So I’ve written – and spoken – about how we should all be blogging as we learn things. It’s a good idea for many reasons, some selfish and some altruistic. But I’ve always said: you really should try and write as you learn something. It’s when you’re best able to describe and bridge the gap between ignorance and understanding. As you experience the learning process.

However, there are other reasons to blog as you learn something – contemporaneously with the learning process. For example, it’s easier to write about a topic when it’s fresh in your mind. Also, even if you mean to write about something later, it can easily become an item on a todo list that you’re likely to put off and not get to.

But another reason to blog contemporaneously is that you may just not be able to write about something in the future. A friend recently was laid off and now a blog post they had written contemporaneously – but not published – is out of context and needs to be changed. That’s a lot of work.

If you’re able to fit writing into your schedule – please try to. You never know when life circumstances – job, family, housing – could change. Writing about things as you learn them is the best way to capture that knowledge.

Even if you keep it private, writing is a wonderful way to document knowledge and gain a deeper understanding of the subject. I encourage you to try it out, even if writing hasn’t been a strength for you. I have faith you’ll produce something of value.