While setting up a new phone recently, I couldn’t for the life of me remember how I’d gotten iAWriter and Working Copy to sync so I could write and push to Git from anywhere.

I did remember writing about it some time in the past. So I searched my blog (site:https://victoria.dev ia writer working copy) and found my post from 20 months ago explaining the set up.

A remote sync solution for iOS and Linux: Git and Working Copy

I followed my own instructions but one of the steps didn’t make sense. Either I missed something the first time, or the process changed since I wrote it up.

That’s ok! I had a head start on my research already thanks to what I wrote, and in a few minutes I found the new answer. I decided to update the post and in so doing I realized it’s the second time I’ve updated it to add something new! It’s like past me leaving helpful tips for future me, months or years ago.

Many people read my blog, and I’m flattered by the feedback I receive. I’m happy that I’m able to help so many other people, but I also don’t write it for other people primarily.

I write down the things I do and what I learn from doing them because it’s like having a second, more-perfect brain. My meat-brain will forget the details, but my disk-brain can retain its accuracy indefinitely.

I often get questions like, “how do I choose a theme for my blog?” or “what platform should I use?” or “what popular language/framework/topic should I focus on?” My answer is: don’t start with that. Start with you.

Choose whatever publishing option is easiest for you right now, then start by writing for yourself. Write about what interests you. Try something new, even if it seems rudimentary, and write in-depth about what you learn. (One of my most popular posts is about iteration in Python. When I first wrote it, I considered myself a complete beginner.)

Write for yourself by explaining what you’re doing, as if it were past-you teaching future-you — because it is. You will be your first reader, and the first judge of how useful your blog can be. Seek to impress yourself!

Make it a habit, and I think the rest will follow.