2023 is here
A new year has kicked in. And during the 2023’s resolution making time, I sense more eagerness and curiosity in people as there is no more a lockdown concern. With the new year underway, I have made a resolution to go back to the basics. To write more, read more, be more curious, and explore.
A supporting ecosystem is critical to keep up with the resolution. A year ago, I published an article every week. Many have asked how I kept up with the consistency. And the answer is the supporting ecosystem I had. So here I share my answer sheet. My inspiration (aka information board that helped me write consistently).
As a writer, or any artist, having a source of inspiration is essential. Rather than remembering my sources every time, I set up a list of bookmarks that I visited frequently. Through these visits, I drew my inspiration (or, you can say, information) to write about in my blog.
For the first step, I grouped my most frequented blogs into work, interests, and out-of-the-comfort-zone.
Category 1 – Work
This category is for reading and educating yourself to help you do your work better.
- Harvard Business Review: HBR is an excellent source of credible information and advice. The academic aspects of business are explained in an easy and consumable way. The free version allows you to read a limited number of articles.
- MIT Sloan Review: This is a similar vibe to HBR. However, I have this as a separate category to get papers with an equal focus on business and technology innovation.
- McKinsey – McKinsey’s blog is where I go for all the latest information related to management consulting. It gives insights into frameworks and models I can use as a benchmark. I frequently visit BCG, PwC, and EY.
Category 2 – Interests
Here is the list of blogs to further my interests in technology and innovation.
- The Amazon Science Blog: The blog allows me to go in-depth on some technology revolutionising our world. But what is great about it is that there are practical examples that back to the real-world impact of key technological advancements.
- Gates Notes – Bill Gates can send a lot of information in concise bullet points. Hi blog also gives me the kind of books I would like to read.
- Apple News+: Having an app, where you can set interests, takes the burden of having to constantly search if there are recent updates in any field. Currently, this is the source of information I pay for.
Category 3 – Out of the comfort zone
Last but not least, probably the most important of them all, is to read things that you wouldn’t generally read about. These blogs are meant to give you a new perspective of everyday things.
- The Marginalian: Maria Popov, through the margianalian (previously known as the brainpickings), writes beautiful articles. The beauty is every article is unique and has key findings from a wide range of writings.
- Cutting Chai Conversations – This is a book club my friends, and I started during the lockdown. I have no control over what book we choose. And the benefit of reading such things in a bookclub is that you get to discuss it with your friends and pick up things you would have missed.
The ecosystem is key
The supporting ecosystem is critical to help stick to a habit. Take a structured approach to building your ecosystem. If you have a virtual library, categorise links in a way that makes practical sense. The key takeaway is having one category of material outside your comfort zone. And if reading is hard, most of the popular magazines have a podcast channel. So you can still find ways to consume information in a way that is convenient for you.
Eager to know what are your new year resolutions, and the blogs you frequently read. Do drop them in the comments.