Lessons From My Blog

It was a year ago last month that I launched my blog site.  When I look back over the year I’m amazed at what I accomplished. Sometimes when you find something you’re passionate about, you just want to spend every waking hour working on it. Even if it is challenging or something new, somehow you find the energy and resources to jump through hoops, teach yourself new things, and make a commitment to it. 

Building my blog meant first building a web site.  I had zero experience or knowledge.  I started with Squarespace. I taught myself how to use it and within a week I had a blog site. It was a good platform to start with – easy to understand and simple to build. Then, because I wanted more customization for my site, I decided to move to WordPress, which was a completely different ball game!  I spent every evening for two weeks sitting at my kitchen table when the world was quiet and I had time to think about and process what I was learning.

As with any journey in my life, I always reflect on what I learned from the experience.  I’ve had many insights as I worked on my blog and wrote my posts.

Balance…

One of the key lessons I learned during the beginning stages was the importance of balance.  If you have spent many years uncovering or dusting off your passion, and then you fully realize it, all you want to do is dive headfirst into it.  I did that for the first month, where I literally jumped out of bed in the mornings and looked forward to evenings when I could continue to plug away at my site.  I was happy and energized by this new focus.  But on the other side was my family who needed me, as a mother, and a wife.

It seemed unfair that I had finally found my passion and couldn’t spend every waking hour dedicated to it. Finding balance meant having a conversation with my husband to express how I was feeling and to talk about how I could pursue my passion while also providing to my family.  I also had a ‘regular’ full-time job, so something had to give!  We found a schedule that worked for both us and I was able to feel satisfaction in my progress while at the same time being present for my husband and two children.

Writing approach…

I also learned a lot about how I approach my writing. More often than not, I will have an idea and then let it percolate for a while.  Sometime later I will have a spark of an angle to my story and then feel a huge draw towards writing. In these moments my fingers seem to have a life of their own.  Many times I will be up until the wee hours typing away, with no desire to go to bed or sleep. I don’t feel at ease until I’ve written it all. As a result, I often have a full story completed within a few days. And I become quite depleted from lack of sleep!

When you have a blog and you love to write I think it’s important to discover what approach works best for you, set appropriate parameters and then honor that. For example, I don’t force myself to write.  I give myself time to think and ponder before I begin. I also write at night when I’m least likely to be interrupted. I’ve also given myself permission not to aim for (my version of) “perfection” on first attempt.  Otherwise I will edit and edit and never get it posted.

Idea generation…

Where do you most like to think?  Where do you have your best ideas?  I tend to have mine when I’m driving or when I’m listening to a podcast. Because I know where my best ideas come from, I try to carve out time in my day to do the things that spark ideas. Then when I have an idea I take out my phone and put it in my “notes” section.  This way, when I feel a pull to write, I can check out my list and see what most resonates with me.  No idea is off limits.  You just never know how it will evolve in your mind over time.  What may seem vague at first may become clearer as time goes on.

Feedback…

I naturally lean towards feedback. I’m good at giving it when asked and I appreciate receiving it. I’m also a very collaborative person.  At work you will find me walking into my colleagues’ offices to bounce ideas off them. (Of course now that’s not possible, so I message them instead.)

It’s no surprise then that I seek feedback on my writing. It was especially important for me at the beginning stages. As time has gone on and I’ve started to develop my style, I generally only seek feedback if I have specific questions or when I’m writing for a ‘business’ audience and intend to share my article on LinkedIn.

I have experienced amazing direction and advice from people who review my writing and provide feedback.  Here’s some of the best advice I’ve received:

• Write less about what is happening about something in your story, and instead show it through actions, emotions, and conversation. I’ve been told to paint a picture and let my readers fill in the blanks.
• Don’t keep editing your post as you go.  Just write and see where it leads you.  Then go back to edit afterwards.
• Always consider the “why”.  What is the value that someone is getting from your writing? What’s in it for them? What lesson do you have to share?

When I suggest that I’m always open to feedback, I am being genuine is that statement. I feel life is about developing and learning, and there’s no way that will happen if I don’t listen to others’ perspectives.

Celebrate…

Over the year I have been sure to reflect on and acknowledge my accomplishments.  My blog site is about “unfolding” as a person – to be comfortable in my skin and to step outside of my comfort zone.  I feel I have done that in many ways this year. Here are some things I’m especially proud of.

• I wrote 24 posts this year.  About an article every two weeks. I did this in between being a mother to two young kids and working full-time.
• I wrote posts that I put up on LinkedIn, the professional business networking site.  This was a big move for me as it meant past and current employers, as well as my peers, would potentially read my articles. 
• In support of the bullet above I wrote posts that provided me with an opportunity to use my professional business knowledge, not just my personal life. I hope to do more of this.
• I recently wrote a post that had almost 100 views in 24 hours.  It may not seem like much to those who are established bloggers, but it sent me to cloud nine for a few days.  I was so excited!
• I started an email newsletter and have subscribers. 

Going forward…

My plans for 2020 went a little off-kilter with COVID-19, as I know it did for many other people.  But I am still going to push forward on the following:

• Pursue my coaching designation through the International Coaching Federation and expand my site to incorporate that new side of me.
• Continue to write both personal and professional posts and post more to LinkedIn.
• Focus on my social media presence (if you want to help me there my links are below. It doesn’t hurt to ask, right?)
• As per the above, to not be afraid to ask for help and believe in my strengths.
• Build my email list. I will need to teach myself how to do this better!

In the meantime, I wanted to extend a big thank you to you for visiting my blog. Knowing you come here and (hopefully) enjoy my content fills me with the greatest happiness.

Thank you!

xo

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