On Blogging: I Like You But…
“I’m sorry I wrote you such a long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.” Blaise Pascal
On Blogging: I Like You But… Struggles We Face
In a faraway land called ‘pre-2000,’ what Earthlings now call blogging was called ‘keeping a diary.’ It’s hard work to do well. I tried doing it in the early 1990s but had to stop because I no longer had a life – instead I had this thing that generated anecdotes to go into my diary. The diary took over and I had to stop. Douglas Coupland
What do you Like/Dislike about Blogging? How do you stay in touch with your fellow Bloggers? In the nearly eight (8) years that I have been a blogger, I’ve seen my share of change and, while much of it has been positive, some of it has left much to be desired. Back in 2008, I was a blogging newbie feeling my way around the blogosphere and trying to convince some of my friends that this might be a viable creative outlet. Although the initial impetus behind this blog was work – I created it as a way to encourage my team members to stay motivated in their sales effort, the focus changed when I moved back to NY and started a new venture. I decided the blog should offer the same encouragement to the public and so, with a bit of tweaking, I jumped in feet first to the world of frequent blogging. I like it but … it is a dynamic and fluid endeavor that demands endless time and effort to stay on top of the work, the interactions, the updates and the corrections. Whether you blog anonymously or as yourself, it can, on the one hand, open the door to abusive feedback and bullying. On the other hand, it connects us with an amazing range of creatives from around the world. Of course, all this connecting requires reciprocity and that is where some of the challenges come in. How do we handle it all?
Aside from the usual struggles; blog interactions/comments/social media promotions, time differences and challenges, blog naming, traffic hiccups, trolls, unfriendly bloggers and spammers, over time, it does become all consuming. You wake up one day and see that your efforts are paying off but, only now, it’s becoming harder to respond to every comment and visit every blog friend to keep the reciprocity flowing. As our readership grows, we have to expand our content to meet the arc of that growth. While doing that is key to staying relevant to our readership, we must be vigilant about our limits online and about our equally important offline commitments. I was just reading some of the notes and exchanges I kept on these issues, over the last 7+ years, and what amazes me is how relevant those conversations remain today. What to do? You follow 500 – 5,000 blogs and you love em all but tempus fugit. How do you reconcile the fact that you have a family/business/fellow bloggers to support and X amount of time to give it a go? How do you decide what to do and how to prioritize? I remember some of my blog friends saying that they had a rotation system that included as many blogs as they could visit to like and/or comment. Some simply liked what came through their Reader but, is that satisfying?
How are you managing it all? And your commenting efforts? Do you have an A through Z list of blogs and comment on some while ignoring others? Can you do it all? ( A little secret is NO, not even the top bloggers do it all). Are you feeling the heat yet? I am always feeling the heat so, I feel for you because many active bloggers are in the thick of it and, perhaps, it’s time to fess to the stress? I’ve tried to stay the course by hiring a few Virtual Assistants but, the personal touch can get lost in that effort sometimes and so, we find ourselves either reverting back to doing some and letting our VAs do the rest or we shut down completely and dream about the good old days when a good book and a beach chair were enough to make us feel relaxed. Nowadays, as bloggers, our time is consumed by the endless online work we must do to keep the engine running. Is it worth it to you? I’ll say heck, Yeah … BUT … how can we honor all the fantastic work we see out there in blog-land? Inevitably, something has to give or you’ll never get any sleep.
