My Blog: The Ups and Downs

Week 4 developing my blog…

For the past few weeks I’ve been running on adrenaline. Every day I’d get home from work, have dinner with my kids and husband, put the kids to bed, and then sit in front of my computer writing and trying to get my blog site set up.

Discovering and moving forward with your passion is an interesting phenomena. On the one hand it has fueled me to get things done.  When you put off writing and the idea of blogging for 15 plus years, and then finally decide to do it, it’s like putting on a “let’s get to it” jet pack.  My energy has catapulted me to work past my bedtime (I’ve found my ‘flow’ so many times this week!), my zest for life has increased, and I feel I have a greater purpose. On the other hand, I’ve been struggling with balance, and Mom/wife guilt has been ignited.  

What’s interesting to me is that when I feel extra happy or anxious, it usually means I have done lots of thinking and reflecting along the way, which is where all great learning happens!

Here is a glimpse into what happened this week and what I learned.

Thoughtful baby steps…

The more I have been reading and educating myself on blogging, the more ideas I’ve been having about how to brand, market and expand my blog. Going back to my first week, I am so impatient…and want to do it all! But I realize I have to prioritize what I want to do. I’ve had to start at the basics and reconsider my niche a number of times.  I’ve had to re-think my audience and purpose. I’ve had to consider where I want to be one year from now, and work backwards from there. Along with a longer term strategy as my foundation I’m realizing thoughtful baby steps are necessary for the journey. This is particularly important as I can’t use all of my free time for this. Right now, my family needs me too.

Ride the wave as much as you can…

When I started I had no idea how to build a blog site. I completed initial research about different web site builders, made a selection, taught myself how to use it and had a site up and running within three weeks.  I was so happy! So proud! When I revealed my completed blog to others I was told it would not be the best platform to maximize monetization (apparently I needed a self hosted platform?!).

Oh my gosh!  I was crushed when I read that comment. After spending at least 50 hours working on it (meaning less time being present with my family) I felt like throwing in the towel.  Having to learn another platform, even if it was supposed to be better, wasn’t something I was ready to do. But there’s benefits to having momentum and I knew I had to ride the wave to get my blog up and running on the other platform. Plus, it was another opportunity to teach each myself how to build a web site / blog. I’ve given myself two weeks to get it done. To ensure that I’m not doing it every evening at home, I’ve taken to using my work time lunch hour. That’s one hour I’m allowed to take for myself, guilt free!  

Find balance…

When I told my husband that I was going to start a blog he was very supportive.  Especially when I said I could make money! When he expressed support, I’m not sure he realized that would mean he’d be spending evenings by himself for three weeks. And I don’t think either of us anticipated how often my mind would be on it.  There were nights when he would be talking to me, and although I was physically there, mentally I was thinking about how to increase followers or deciding what I wanted to write next. I was so aware of this, yet also intent on remaining steadfast in my progress. I became frustrated and wished for a blissful, uninterrupted day to “work” on my blog site.  Meanwhile, I also knew this wasn’t a sustainable way to move forward. Certainly not at the expense of time with my husband and kids. So, I had to have a talk. What would we both be happy with in terms of time I spent on this new exciting endeavor? And what were the “boundaries” I would set for myself? We decided that once the kids were in bed, from 8pm-9:30pm I would work on my blog site. And that once I got home from my day job, all attention and time would be devoted to my family. That’s what we’re working with right now. It’s not easy, but the positive outcomes have been better use of my time, continued support from my family, less guilt and a happier me!         

Find internal satisfaction…

When I shared my blog with family and friends, only a few actually commented. It’s funny how when you propel your passion forward, you half expect everyone to jump up and yell “Yay! It’s awesome…what a great idea…it’s so perfect for you!” But that’s just not how it works. That’s when I realized how important it was to pick a niche that spoke to me and to harness my own internal happiness and pleasure in creating a blog!