The Inspired Blog: Year One

For those of you who follow the weekly blog regularly, posts didn’t always get published on a Sunday. My first blog with FOCUS Inspired was on Monday, July 6th, 2020, and this blog marks the 52nd installment, one year later. It certainly doesn’t feel like a year has gone by, but I can say that I got plenty of opportunity to talk about a wide-reaching array of subjects here, from writing to lifestyle and everything in between.

But I do believe that I can do better.

That really was the point of starting the blog in the first place, trying to find a way to better myself by becoming familiar with one of the biggest tools of the website trade, WordPress, while also providing me an outlet to write and express my creativity and build my portfolio. I used FOCUS Inspired blog posts as my portfolio to land my first writing job as a Content Writer for a small startup in Mississauga. It was there that I got my first taste of management early by taking over the content team for a week, later taking on a more permanent managerial role three months into my contract. It was a stellar opportunity that allowed me to learn a whole lot in the digital marketing and advertising world, but wouldn’t have been possible without the blog where it all started. The blog I still write in today, even after continuing to move upwards and forwards in my employment.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to write each weekend in a space where people can see what I write and provide feedback or constructive criticism. There have been many who have interacted with the FOCUS Inspired blog and reached out to me to let me know that they understood and felt something from my writing. With each connection, I have always been grateful when people simply let me know that they really enjoyed my writing or read my blog, and it touched me to know that there are those people who appreciate what I do. To the people who have reached out to me over the last year, I thank you. It is always nice to hear I have influenced people positively!

Personally, I am thankful for the growth and practice it afforded me to continue to build my writing, constantly striving to improve it week over week. Looking back on my writings, I can see some progression I have made over the last year. Of course, sometimes you take a step back every now and then, but we’re all human! There will be days where you don’t produce what you believe to be your best work, and that’s okay! More than okay actually, because someone then surprises you when they say that the blog you wrote on what you believed to be your off day was actually their favourite one. You never know what speaks to people, and chances are you are better off leaving it up than to hide it in the closet. Do I have favourites and those I like less? Of course! But that doesn’t mean that the ones you like less aren’t important or meaningful.

I wouldn’t change a thing looking back on the last year, and I feel very fortunate to write for the FOCUS Inspired community. Writing has always been a comfort for me and I know that I will always have it in my life in one way or another.

Here’s to another year, FI Crew!