“I think blogging is a muscle that most people wear out.” Warren Ellis
On Blogging: I Like You But… Struggles We Face
When I started blogging in 2004, I responded to every comment no matter how nasty the reader was. I was generally polite, believing that these critics would be so charmed by my professionalism that they would see the error of their misogynist ways and swiftly run out to read a bell hooks book. Ha! Jessica Valenti
It’s been so amazing. I’ve always struggled with this barrier that I felt like I’d had up until blogging came along. Just one comment from somebody really sparks something in me. It doesn’t need to be this huge war between me and the listeners anymore. I really thrive on that. Imogen Heap
How do You Manage? At one point in my early blogging life, I was receiving about 3000-5000 emails and it was a nightmare to respond to all in a timely fashion; even with a system in place, it was challenging. I felt that my blog friends deserved a response in like manner and I still do. For me, blogging friendship is also about reciprocity… No one likes to feel like they are having a one sided conversation or that they are the third banana on a wheel. Without loyalty, reciprocity and active communication, a friendship would be nothing but a farce. Yet, I found myself falling behind in blogland and, when I started dealing with health issues, it simply got out of hand. Finally, I had to shut off notifications and clear the deck and get back to a more manageable number… I learned a lot from the experience too — and about human nature. It now makes sense to me how important it is to grow gradually, prioritize effectively, and be mindful of your limits as a blogger. I still dream of the day when I’ll be able to return every visit and enjoy the impressive array of blog selections in the blogosphere but, for now, we can only do small batches at a time. As your blog grows, these are important and brutally honest conversations you must have with yourself. Is there some feeling of guilt? Sure!
Does Humor Help? Do you have days when you want to stop blogging? One day, I was thinking about a humorous way to address the struggles we all face as bloggers and the following ideas, see below, popped in my head. While we can chuckle over them, the challenges of managing an active blog are real. When you factor in the layer of new demands that come into play when you have monetized your blog, have sponsors, and personal/family needs to handle, it takes great wisdom to manage it all and avoid burnout. Sure, there are days when I think I need to take a hiatus and catch up on other pressing needs yet, I come back to this process again and again. Why? Because I do love the creativity it inspires, the exchange of ideas, and the interactions; albeit a somewhat challenged one. I find blogging to be very therapeutic and a way to express a wide range of ideas we have percolating in our heads. Yes, it can become a double edged sword but that is why we need to stay vigilant and honest about the work. As a dear friend recently told me; “As long as you’re enjoying it, STAY! The day you stop enjoying it, QUIT! Forget about accolades and being everything to everybody as that is UNREALISTIC.” That said, I’ll keep trying my best to make this – content creation, communication and reciprocation – all work.
THINGS TO SAY WHEN YOU JUST CAN’T ADD ONE MORE COMMENT AFTER #275!
I won’t be commenting on your blog tonite because: http://wordpress.com/#!/fresh/
The cat has the dog by its neck,
I’m feeling the brilliance but carpel tunnel is killing me,
Hey I’ve got 5000 others to like and one hour to do it,
I’m loving the post and I’ll be back,
I can’t find my pen oh shit I don’t need one – busted,
SShoot. It’s been a while since you said hello!?
Ice, ice baby for a short while, dig?
Duh? What to say? You said it all!
Sheesh! I agree with you, you want me to write that too?
I’m an A list- D list – Z list … too darn frazzled, busy blogger – my 15 minutes await … no, they’re up!
Did I tell you about the 7 hours I spent staring at the beavers today? Yep
Okay, so?
I’ll come back for more … later!
More Below!
My blogging life is basically goalless. I like the zen nature of that, and paradoxically, it improves results. Seth Godin
On Blogging: I Like You But… Struggles We Face
Blogging is great, and I read blogs all day long. However, my goal is really to have a deep, meaningful discussion with people. For some reason, I’m able to accomplish this best via email. Jason Calacanis
I started blogging a decade ago because I like blogging. Writing’s a kind of lonely thing to do, and I liked the idea of demystifying the process because I loved it as a kid and teenager and as somebody who wanted desperately to write. Neil Gaiman
There are 100 million blogs in the world, and it’s part of my job as the co-founder of WordPress to help many more people start blogging. Matt Mullenweg
What to do? As the blogosphere continues to explode and more folks join the fray, it is imperative that we stay honest about what we can/can’t do. While blogging can consume massive amounts of our time, the reality of it all is that, to maintain longevity as bloggers, we need to keep pushing ourselves to grow and try new ways of reaching others, writing our content, and staying connected. Some tips to consider include: Take the time you need to regroup. I took about almost a year off and came back refreshed and determined to find a way to better manage my online time … I’m still figuring that one out. Set realistic goals that work for you and, trust me, DON’T JOIN EVERYTHING! For now, I’d love to say that I’ve hired some VAs to help me stay in touch and on point and they will be stopping by your site in a click but, there is so much more work to do about this issue. Perhaps, one day a tech wiz will create an app that you can add all the blogs you love on it and it will visit each one and generate the perfect response, in your voice, that fits the topic at hand. For now, we can only dream, think about solutions, and do as much of the heavy lifting that still takes a lot of time/energy and leaves us feeling not 100% fulfilled on the delivery/reciprocity end of the conversation.
