Blogging. I have been at it for over 6 years now, actively, that is. And if I count the first few sporadic posts then for about 8 years now. It’s a long time, isn’t it? All throughout this spell of 8 years, I have felt very passionate about blogging. The excitement never died down even when I was pregnant with M. But these past few months, I suddenly started feeling stressed by it all. And I couldn’t understand why.
Now, a lot has changed from the time I first started blogging. From a naive new blogger who would take part in every contest, write for every prompt, link up everywhere or even publish every day, I have reached a point where I follow a posting schedule and only take up projects I want to. I no longer get swayed by praise when someone wants me to write for free or for less than what I deserve. Today, I write when I want to if I want to and I certainly don’t write for free.
Over the years, a lot has also changed in terms of the topics I write about and how I write on a topic. I used to be this impulsive person who would wear her heart on her sleeves. So, most of my posts used to be raw, sometimes even without weighing the different perspectives on an issue. While I’m still the same person, more or else, but I think I have also mellowed down in terms of my reactions, at least on the blog. My viewpoints have changed, enhanced, I’d like to believe.
Why You Need To Stay True To Your Own Blogging Goals. #Blogging Share on X
I think with every passing year of blogging, I have shed some unnecessary weights that seems to bog down every blogger to start with. It’s like shedding skin and coming into your own.
The blogging world has given me a lot. I don’t think I can ever express in words what it means to me. But there are some aspects of it which I don’t think I can carry with me anymore, aspects which had begun suffocating me.
There is a lot of ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’ kind of thing in this world. Naturally, the same exists when it comes to blogging. And I’m really tired of it because I’m not even good at it. Anyway.
The past few months, I suddenly started wondering why am I not getting the fruit of all the hard work I put into blogging. What is it that I’m not doing right? Why can’t I have something as easy as maybe someone else? Why are there so many comments on a post, almost mediocre, by another blogger, while on a post of mine which I have poured my heart into not so much? This feeling got so intense that I almost lost the will to write. The fact is I really work hard every single day in everything I do. I find time to blog because I love doing it despite my busy schedule, a full-time job and a toddler at home. But all that I kept feeling was that the returns were not at par, were not as good as I’d like them to be.
And that’s when it hit me, how wrong I was. It hit me that I was craving the results that weren’t even mine or part of my journey. My blogging journey is mine and not someone else’s. But I seemed to have forgotten that. The reason I write is that I want to write. Somewhere along the way, the noise on social media about the different parameters of blogging success had begun clouding my judgement. I had let myself be carried away by the commotion and forgotten the substance of it all. For a person who has never looked at someone else’s journey to measure her own, I was turning into this stranger who wanted what someone else’s dream was. I was measuring my progress by metrics provided by someone else. The moment I realised that it was like a huge weight lifting off my shoulders.
My blogging journey is mine and not someone else's. #Blogging Share on X
I’m sharing this with you because I’m sure it happens to the best of us. It is a human tendency to get swayed by the glitter. It is human tendency to put undue pressure on ourselves. As I write this, I know that I won’t let myself get swayed by something that is external to me anymore. It’s my journey and I’ll do it my way. It’s so liberating to be able to let go of all this irrelevant baggage. It’s so good to be back on the right path, my path. So, for the past few weeks, I have cut down on all the unnecessary clutter that had suddenly become part of my blogging journey, some of which made no sense at all. Somewhere I seemed to have forgotten why I started blogging in the first place. It felt good to come back to that again.
Do what you want to do with your blogging. Don’t let someone else’s well-sold dreams become your own.
I think the problem with being a blogger is that I have to spend a lot of time on social media. That translates to updates which are so wonderfully worded and marketed that you start feeling that you need that too. But the truth is, perhaps, you don’t. It’s hard to remember that though and that’s where I failed. But hopefully, not anymore.
I have always had a clear picture of my goals when it comes to writing. I just let it get hazy, influenced by all the noise around about all the metrics which suddenly seemed to be the only point of blogging. I had wandered off my own path, gotten lost into someone else’s. I should have known better. But not anymore. It’s going to just be about my blog, my own journey and whatever comes naturally along the way.
When I look at all the successful bloggers around me, I realise that they are where they are today because they always knew what they wanted. They didn’t fashion their dreams on someone else’s. That’s why they have achieved what they have today. I should have not forgotten that. I should have held on this realisation better. But better late than never right.
I feel like a burden has lifted and the words seem to be flowing more easily as a result of that. So, maybe the whole point I’m trying to make is, do what you want to do with your blogging. Don’t let someone else’s well-sold dreams become your own. And it holds true not only for blogging but for life too.
The thing is there are so many paths that blogging can lead to. Each of us has our own ideas, our own vision for what we want to do with our blogs and how we want to go about it. Let’s stick to that because when we get influenced by a dream which is not ours, we are only slated for exhaustion and failure. Let us all explore our own wins.
Until next time.
Happy writing!
That was an interesting read, a mature look at your own introspection. I’ve been noticing that you’ve been less visible on social media for the past few weeks. I guess all the noise gets to you eventually. We do observe people/bloggers doing things, some of which makes absolutely zero sense. Some of them have changed so much that I cannot recognize their writing any more, nor do I really want to associate with them. So yes, I guess we all have had that moment when we took stock and felt what the hell am I doing. Having clear goals and definitely not getting taken in by what others are doing is certainly a very good revelation. You have learned and matured a lot over the years and I love to see that. I do hope that writing always continues to inspire you.
