Changing My Blogging Approach: A Ph.D. Reality Check

It’s October 2014, and I’ve just begun my Ph.D. journey. Between classes, research, and everything else that comes with being a full-time student, finding time to blog has become more challenging than I anticipated. It’s not that I don’t have thoughts to share or ideas to write about—quite the opposite. I have plenty to say, but the process of creating polished blog posts has started to feel overwhelming.

In the past, I would meticulously plan each post, aiming for perfection with impeccable formatting, and visual aesthetics. While I loved the creative side of it, I’ve come to realize that this level of detail is unsustainable with my current schedule. The pursuit of “perfect” posts has become a barrier to consistency, and honestly, it’s time to change my approach.

Instead of focusing on the fluff and making things look pretty, I’m embracing a no-frills writing style. My new plan is simple:

1. Record Myself: I’ll start by recording my thoughts. Speaking out loud is often faster than typing, and it allows me to get my ideas out quickly without worrying about structure.
2. Transcribe: Once I have the audio recorded, I’ll transcribe the content into text form. There are plenty of tools that make transcription a breeze, and this cuts down on the time it takes to write out my thoughts manually.
3. Edit Using Grammarly: After transcription, I’ll run the text through Grammarly. It’s a quick way to catch any grammatical errors or awkward phrasing. I’m not aiming for perfection here—just clarity.
4. Post with Markdown: Finally, I’ll format the post using Markdown, which keeps things clean and easy. No images, no fancy formatting—just straightforward text that gets the point across.
5. Switch to GitHub Pages: I’ve decided to move away from WordPress and start using GitHub Pages. It’s a simpler platform for my needs, and its native support for Markdown makes it incredibly easy to publish posts without worrying about complicated formatting or design.

By doing this, I’ve found it takes me no more than 30 minutes to share my thoughts and get them out there. Sure, the posts won’t be as polished as they used to be, but at the end of the day, it’s about sharing ideas and staying consistent, not about achieving visual perfection.

I’m excited to see how this streamlined approach will help me stay connected with the blogging world without sacrificing valuable time I need for my Ph.D. If you’re reading this and feeling similarly bogged down by perfectionism, maybe it’s time to give the no-frills approach a try. Let’s see where this journey takes us.