What more can we do? Another set of goals all bloggers must have, include: To practice self-care, to learn to be nicer and not competitive with each other, and to keep maturing and stretching ourselves and our blogs on the journey. That said, all bloggers deserve a PAT on the BACK! Thank you to all of you who stop by to read my blog; active participants, blog buddies/family/friends, silent visitors, sponsors, the curious, and more. I’m proud of YOU and grateful for the connections!
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: Pat On The Back – Tell someone you’re proud of, just how proud you are.
Positive Motivation Tip: Blogging is for the long haul and can be both a satisfying and draining process … enjoy the ride!
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos My blog, Blog 1, Blog Monkeys, Anonymous blogger, via Wikipedia, Voice-In by Blogging Librarian, BlogWords by Kristina B, via Flickr
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
I feel like sometimes it’s too competitive. There is enough for everyone, right?
Honestly Robin, I just don’t get the meanness and vicious competition that some bloggers seem to thrive on… There is enough for everyone, Sis! <3 Yes.
Blogging takes up so much of my time. I do hire a VA (my sister) more and more these days. I miss the days when I only blogged about my life and the kids.
I hear you! At least you still make time to read a bit more than most… 🙂
Being a blogger has it’s ups and downs for sure. I don’t thinkt here is anyone completely happy all of the time.
True… 🙂
I just wrote about this very topic. Great post!
Indeed yes! Great minds think alike Marsha. <3 I loved reading your post too. 🙂
I love everything about blogging. The only thing I don’t really like is that the readers don’t necessarily appreciate what goes into blogging – but that’s not why we do it, so that ‘s ok!
We do the best we can, right? 🙂
This is a great post…turn around, I would like to pat you on your back. I too have been blogging on an off and my intention is not make money from it necessarily but more as a way to teach and share my lessons learnt. Should an income flow to me at some point, that is a bonus but for now, I am the one paying to spread the message imprinted on my heart.
I love what you are doing with your blog Claudette and I appreciate that your heart is fully in the process. I started blogging with similar intentions and, over time, monetizing it made perfect sense. I still write all my posts from my heart, write about topics that align with motivating/helping/informing self and others, and say NO to products that don’t mesh with what I stand for. <3 That said, I am grateful for the genuine contacts and connections I have made. I hear you and know you will continue to grow and shine! Thank you dear one! <3
You are most welcome and don’t get me wrong, I will monetize but only in ways that match my spirit – just as you have. Namaste.
Oh yes! I understood that too. <3
You blog is excellent, the photos, the quotations- I especially enjoyed your post with all of the blogging thoughts and issues.
This is my sixth year and recently I took a ten day hiatus. How strange it felt.
My blog is a photo or two day, a few thoughts, a daily sketchbook. It’s something I do everyday like brushing my teeth. it’s a commitment. But I know what you mean by the thousands of emails. It’s overwhelming. And there are times when I think maybe I should just stop blogging and pursue other activities, read more books.
I thought in my retirement I’d have more time to participate fully and reciprocate and show my appreciation for readers and commenters. I’d write thoughtful and thorough responses to everyone who dropped by.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and questions to consider. Your experience and wisdom about blogging are valuable.
Gosh Ruth, I was just responding to Gilly about how much I miss the WP group we all shared.You were one of my favorite photography sites to visit and I always learned a thing or two about depth, angles, focus and such from your submissions. Blogging is an exhausting yet rewarding commitment. It has offered me more than a creative outlet and I am grateful for the time but, boy, I miss reading 10-12 books a week and that bloody well pisses me off! I was just discussing that with my kids and they encouraged me to just cut back which I have done… I’m mustering up the courage to cut back some more because I have an offline life that I want to enjoy more. Thank you for reconnecting, I will be returning the visit to catch and inhale the beauty of your photos. TY! <3
Thanks for your nice response. I’m following Gillys idea of following 100. Enjoying offline life is a worthy endeavor and I look forward to your return or intermittent online visits.
