What I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Blog

I've actually been blogging for years now, and I've learned a lot over the years. I've also done a lot of research about blogging because I've always been interested in the topic. But no matter how much research you do before hand, there's a lot you won't figure out until you start. So now I'm sharing my big secrets with you and I'll give you a few tips to consider if you're thinking about starting a blog yourself!

What bothers me most about blogging:

Coming up with new ideas for blog posts. I know I’m not the only blogger out there who struggles with this. In fact, I think all bloggers struggle with this. I love to write and have a lot to say, but often I find it difficult to narrow down and organize my thoughts. I've come up with a pretty good system (you'll get a glimpse of it if you keep reading), but I still struggle with feeling uninspired and unmotivated. If you struggle with this too, I'm going to share my 30 days of ideas for blog posts for someone just starting out!

What I love the most:

Writing and feeling like I might help even one or two people. I've always loved writing and always wanted to write for others, to help others learn and grow. Blogging has always been appealing to me. I've been reading and following bloggers since the concept was invented, but I was always hovering between wanting to start doing it myself and being afraid that I wasn't good enough or didn't know enough. Now that I've finally started, I'm so happy to be writing more. I used to write so much, but I haven't been writing enough in the past couple of years. I've missed it. And I love not only writing, but writing about important topics, or topics that I know a lot about, and I love sharing that with anyone that stumbles upon my blog. I love that sharing my story could help someone, or that sharing what I know about a topic might teach someone.

Traits I had to develop:

Openness and honesty. It’s hard for me to open up. I have many drafts saved of blog posts I've written as if they were journal entries, they are deep and honest. But I am afraid to post them. I'm afraid to open up. Instead, I write professional blog posts and not talk about myself or my problems. But if there's one thing I've learned in my life, it’s that just sharing your story with someone can help them know they are not the only person going through it. So I have to keep telling myself that if I want to do what I set out to do (help people), then I have to just do it. I have to share my life, my story, and my struggles. I have to have open and honest conversations, even if they seem one-sided.

Skills I had to develop:

How to be productive and organized. I have a very messy way of organizing, which is a bit ironic seeing as I sell digital planners and organizers. But I struggle with being organized, I always have, and maybe that’s why I’m so passionate about mastering it and finding the easiest methods. I hope my worksheets and planners have helped people, but to be honest I’ve found a different method that works for me. I call it the messy system because it is all very messy. I take all my notes on the little notes app on my iPhone and they are confusing, to say the least. Someone looking at one of my notes would have no idea what any of it means. There will be a random number with no context, it could be a phone number or password and no one would ever be able to figure it out because before it is a shopping list and after it is a poem. I'm telling you, it's a mess. 😂 It works for me though! Somehow I am able to keep it straight in my head and I know where to look for specific things.

Similarly, my blog organization is a bit messy. But, if you keep reading I'll show you my "trade secrets," and I'll explain to you exactly how I plan for my blog.

How I “found my niche”:

My niche is no niche. Everywhere I look online, I see people talking about how you must narrow your focus and define your niche. This is has been a problem for me in all areas of my life and career. I love photographing people, things, and places. I love a variety of types of designs, and I love talking about so many topics! I don’t want to limit myself. I am passionate about many subjects and good at so many different things!

What I would do differently:

Start earlier, stay consistent, don’t be afraid. A long time ago, I read something or heard something that changed my life. I wish I could tell you the source but it could have been from anywhere. Could have been my mom, a random blog post, or a youtube video. And I'm sure you've heard this one before. This person said, "In two years, you'll wish you started two years ago." That phrase stuck with me. I knew they were right because I had already pushed off starting my blog for years and I did wish I started two years ago. I didn't want to feel the same in another two years, so I decided to go for it. Two years later, I am so glad I started when I did instead of waiting any longer. Now, my only regret is not sticking with it. I got distracted and took a break, not posting any content for almost a year. I wish I stayed consistent through the past year. But it's okay, I'm still sticking with it! Now that I'm getting back into it, I've given myself the challenge to post every day for a week. Now I challenge you! Start with one post and before you know it you will be ready to post every day for a week, like me.

Tips for new bloggers:

Start today. Don’t be afraid to pull the trigger and make your blog. Start writing your first blog post today! Post it tomorrow! Just do it, you'll thank yourself later for starting now. I know from experience, I regret not starting years ago. But I'm glad I started at all! So come up with a general topic you’re interested in and have a lot to say about, but don’t limit yourself. Write a few full blog posts before you even post your first one, so you have some cushion time, in case you're struggling to think of a post in the future. Once you have a few posts ready to go, start coming up with ideas for future blog posts.

How I brainstorm for my blog:

First of all, don't mind all the tabs. Do you see what I mean about the messy system? It spans all aspects of my life. I do know what all these tabs are for and I do want to keep them all open.

"What do all the colors mean?" You might be wondering. Well let me explain it to you with a simple (but maybe confusing to others) color key.

I've been using this for years and I have every blog post idea I've ever come up with on this sheets page. I know, it looks like a mess. But again, it works for me. I will write in here any little half-baked idea I come up with, and I write it down as soon as I think of it, or I know I'll forget it.

When none of my ideas are giving me any inspiration, and I still don't know what I want to write, I'll head to Pinterest. I'll start browsing vague topics and reading multiple blog posts. This helps me in a few ways, I'll learn something new, get ideas or inspiration for blog posts, and find out what kind of Pinterest Pins catch my eye.

After choosing a topic from this list I either go into my messy notes app and start drafting my post (if it requires a lot of writing) or I will draft it right on Wordpress starting with bullet points. When I'm feeling inspired, I usually start around 6 different posts at once, adding bullet points to one, then switching to another and outlining it, then switching to an already scheduled post to tweak something. It sounds all over the place, but that's my brain for you.

I try to take it one day at a time, I'm afraid if I plan too far in advance, I'll start slacking off or forget to keep up with it, so instead of planning my blog posts for the next month and when I should draft them or when I should schedule them, I just start doing it. I write them when I can, and then I schedule them when they are done. One step at a time, one day at a time. Maybe down the road, I'll get better at planning and organizing. If that day comes, I'll write a new blog post about my new methods, but for now, this is what works.

And here I am, just finishing up my seventh post in seven days! This marks the completion of my challenge. Next up, let's see if I can post every day for a month...