Ed Li

A blog as a forcing function for introspection

I am starting a blog to regularly engage in introspection. A few months ago, I began writing down my thoughts and ideas, and it has been a transformative experience for me. By putting my ideas on paper, it frees up space in my brain for new ones and allows me to work through my thoughts as I write. When I jot down a line, I force myself to either move on to the next thought or to defend what I've written, which helps to bring clarity to my thinking.

I often write my notes on the go, whether I'm waiting for the train or my food, and as a result, I don't always finish them. I'm eager to move on to the next idea that captures my attention, which means I may miss important lessons by not fully tidying up my thoughts. That's where this blog comes in. By publishing my work for others to see, I feel a sense of pressure to only share complete essays. I can hold myself accountable by setting a weekly goal for the number of essays I want to publish. I hope this will serve as a forcing function for me to engage in introspection on a more consistent basis.