Keeping it Simple

A common theme of advice for bloggers is that "Content is King." If a blogger does not start with good writing, all the bells and whistles and striking design elements won't help. In other words (in Will-speak), you can't polish a turd.

I have built several WordPress sites in the past. I still manage many of them. What I have found when developing a new blog on WordPress, however, is that I get bogged down in the minutiae of design. I swear I am going to keep this one simple.

I have learned from nearly 50 years of adding more and more to life's backpack without ever unloading that just because I can do something doesn't mean that I should. I regularly need to review all my activities to ensure I am only keeping the ones that bring me the greatest satisfaction.  

I'm an avid reader, mainly reading about leadership, finance, and productivity. The irony I find with most productivity writers is that they take the approach of "Why use 1,000 words when I can use 10,000?" Seriously, come in, make your point, and get out already!

A few books that I have read recently (and some that I read repeatedly are): Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less, by Joseph McCormack, On Writing Well, by William Zinsser, and The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White. These, combined with a quote attributed to Dr. Anthony Fauci - "Proficiency in thought; economy in expression" - inform the writing style I aspire to develop.

I am using Ghost.io to simplify my writing process and aggregate many more of my creative pursuits (podcasts, videos, etc.). Can I do all the things I want with a custom-built WordPress Site? Of course, I could, but I am looking for that easy button to make it all simple for me.

So, what will my audience (readers, listeners, viewers, ...) find here? The plan for this "blog" is an aggregation of my writing, podcasts, videos, and more. Writing that is clear and concise. Podcasts on (hopefully) several interesting topics. Videos from one of my many beautiful hikes or travel destinations.

Thank you for reading and be sure to sign up for my no-more-than-weekly newsletter for highlights from the page (and probably a few bonuses, as well).