There are a number of reasons why I have started this blog, and I wanted to document them. In order of priority, they are as follows:

1. Encourage reflection on my regular work

   I want to increase the amount that I reflect on my work, including my achievements and the challenges I face. I've found it easy to become miserable while working from home and this is one of my tactics for battling that. Reflecting on my work has helped me process it in a manner which is healthier for me. One example is my article How doing nothing made me a more productive programmer which came from noticing a difference in how I work at home when compared to being in an office.

2. Clarify thoughts on key topics

   Sometimes a topic arises which I want to consider in depth and form an opinion about, and in my view there is simply no substitute for writing as a technique to clarify your thoughts.

3. Battle perfectionism

   The articles on this blog are all written quickly in short bursts. Any that take a long time will be split over several writing sessions. This is a feature, not a bug. The point is that I want to be able to produce something that's 'good enough' without worrying about its imperfections. This is an attitude that helps me to keep moving and produce things without getting stuck worrying about unimportant details.

4. Record useful code

   When I write some code that I want to keep a record of for future use, separate from my project, this blog provides me with a place to store it. One example is my article Avoiding duplicate HTTP requests in Angular when there are multiple subscribers which I will refer to next time I face the same requirement.

5. Teach others

   If others can learn from what I write, that is wonderful. This is the reason for posting articles like Git alias for merging in dev branch so other people can benefit from code & techniques I've developed. It is also the reason I have a series of worked examples in which I try to show what my normal day looks like as a professional programmer, in the hope it may benefit someone entering the industry.

6. To learn from others

   As I write, others can comment on my thoughts, and I am able to learn from others. This leads to a virtuous circle, where the whole community can help each other sharpen our best ideas.

If you also publish a blog, what motivates you to write?