This comment from Sarah who blogs over at Arthur Wears on a post I'd written about blogging made me think:
"Great post - thank you! Refreshing to read a blogging help post that recognises that blogging can be whatever you want it to be rather than getting to the end of the post and thinking , oh no, I need to change everything!!!"
Whilst I love writing about blogging as much as the next blogger, it can all get a bit much to process. It's easy to make someone feel bad or that they're doing something wrong which is the exact opposite of what you set out to do.
Hopefully this post will help boost everyone's blogging confidence. (Including mine!)
You're doing great
- We all started somewhere.
- It takes courage to press publish / share and put yourself out there.
- Learning new skills takes time.
- It's all a work in progress.
- There is no right or wrong way to blog.
- Running a blog is hard work.
- Whatever the statistics, everyone is just a person. Who burps and farts.
- There are lots of milestones that are all worth celebrating. Post counts, new followers, a comment, finding a new blogger to read, being approached by a brand ...
- Blogging is fun and you never know where it'll take you or what you'll learn from it.
- Everyone wants different things from blogging. And that's okay.
- Seeing your beautiful space grow at it's own speed is really exciting.
What makes you feel proud of your blog?
And an update ... This week I kind of ran out of puff. The first round of redundancies for the "organisational redesign" has hit at work. Some are dancing for joy as they just wanted some money and a reason to leave. Others are devastated. Those of us who are left are wondering about what it all means for them. I am living in interesting times. Let's hope I don't come to the attention of authority. This month is also the first anniversary of mum's death so I'll be taking it one blog post at at time. Sorry for being a bit morbid. I hope that you're all have a good week! Tell me about that in the comments too!
Sharing with all these great Linkys
Blogging can without a doubt get a bit overwhelming at times. I always feel like I have a never ending to do list that I never feel on top of. But you're right, sometimes you need to stop, breathe and take stock of all the little things you have achieved and look forward to all the good things that could be just around the corner. #sharewithme
ReplyDeleteI sometimes feel like a hamster on the wheel! It is just never ending! Hope this post helped you take stock and look forward. :)
DeleteI think that blogging changes as your blog grows but it's important to remember that as your little space on the Internet your blog should be what you want it to be. I hope that you have a good week too, thank you for the confidence boost :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to be of service! We can all do a with a little boost every so often. I love your book blog, I just wish the Tubblet was still little enough to share picture books with when I see all the great ones you've found
DeleteBlogging can be whatever you want it to be. To be honest I am little over all the blog posts that tell me I have to do this I have to do that.
ReplyDeleteI even saw one recently that said to be successful on Instagram you only follow 1/4 of the number of followers you have. Ie you have 400 followers you should never follow more than 100
If we all took that approach nobody would have any followers. My Instagram followers are half the number I follow yet I have 5 times the number of followers this person had. The person who was telling me I was doing it all wrong. Total madness
My blog isn't perfect, it does rate highly with page views but it's mine and I like the way I run it.
It's not all about making money which I feel blogging is turning in to.
That sounds extremely confusing ... run that one past me again! I like your blog, it's honest, you write from the heart and it's obvious you enjoy doing it. And that's the most important thing imo
DeleteThanks so much for this post, sometimes I think we all need to take a step back and look at what we have achieved, rather than just looking around us and comparing ourselves / our blog / whatever to other people. It's so easy to get sucked into following every tip going, and forgetting why you ever wanted to blog in the first place! :)
ReplyDeleteI hope things get settled at work too for you. x #sharewithme
Thank you. Work is still unsettled, but I'm trying to ignore it as there's nothing I can do about it apart from turn up each day and hope for the best.
DeleteExcellent points. It's so easy to compare yourself to others and lose yourself.
I think for some of us *cough* older folks, just getting a blog up and going is a pretty big accomplishment. I've always been pretty behind the curve with this computer mumbo jumbo
ReplyDeleteYou are way younger than me! But that's true, all this blogging malarky is a triumph considering how technically illiterate I am! But I did cheat and pay for someone to install the theme. I know my limits!
