This month marks my second year as a blogger. I’ve always dreamt of being a blogger; my dream career in high school was gasp not a doctor, not a lawyer, not an engineer, but a job in the travel industries. Specifically, I wanted to be a travel blogger.
Two years ago, as my third year of medical school came to an end, I realized that I had greater passions outside of academia and that I would regret it if I never gave myself a chance to pursue my dreams. So I mustered up all the courage I could to start what is now known as emixglobe.
Through the past two years, there are many lessons I’ve learned through blogging and what it means to be a blogger, and this list is entirely different than the one I would’ve written a year ago.
Table of Contents
Struggle= Growth
Honestly, I started my blog thinking that it would just be write a blog post and upload it for the world to see. Oh boy, I could not have been more wrong. Blogging is literally a series of technical difficulties and definitely NOT just writing about your passions. It actually comes with a whole lot more tech stuff then I had initially anticipated, and if you’re not tech savvy, it will be very hard.
Setting up email lists, making your website legal, adding in codes..Honestly, two years in and I still don’t know what I’m doing. Good thing is, if there was nothing to improve about your business, then it probably signifies that your business is stagnant. Always remember, struggle equals growth.
Understanding Your WHY
This is literally one of the biggest and most important lessons I’ve learned through blogging, and something that so many people ignore so often. and that is – WHY are you blogging, and WHO are you blogging for? No matter your career, you should be taking the time to do the deep work and asking yourself…why are you doing this?
After thorough reflection, you’ll either find motivation to continue or realize that what you’re doing is not fulfilling your purpose and that you need to change paths and stop wasting your time.
Here are some signs that you need to work on figuring out your WHY:
- working on your blog doesn’t EXCITE you
- it’s hard for you to find things to write about
- you don’t even really know what to talk about in your posts
- writing is starting to feel like a burden to you
It’s OK to Reinvent Yourself
So now you’ve done the deep work, and realized, oh no! You’re actually not passionate about what you thought was your dream job and it’s not bringing you any joy or excitement to your work- DON’T FRET.
I’m going to tell you a solution that so many people are afraid of trying but literally works like magic… Get clear on what you actually want and reinvent yourself.
You started as a travel blogger but realized that writing about traveling is hard, painful work? Change Niche. Just because I like to cook doesn’t mean I have to run a food blog.
You’ve been using a certain writing style but you feel like it suppresses your voice and what you really have to say? Change your style of writing.
It is your birthright to write about what really excites you and gives you meaning in life. When you stay true to yourself, you’ll see that content comes with you with so much more ease, and your blog will grow faster than ever.
Staying Authentic in the World of AI
You’d be surprised at the amount of bloggers who use AI to write their blogs. AI can surely be helpful when it comes to certain tasks, but when you’re using it to write your entire website for you, then you should probably go back to the second point and think about why you have a blog in the first place.
Generating content with AI may be tempting at times, but when you look at your website, are you seeing content that truly makes you proud? You may not be creating content in large quantities like they are, but every piece that you make is your baby, a meaningful piece of work that you have handcrafted, and isn’t that what truly matters?
The hardest part? Staying consistent.
Oh, forget blogging. The hardest part of doing ANYTHING, is to stay consistent. Fitness, academics, eating healthy…you name it. This is something that I’m consistently (get the pun? ha) trying to work on in all areas in my life. And it truly goes back to the core of everything in my second point- is your work something that brings joy and purpose into your life?
If your answer yes, then staying consistent will just be that much easier. Not easy, but easier. If your answer is no, then your core problem probably isn’t your lack of self-discipline, but the fact that you have no drive to be disciplined.
6 Figures in Two Months is BS
I started my blog thinking that I was going to be one of those people who could make a living off of their blog within a few months. So many people on the internet claimed to have made 6 figures of xx amount of months. If they could do it, why couldn’t I? Or so I thought.
I’m sure many people have had experience with that kind of success in their business, as we see from the many stories on the internet. But what you’re not seeing are all the other 98% of the failed businesses because they’re not there to tell their story!
I’m usually not one to rain on others’ parade, but if you have a blog, or you’re thinking of starting a blog- do dream big, but please set realistic goals for yourself, and don’t let others’ achievements get you down.
But Making Money From Your Blog is Totally Possible
While you may not be having six figure months immediately (I’m still nowhere near that number after two years unfortunately), making money from your blog is definitely possible. A hundred percent. With hard work, dedication, a passion to help others, and a clear vision for your life, your goal is more than ever, within reach.
I got into one of the advertising companies that I’ve been looking at since the beginning a little more than a year after I started my blog, and I got my first paycheck around the two year mark. Did it take longer than I expected? Yes. But it also taught me to never compare my progress with others. Some might take a shorter time to reach where you are, but many others also take a much longer time.
Every journey is so unique and personal, so rather focusing on other people, place that focus on improving yourself and your blog and watch all your wildest dreams come true.
Until Next Time,
Emi
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