How Blogging Can Make You Even More Awesome

I have officially been blogging for two whole months and let me tell you…game changer!  For those of you interested in starting a blog, or following my budding relationship with the vast internet universe, here are my takeaways for you:

Keep Learning: This was one of my points from my two-week blogging status update (read more here)  and it has quickly become front and center.  Blogging is clearly not about just writing.  It’s about making connections and finding your peeps.  For someone who likes structure and gets giddy when she hears the words “step-by-step process”, there are lots of articles and materials to guide a new blogger through the struggles of getting a blog going.  There is lots of focus around maximizing your reach while maintaining efficiency.  Music to my blogger ears!  As of last week, I joined my first blogging class.  It addresses all of these elements.  I’m excited to see where this takes me, besides soaring off the cliff that was once my comfort zone.  No matter which subject matter expert you go to, make sure to do your research and trust their guidance.

Find Your Passion: Believe it or not, we all have something we can contribute. Yes, there are probably lots of things I could write about.  Tips for picking up dog poop.  How to sing so off-key, even your two-year-old daughter tells you to stop.  But these things aren’t my passion…and well, one of them just stings a little bit.  Finding your passion means plentiful content.  Sure, we’re all allowed to have writer’s block and planning ahead can help with this (so I’ve learned), but the desire to spread the word, should be there.  This is helpful for you and your readers.

Make Connections: I’m still struggling with the how-tos on this, but I can say that the connections that I’ve made so far blogging, especially in my blogging class, have been so inspiring.  I’ve even managed to meet fellow loss moms, when I least expected it.  I’m not crafty and my relationship with food is more on the eating, rather than the cooking side of the spectrum, but I’m loving meeting the crafters and the cooks.  Reading anything that was sparked by passion, can be inspiring.  You never know where these connections will take you.

Don’t Be Afraid to Change: I’ve enjoyed these last two months for several reasons: some quality ‘me time’, free writing therapy, a creative outlet.  The one thing that has taken me by surprise and has been the hardest to embrace, is that I might have to make changes.  I started blogging because I have stuff that I want to say, that I think can benefit others.  But I’m learning that maybe I need to consider making some changes.  Can I better reach my audience by changing A, B and C?  Changing things doesn’t have to mean that the old way was wrong or bad.  Just that there could be better.  Better isn’t a bad thing to pursue.  Don’t be so proud that you’re not willing to change things up.  It could end up being the best change you ever made.

Note: I’ll make sure to come back to this post, when I run into my dear friend, Self Doubt, by the end of this week.