DeleteThis is a great post! It is so easy to get down on our selves and fall into the comparison trap, but you are right, we all pass gas! Haha so funny. Thanks for the encouragement!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I'm glad it was helpful
Deletethat coffee looks amazing! And I totally agree that blogging is a personal thing and each person's journey is different and unique - there is not one path to success either. great post :)
ReplyDeletestop by and chat ♥ http://storybookapothecary.com
It tasted as good as it looked! :) Thank you for the lovely comment. Success is what you make of it I think. For some, just being brave enough to put themselves out there is success. For others, it's about page views. Whatever works for you
DeleteThank you so much for this article! As someone who is new to the blogging scene I am always second guessing myself. I have pinned to refer to on a regular basis!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I love the recipes on your blog, there are some things I can't wait to try
DeleteI love this and have always thought that blogging is more a personal thing than it seems. There are hundreds of blogs out there trying to tell you how to increase your traffic or how best to 'find your niche'. Although I'm sure their intentions are good I fear that they do what you say, and make some bloggers think they need to change everything. A blogger should first and foremost love blogging - that's as far as it goes for me. That's the only thing that's essential. x Great post. x
ReplyDeleteYes!!!!!!! This!!!!!!!! The most important thing is that you love what you're doing. And you do it honestly and with integrity. Thank you of the lovely comment
Deletei have learned a lot from blogging; i have met new friends and made new interests. what could be better? no need to compare ourselves or feel we are doing it wrong. just enjoy it i say:)
ReplyDeleteToo right! Excellent words, thank you for sharing them
DeleteIt's funny I think so many of us stumble into blogging without really realising quite how overwhelming it can be so this is a great reminder to not be too hard on yourself in this blogging world. I also think sometimes we need a bit of burn out to reboot and get to the next level. Thanks so much for linking to #coolmumclub x
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting each week. I'm glad this was helpful :)
DeleteBlogging is such fun but you are right each blogger is really just the same underneath. It is lovely to improve, get new readers and get some recognition. Hope all is ok with work and you are coping with the anniversary. Sad times but I hope lovely memories. Thanks for sharing with #bestandworst and see you soon x
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely comment. Hope you're doing okay too and that the weekend away was good
DeleteSo I'm assigned to read the even numbers...but get drawn into the odd...odd linked post on #coolmumclub. So true, blogging is so much more than I realised in so many ways. But, ultimately, we are our own bosses and need to always remember we call the shots x x x #coolmumclub
ReplyDeleteThere's always an odd post here! Lovely comment, it's always good to reminded who's actually in charge. This is my beautiful space after all :)
DeleteLovely post thanks so much for sharing with #bestandworst this week. It's nice to hear this from a fellow blogger. It is hard work isn't it! Becky xx
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I'm glad you found it helpful. It's such hard work, but rewarding
DeleteI love that you say it's all a work in progress. I started out knowing absolutely nothing and my earliest posts reflect that. Sometimes I'm tempted to go back and edit the early ones so they're more in keeping with where I am now, but then I think it's good to be able to see how much I've learned. And also, there's no end to the learning, so unless I want to be constantly updating (I don't!) I'll have to get used to having a few imperfections out there on the www. Hoping your work situation is more stable soon and sorry to hear you'll be marking the anniversary of your mum's passing this week. #coolmumclub
ReplyDeleteEverything is a work in progress really. Thank you for the lovely comment and the good wishes. Hopefully things will sort themselves out
DeleteThank you for this post! It took hold of the overwhelm and pierced it with truth! There are so many, "you must do this" blog posts. I truly have learned from so many, but on the back side of that, it causes me to leave my passion overshadowed by the "musts" instead of being lead by the very reason I began blogging in the first place. It has caused me to lose my joy in writing at times! This post was another affirmation to keep the balance and most importantly, keep my joy in this process! :-)
ReplyDeleteBlessings and smiles,
Lori
Thank you for the lovely comment and I'm glad this post has helped you on your blogging journey
DeleteA very inspirational post. I will definitely take your words on and remember them. I've been blogging for about 8 months or so but still feel quite new and posts like this are a great boost. #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it was helpful :) Thank you for the lovely comment and good luck on your blogging journey
DeleteFab post! Sometimes I look at these blogs with like a million views and think I'll never get there - then I remind myself that one day they published their first post and got their first view and danced round the room like an idiot (or maybe that was just me lol). We all start somewhere and you're right, the most important thing is to have fun with it! Sorry to hear this is a bad time for you. #KCAKOLS
ReplyDeleteDebbie
As I frequently say, it is what it is. :) Thank you for the good wishes.
DeleteI remember when I got my first comment from someone who wasn't a friend or family member ... So thrilled!
I enjoy blogging when I let ideas for posts come to me instead of scrabbling for them, they're usually about some toddler tantrum or day out that went tits up, but I have fun writing them. I realised I was far too reserved when I first started and thought everyone wanted to read about flowers and happiness, but it didn't take me long to feel uncomfortable writing as someone that wasn't me. You're definitely right that you have to make it what you want it to be, because it's your blog. I'm sorry to hear about this tough time, my thoughts are with you and I hope you have a strong support around you xxx #kcacols
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm lucky that Rev T and my friends are wonderful. It is what it is, it can't all be rainbows and loveliness.