Thank you and likewise. <3
I have been blogging for six months now and it is difficult but so rewarding at the same time. I wouldn’t change it for a thing!
Great! make sure to stay on top of the requisite work that blogging demands and decide if you want it to remain a hobby or become something more.
I follow about 100 blogs that I love and try to resist adding more – difficult when there are so many fabulous sites to visit. At the start I used to reply to everyone and get really excited when I had new followers, but it isn’t about that anymore, I just can’t do it. I feel a bit guilty sometimes but hope that my blog at least makes a few people smile.
Gilly, I had so many notes that I wanted to add to this post but realized people don’t’ even have time to read through much these days. I was thinking of you and our WP group of Blog friends and how much I miss those days when we were all doing the rounds… I feel a bit gutted about it but, after my health challenges, I just couldn’t keep up… It still makes me sad and I dream of the day when funds will allow me to get extra help for our specific WP blog group/community. I’m glad we’ve stayed in touch and I will make extra effort to return the visits. Believe me, I feel the pain of it daily. Thank You! <3
Yes i agree with you i need to practice for my self care
We all do! <3
Yes i have a days that i am thinking to stop blogging sometimes its so hard for me i have a 1 year old son and i can’t focus on my writing
Take the time you need to spend with your child… you can even write about the joy of playtime with your kid… You can also join group prompts like the WordPress: Daily Post Prompts
They are great at generating topics you can write about. I love it. <3
Sometimes its so hard to start writing for my blogs. I took an hours just to write.
Keep it going and it will get a bit easier for you! <3
yes, blogging is great. You can express anything you want. Love your post! Worth reading it.
Thank you Nicole! <3
I just took a couple month blogging break, which was nice, but now I am back and refreshed 🙂 it can become a little much at times.
Yes it can. Welcome back!
I definitely can relate to this post. As a blogger, it is a constant struggle to stay in balance and there are endless opportunities and requirements that need to be handled in order to succeed at it. Refocusing and being organized, being mindful of my goals all help me keep it on an even keel.
Well said Jessica! Staying in balance is a key struggle all bloggers face; those of us who want to look at this honestly would admit that it is time consuming in good and bad ways. I also believe that we can make clear choices to create a calendar that honors our offline life while satisfying our online desire to share and grow. The choice is ours to make and if we don’t learn that self-care is a critical factor in this game, we will learn the hard way. TY! <3
I don’t like the time when I am not updating my blog.
Why? You need some downtime…
nice to read this. When I was in Malaysia and earning some awards from blogging and received top ranking from fashion lookbook sites, I was exhausted. I feel like i have to do all those things and make everyone proud. It was tiring. for couple of years, it was full of events, socializing and all but no more fashion updates and stuffs. 2016 is another year for me to persue being a fashion blogger full-time and slowly getting back.
Phew! I can only imagine all that running around you were doing. I’ve done that too and now make judicious choices on what I can add to my blogging calendar. We all have to learn that this business can take up every bit of time we have and we have to protect that. TY! 🙂
I started blogging just so I preserve all good memories I have whenever I travel and to share it with my friends and travel buddies. Beyond them, I wasn’t expecting other visitors in my site. But as my readership grew, I realized I have to write for them and not just for my sole satisfaction. It’s good to know when my post inspires or adds information to any of my readers.
True! As our readership grows, we have to expand to include posts that meet the arc of that growth. That said, we must still remain vigilant about our limits and our other offline commitments. <3
I started blogging in 2006, gained some friends and made some money. Until now I still keep in touch with at least 6 of them. A pat on the back for sure!
Fantastic! It does offer all of what you mentioned for sure. 🙂
Blogging for 8 years is really impressive! You have def. been through it all I bet with social media changes, especially! Good luck in the future!
Thank you Christine. There’s always new stuff to learn and connections to build. I do enjoy alot of it. 🙂
I write my blog for me. I have always loved writing, so my blog is my outlet. I also love reading other blogs. I find most of the blogs that I read in blogger groups. 🙂
I do a bit of both; for me and a sponsor… But I keep it free from endless ads.