It felt like I was reading my own thoughts on this post Naba. In just the last couple of years, I too have noticed a drastic shift in the blogging scene. Blogging is no longer about pouring your heart out and having kindred folks share their views. It is a race or job like any other. Still, I keep reminding myself of the reason why I started blogging…for the love of the written word, and continue blogging. Maybe I just don’t have blogging goals besides the one of expressing my thoughts on my blog. I enjoy looking through my old posts and seeing how far I have come along the way, how many great friends I have made on this journey. A thought-provoking post Naba!
You might find this funny, but a blogging journey teaches you a lot about life in general. It looks all glossy at first and then when the luster dies down, you see the truth. I have been blogging for about 9 years now and I have matured with every year. One of the things that I learnt early was that this is my space and it should be about me and for me. Like you, I used to write for every contest and for every prompt, but then I realized that I was not doing to myself or my blog. From then on, I learnt my lesson.
Thank you so much for writing this post. It took me a trip down memory and sensible lane 🙂
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I think it’s wonderful that you were able to refocus yourself and remember the reason you started blogging in the first place. For some of us, it’s a labor of love; for others, they want to make money from their blog, or have their little place in the world where people know us and we empower people. Whatever your goals, it really is important to stick to them, and not get lost in all the options out there!
Great read! It’s so true, stay true to yourself, and what you love. That creates the meaningful, interesting posts that people love to read!
This is some great advice. I always stay true to myself. I won’t be like everyone else just because it seems to be the most popular thing. I always like finding unique blogs personally where things aren’t always immaculate and perfect.
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My motto is if I help one person with my writing, then I succeeded. Some posts do real well and others not so much.
I love this. Makes so much sense to me!
I think I often get lost in my blogging goals and start to feel overwhelmed. I may be a little different than most bloggers but I find that when I don’t really care and just focus on writing and sharing things that I want to, I’m more proud and happy with my work. I always have to remind myself that I didn’t start my blog to turn it into a business. Now that it’s started to turn in that direction, I don’t want to lose my way.
I couldn’t agree more. We can get boggled down from listening to what everyone else is doing that we can forget our own dreams and goals. So overwhelming and consuming to say the least.
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Just like freelancing any blogger would know that it needs way more discipline than a regular 9 to 5 job. Staying true to your blog and goals is extremely important for the success of your blog.
You should never compare with somebody else. I remember in the past I always used to look up at this particular blogger, see how much engagement she would get and how many paid posts. Then I bought SemRush and checked her blog, only to realise that she literally had 0 traffic. It was all bought, something like “you scratch my back, I scratch yours”. And then I stopped comparing, it’s not worth it. Just work on growing your own blog and enjoy the journey.
I agree with what you said that blogging is my own journey. With whatever I have reached with my blogging, I already have haters. These are bloggers and people who do not agree with me accepting remuneration for campaigns. But this is what I do and I know that I do it well.
Blogging for 8 years is a LONG time! I just started blogging and I purely do it as a creative outlet. I am not monitizing my blog and have no intentions to do so. Hopefully I can continue blogging without loosing the zeal and direction.
This is such an important blog! You’re very spot on…this is your journey! And being a blogger means we are always on social media and seeing so many different sponsorships and things others are doing…that it’s easy to lose sight of what we want and who we are.
yes that is what I have learned during blogging, we all have different goals that we want to get out of the blogging industry.
Thank you ! I needed this. I just launched my blog and it was exhausting. However, I loved writing. I will head your advice and stay true.
Some of us, the goals are to earn money from the blog. Some are just blogging because it helps them for battling (anything). We all have different goals, and we should focus on what makes us happy.
What a wonderful post! This was really eye-opening. I am starting to see things differently now. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
There are a lot of fakers out there. They will write articles about making $1000’s of dollars a month. I think they make a few because people anxious for income click and subscribe to them. This is a Very interesting topic that all bloggers probably question why they put in so much hard work. I don’t rack in the cash either, but I enjoy what I do and my readers are loyal and make me feel I am doing something valuable. But yes, everyone has their own journey. We can’t expect the same rewards either. And sometimes the rewards far exceed our expectations.
You know what, Naba? There was a time I would bemoan the change of pace in blogging. Now I say, to each her own. Whatever makes the individual happy and fulfilled is what matters. At the end of the day, we’re all here to express ourselves uniquely and that’s something we must never forget.
Did you write about me? I was going through this and still in some ways but now like you I was able to see light. I was able to realize why I started in the first place and what my journey is. The comment for comment thing doesn’t work for me. Like Corinne said, our journey is only ours.
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I cannot agree more with you! Each word actually. From posting just a random picture each day, to posting once in three months, I’ve gone through the entire cycle. And yes, finally I reminded myself that I started writing because I liked to write, not for praises showered!
I totally agree with you 109% I literally feel like you were talking about me a few months back.
It’s important to remember why you started blogging and keep that present.
I can completely relate with what you have written in this post, Naba. I personally went through this particular brand of blogging angst, earlier this year, so I can empathize.
That being said, it was also the best thing that happened to me. Because it gave me the rude awakening I needed, helped me sort my blogging direction and goals, and also continually helps me cut through all the noise on social media.
I am glad you found your path too. You do you, girl. And shine on!
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