DeleteI like your blog, it's honest and true. Parenting isn't wonderful all the time. But it is, if you see what I mean
I love your blogging posts, they are always so refreshing to read, it's true a lot of tip posts I think oh no I have to change it all up again when I like what I have already. It definitely takes time to maintain and push a blog and we often forget that we are doing it round our "real lives" xx
ReplyDeleteI usually read them and wonder how I'm going to fit all the extra work they're telling me to do in! Then I read their blurb and realise that blogging is their full time job ... This isn't mine so something has to give! Thank you for the lovely comment and for hosting each month
DeleteA great post. I didn't realise how much blogging would take over my life when I first started and it can be overwhelming. I absolutely love it but I also have had to accept I'll have to take a bit of a step back from it temporarily when baby arrives. I think its encouraging though that so many of us can identify with this and boost each other to have pride in our blogs. Thanks for a great read xx #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this was helpful. Good luck with the new baby! :)
DeleteSorry to hear that work is so tough - that is never an easy situation to be in, and combined with the anniversary makes it extra hard as your thoughts will be there also. Hopefully you can use your blog as a positive outlet for how you are feeling so that it can be a help rather than a hindrance to you. I think it is good to remember that we are all human and we have all been through difficult times and hearing that others are going through or have been through similar can really help sometimes - don't be afraid to put it out there if nothing else comes to mind blogging wise!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention also. #KCACOLS
Hope so too! It's always good to know that these things haven't just happened to you. :) Thank you for the lovely comment
DeleteThis is a great post! It's so easy to feel overwhelmed when you're blogging and focus more on numbers and followers so it's always good to take a step back and think about why you're writing in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI hope that things at work will be better soon :)
Laura xx
#KCACOLS
So do I, but it is what it is. Thank you for the lovely comment. You're right, it's good to take a step back every so often and remember what you started
DeleteAll so true. I remember the nerves before I pressed publish on my first post. It was such an important moment - ironic really as I didn't share it on social media (I didn't have any linked accounts at the time) so no one but my family knew about it. Blogging is hard work and that's why it is so important that you do it in a way you enjoy, otherwise there's no reward #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteTrue that. The reward is doing like Sinatra sang, "Your way". Thank you for the lovely comment
DeleteThis is a lovely reminder of what is important - thank you. I'm at the stage of doing this and you have reaffirmed my thoughts - thank you again. Always good to remind ourselves what we are all about as we go haring down a path that wasn't really our choice. I love blogging, I do it for me and because I love to write and I love to read the work of others. I also love that others engage with me about the things I have written. It's so easy to forget all of that when you start comparing yourself to others - yet we can't resist can we! I have come to the very sensible realisation that as soon as I start comparing, my blog suffers. This is my promise not to do it! Great post. First anniversaries are always hard I hope this week brings a sprinkling of happy memories too. Nicky #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteI think when we start comparing ourselves, we lose sight of our own uniqueness. And that's what makes people interact with us in the first place as that's what makes us interesting. Amazing promise! I wish you all the best with living it out.
DeleteThank you for the good wishes. We had as happy a day as we could under the circumstances
Good for you and what a inspiring post. It's why we started and why we love it that we need to always remember. Lovely hun Thank you so much for linking up to Share With Me. #sharewithme
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely comment and for hosting each week. Hope all is well
DeleteSo True! Everyone who has a blog has it for different reasons and each blogger has made their blog and should be proud of their achievements. I love my blog but i have plans to change parts of it but i'm in no rush. Running a blog is alot of hard work and dedication. We need to remember to love our blogs and take pride in them :) Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the lovely comment. I look forward to seeing the changes when you get round to them. The hardest bit of the whole process as I have so many ideas too! But only a limited amount of day ...
DeleteYou're blog is great you should be proud! - I think blogging is a lot harder than anyone actually realises and we should all take a bit more pride in our creations and take a step back sometimes :) #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am proud (kind of) but wanted others to be proud too. It is so easy to read those "knit your own followers in three easy steps" or look at others and lose sight of that. Unless it really is just me ...
DeleteWhat a really good post! I think our blogs in a way are a reflection of who we are, so changing them to suit others would be like changing who we are. Xx #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteYes! THIS! Thank you :)
DeleteThis is great! You have a lovely blog I really enjoyed this post. Blogging is hard work and I love how it's helped me finally start to write and indulge in my passion and obviously the nice comments help too! #KCACOLS
ReplyDeleteThank you so much :) Have a lovely week
DeleteI'm so sorry that it took so long for me to comment - I hope the anniversary wasn't too rough and that the second Christmas was OK for you all too.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, it's hard work running a blog and it's tough to keep up with everything. We should be proud of what we do! And I am. Most days!
No worries! You're a busy mum with two kids, a husband and a blog. Thank you for commenting and the good wishes. Anniversary was what it was. You can't go round, under or over, you just have to go through them
Delete