There are definitely days when I want to stop blogging and when that urge happens, I take a break! Little breaks from creating content actually help me out a lot and I’m ready to come back with new outfits, styled shoots, and how-to guides than ever before!
Yes, those creative breaks are essential to our survival. 🙂
I’ve been blogging about a year. I seriously love it, but I spend a crap ton of time doing it. I need to figure out how to organize my time better.
Yep. We all do!
Blogging is a hard process i started using my blog as an outlet for myself and my personal things when I saw people was getting interested and I saw the possibility of making it a sustainable business it started getting harder and a bit stressful at times but like you said it’s a ride
Yes, Amy! We can adjust our goals or find other outlets too. 🙂
A great read, my sister in law got me into blogging and I do love it. Gives you the chance to talk about whatever you want and everyone is so supportive on the groups.
Yes, It does have its benefits. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experiences in such a candid and useful manner. I haven’t been blogging very long, I started mainly as a way to organize and share my Photography. But along the way I have become passionate about sharing the locations I photograph more than the photographs themselves and it has sparked a different kind of hobby. It is challenging and time consuming, but reading about experiences like yours, people who have been doing this for a long time and still find it rewarding, is definitely a motivation to keep at it.
Thank you Karina! Maintaining our passion is definitely key to surviving the blogging grind. Sometimes bloggers forget what triggered their interest and then they try to copy/become like another blogger because they think that is where the gravy train stops. Copying others is a road to dishonesty and utter neglect our our own talents. If we stay honest about our own motivations behind blogging, we will ride the up/down waves and maintain a candid perspective about it all. It is a lot of work to do it well and taking time to rejuvenate will help us stay the course. TY for your honest feedback. 🙂
Oh I remember the early 2000’s and the quote/unquote blogging. It was an interesting time.
Hahaha! Yep, still is .. 😉
I hate taking pictures and I hate always comparing myself to other bloggers (I try not to but it happens!) But there are a lot of things I love about it so I keep doing it 🙂
Sure, there is as much good as bad in it.
I like the idea or content of your article today. Like you, I blogged at first because of my bff who lived farther away. I did it to keep everyone updated on our lives and we all decided to create a blog, not only for ourselves, but also to give news to those who don’t know about us not with our personal lives but, the experiences we have.
It starts that way for many people and then evolves. 🙂
It’s a ton of work, but I enjoy every minute of it. Every day I find out something , I learn something new and find a new blog to follow. Great post thank you for identifying with all of us YES there is enough for all of us 🙂
Great!… Yes, there is enough. 🙂
I love blogging and the network of all the individuals coming together to support one another. I love writing, doing crafts, and cooking so I love being able to share that with people.
Keep it up! 🙂
Thanks for this very detailed post on blogging. I think am definitely going to follow tips mentioned by you. Blogging can really become mind boggling sometimes.
It can… 🙂
I have to agree with Robin. I just don’t get the competitiveness like the way people will hide their sources or just sort of ignore people who ask for help. When I see bloggers like that it really rubs me the wrong way, and I go out of my way to unfollow them. I will tell anyone anything about how I was successful doing something. I love when someone tells me the same thing worked for them, too. I don’t know why more bloggers don’t want to share their knowledge with each other.
I feel the same way Stephanie. I remember asking for help in one group and got 0. What’s the point of all this if people see it as a battle… Yuck! 🙂
This is sooo cute.. I think humor in blogging is so essential… and make sure blogs are easily read is key.
Hahaha! I agree that we need to keep it user friendly too. 🙂
I do think it is hard to keep everything straight and together when you’re blogging. its easy to lose track of why you started blogging/love blogging in the first place and get bogged down by the other stuff.
The distractions are many too… Haha! 🙂
Keeping a list of daily, weekly and monthly things to do is very important for a blogger, especially a new one. It can get overwhelming when seeing all the sharing and networking required.
Yes… very important because the overwhelm can hit hard.
I have my good days with blogging and my bad ones. Thank goodness I can take breaks when I have bad days.
Good for you. We all should have offline days.
I know time management is really hard for many bloggers. You get pulled in different directions all the time.
