oxford, harvard etc...
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