Ah yes, the love and hate of blogging. It really takes a lot of work and effort, but at the end of the day when I read comments and emails from my readers, it’s such a rewarding feeling.
It’s great when people leave meaningful comments and you know it means they read the post. That is truly joyful. 🙂
Blogging is hard work. It’s difficult to maintain more than one blog, work, do household chores and be your child’s tutor and caretaker at the same time. I did manage for a while, but it was so stressful doing everything day in and day out. I’m currently out of work but will resume once my son’s school is over.
I wish others would come clean too. I love your honesty about this. Trying to do it all would consume us… balance is key.
I’m working on moderation. Like you said, it’s a big time suck. I just took a trip and couldn’t blog while I did (not a recreational trip, sadly). It was nice to be away but now I’m so far behind on commitments. If I jump right in, it’ll be the same old cycle. If I don’t, I’ll miss important deadlines. I’m at a crossroads and trying to ensure I take the fork of moderation. My ‘other stuff’ is way way too important to let sit on a back burner for any job/hobby/etc., even one I love (which I do love blogging). 🙂
That is very, very important = MODERATION! <3 I agree with your perspective too.
I just started blogging few weeks ago. For a long time, i always wanted to do it. Now i am happy I started it and I learn a lot of things everyday. Not only about blogging but also from reading other people’s blogs.
Welcome aboard and enjoy the ride! 🙂
It can be a cut throat business sometimes. I have been blogging for a long time too and there are days I love it and days I just want to relax and do nothing.
Same here… I love my easy days too. 🙂
Blogging is really a great way to improve your writing and communication skills. It’s also takes time and effort to establish yourself.
Definitely. It takes a lot of time… 🙂
I never really learned about blogging till 2008 but now I love it.
Welcome aboard Rose! 🙂
Love the quote by Warren Ellis” I think blogging is a muscle that most people wear out.” As always I enjoyed reading your post! I love blogging, this makes me happy!
Good. It can be mood shifting for sure…. Maintain vigilance over what you can/can’t do.
I love my blog and I love spending time cultivating it. I wish it were not such a competitive world for reviews and such, but that is a part of life, right. I am just grateful to be able to practise what I love, in a non judgmental capacity – writing from the heart.
Good to see you here… it’s been a while. 🙂
LOVE the starting quote! lol this was such a much needed post for me! I took two weeks off and felt like I had to get back on the bandwagon or I’ll get lost in social media! Blogging is no joke, and I love when people want to see the process from beginning to start. but I think they would have to follow me around for a week to really get it, lol! Great Post!
Thank you and welcome back to the grind. Haha! 🙂
Blogging definitely takes more time than most people realize!
Yes, it DOES! 🙂
My sister needed help with her blog with content and ideas so now I’m a frequent guest writer for her.
It’s a really hard work that love and sometimes hate but, in the end, when I’m passionate about something, get to write it on my blog and get feedback from my readers, I think it pays off.
It does have its payouts. 🙂
I hate the competition that comes with blogging. I have a very close friend that blogs and it almost feels like a competition to write about certain things first or take new steps with our blogs. It always feels like someone is waiting in the wings to say one of us is copying the other.
Yikes! That is not good at all… I would encourage you to have a chat with her to clear the air… Blogging should not be about who gets to the gate first. :O
Omg, I am over here cracking up at your responses to “THINGS TO SAY WHEN YOU JUST CAN’T ADD ONE MORE COMMENT AFTER #275”. From one blogger to another…I understand. Thanks for sharing your blog experience with us. 🙂
You made my day! I love humor and you seem to be the only one who noticed the jokes… Hahaha! 🙂
I feel you! I don’t think people realize how incredible tough blogging is!
They really don’t know… 🙂
I am feeling overwhelmed trying to get going as a new blogger. I still care about content over everything else and am trying to find that balance between promotion and authenticity. Thanks for your post.
You are on the right track… Keep asking yourself the tough questions as they will guide you well. 🙂
Sometimes answering every comment and email can get out of my hands but then i get so excited when somebody truly loves my desserts, my photos, my content. It makes so happy. The pleasure I feel can not be describe with words.
I know the feeling. 🙂
I started blogging because I wanted a place to share the three things that matter a great deal to me…My walk with God, fashion and information. I have found some great friends through this platform and I am looking forward to greater things
Good for you and stay true to your goals and you should be fine. What happens in this business is that some bloggers spend time trying to compete with others, undermine them or tear them down. They are unclear about their own goals so, they copy other people’s goals and then get all resentful… Bloom where you are planted. We can’t all be XYZ bloggers. Stay true to your passions as that is what will help you grow. Bloggers should stop doing black SEO to steal traffic and other crap some of them do… It will hurt them in the long run. 🙂
I’m learning that blogging can definitely be stressful. I just started last November and already the pressures of posting everyday on various social media platforms, commenting on blogs, responding to comments on my blog, etc… is becoming overwhelming. I’m learning to just do what I can and not feel guilty if I can’t do it all. I’m learning more about time management and prioritizing. Blogging is a great way to share my passion with others, so I’ll definitely keep at it, I just need to figure out how to do it and still have a life in the real world! Great post.
Yes, it is a precarious balancing act and demands vigilant self care… Take time to prioritize and set limits. 🙂
I love blogging but there are times I am about to give up. Great piece of content you have here.
I just started blogging a few months ago and I felt alone, competitive, drained and accomplished all in a span of 6 months. Just like you mentioned. Luckily, my love for writing and telling a story will keep me going. I love blogging throughout it all.
Welcome to the Blogosphere. Enjoy the ride! 🙂
Wonderful post. I’m just starting out on a blog. I have to say it is a lot of work and I’m still on the learning curve. It is for sure hard to follow and comment on fellow bloggers posts as well as keep up with my own blog.
Enjoy the creativity and set a pace that works for you. 🙂
I started blogging last year just to inspire others. I thought blogging is just writing in your blog. Little did I know that you need to join bloggers groups to gain more traffic. So far, I enjoy interacting with my fellow bloggers.
You don’t have to join anything to be successful but, it helps to connect with like-minded folk who truly support and encourage you. The groups have their up and down side. 🙂
I am a relatively new blogger. I began blogging as a means attempt enlighten people to eat healthy. I have met some wonderful bloggers who have shared their skills with me.
Welcome and enjoy it. Don’t take yourself too seriously… It can be rewarding in many ways.
Thanks for sharing this with us. I am a newbie in the blogosphere and it’s always beneficial for fellows like me to get a tip here and there. And honest accounts from bloggers is a great boast indeed!
Welcome aboard George! 🙂
I blog because it is like therapy for me. There are so many pent up emotions that I keep within me, for fear that I may hurt someone’s feelings. Writing is a way for me to be in another world, in another time, as a different person – confident, successful and healthy.
You and I are sisters and that is key to me too… It is therapeutic, creative and a great way to explore and learn… Yep. 🙂
I have a very stressful day job. I blog to de-stress. My blog is an offshoot of my hobby of watching films and theater and concerts and my love for writing. I am lucky that my wife supports me on this aspect.
This is truly what it should be for most of us. TY! 🙂
I agree that blogging is for the long haul. It can be hard to be patient. But if we put in the work and the effort, it will pay off!
True… sometimes the payoff is burn out if we don’t take care of ourselves and be clear about what we want out of it. 🙂
Before I started Blogging seriously I didn’t realize that the blogging world had so many social norms. It’s actually a little funny to think about how blogging is its own little world. Sometimes it gets competitive and even mean but the majority of bloggers I’ve met have been great. It’s also great to know that there’s people out there that relate to my lifestyle.
Yes, it is its own little cocoon in a huge arena and with it comes good and bad. I’ve met lots of wonderful people through it … and some nasty folks too. That’s part of life, right? 😉
It’s definitely a tricky slope. It’s easy to get boggled down by trying this or that to keep your numbers up. Sometimes you need to stop and refresh. Great post.
Exactly… refresh and regroup. <3
I love this because this truly speaks to me. There are so many blogs that I love to read but there is only so much time in the day. So how do I divide my time between the blogs I love and my family while taking care of my own. It’s tough but as you said, you don’t have to do it alone.
It is tough going, and then we read posts that tell us to do more of this and that and the other without stopping to think that many of us have equally demanding lives outside of the blogging community. To do it well, you need extra help and a reality check of what’s feasible for you. TY Amanda and yeah, you forgot to mention the haters who were after you. Hahaha! LOL! 🙂
Great post. Indeed Blogging is a long term relationship. 2-3 friends of mine started to blog looking at me and gave up after a couple months!!!
Ha! 🙂
Nice post. Blogging is a challenge and it’s even harder to get regular viewers as well. I kind of view blogging as a second job that I don’t make any money at. LOL! I love your point of view.
Thank you. Enjoy what it brings to you… someday the money will come too.
Thanks for another great post. I love blogging and still enjoy it, I do feel frustrated at the slow but steady growth . Guess I should not be comparing myself to the super successful bloggers.
You can compare but it is best to focus on our own game. Keep it up!
Totally relatable post – and some great tips, too. Thank you!
Thank you Rochelle! 🙂
This is a great post. I don’t think I have been a victim of online bullying but I guess I do not want to experience it!!! I have been blogging for more than a year now with my blog (I have an older blog but I failed to maintain it. Therefore the change.) and it’s kind of hard with 2 kids. But I thought, there are moms who have more kids than I do who are able to manage it so why not. What I do not like is bloggers taking advantage of other bloggers and who don’t really do their ‘job’.
Sadly, the behavior is rampant. Many bloggers soon find out that such bullying behavior has a negative impact on them … in the long run. Blogging is a creative outlet that can bring in some funds but, to truly enjoy it, we must mind our own houses… 🙂 I’m with you.
I love to blog and read blog. That gives me an platform to express myself and share my thoughts. Plus at the same time read about others opinions and experiences.
Such a great share. So thoughtful. I am struggling with balance and self-care! Days just go by in a blur.
You are not alone… We all need to work on that part of the business. 🙂
I think it takes a lot of time and effort to succeed as a blogger. I am trying my best. the post is a very practical one.
Thank you! I think if we stay true to our original goals, we will keep revisiting our plan and tweaking it. TY!
I can so relate to this post and felt that every word mentioned is so true and it does happen in this so called virtual world of blogging. Some people think it is easier to copy the contents when we have put in so much efforts to write every single thing.
Sad but true… I also think we could all be nicer and stop trying to wreck other people just because we are mad at them.
The blogging world can be very hard, but I have found many friends and we share the positive and good thing about blogging. It is really amazing
Sure, there is as much good as there is negative. We swim through it all. 🙂
I commend you for replying to every comment on your post. Sometimes, I think of doing that in my blog posts but I just don’t have thetime.
Thank you CR! Honestly, I wish I could respond to everyone but time is a challenge for me too. Right now, I have thousands of comments in moderation that I need to approve and plan to come back to and comment on in the near future.
I always find an inspirational post from you exactly when I need it! I feel a connection with so many bloggers although I have never met any of them and I love how we all work together to help each other out when needed!
I’m glad you do. That is what it should be for all of us but unfortunately, it isn’t. 🙂
That said, the blogging world is a microcosm of the real world we inhabit … which comes with a lot of complicated issues. <3
I am in the process of developing self-balance and self-care
Good for you! <3
We can be competitive without being mean, that is how I see it. As another blogger says, there is enough for everyone
The only person I compete against is myself. Frankly, I don’t see why we even need to see each other as competition… There truly is enough for everyone who works at making their blog something to be proud of… In the time I’ve been in this business, I’ve seen bloggers run themselves out of the business by doing underhanded, illegal or downright vicious things to each other. People behave like that out of fear and desperation, and the payout/reward is temporary while the damage is long lasting…
I have a love affair with blogging for the most part. I feel like it’s changed a ton over the years though. I still hang in there.
It’s like that fo so many of us. True. 😉
i agree. blogging is an awesome experience. keep up the great work
Yes, it can be awesome too. Thank you for stopping in Khaliah! 🙂
I am so glad to come across this blog, Elizabeth! As a new blogger, well, I only started blogging since 2017 I still have many things to learn. I am glad to have joined some of the valuable group of bloggers and exchange ideas and help each other grow. I have never felt my life so enriching after I started my blogging life one year ago. Thanks for sharing your blogging experience to us. 🙂