I love blogging, it’s a great way to record memories, express opinions and share ideas. I will have been blogging for four years this summer and it truly has been life changing for me and my family. However there have been times when I’ve found myself feeling negatively about blogging, and a little bit like perhaps I’ve failed?

When I started blogging I will admit I had aspirations, hopes that my blog would earn me a living. That it would be very popular and as a result I would be able to turn my blog into a business . I felt that I’d finally found something I had  a natural affinity for, and that affinity would surely translate to thousands of hits and exciting opportunities for me. I’m being very honest here, because I’m aware it would be much cooler to say something along the lines of “I only started to record family memories and I really didn’t mind how many people read it”. But that’s not my style, the truth is I wanted to turn my blog into a business, and make a decent part time income from it.

Moving forward four years, there have been exciting opportunities, holiday and products reviews that I’ve felt very lucky to be offered. I’ve worked very hard, and I’m proud of my blog but occasionally I start to feel like I am wasting my time, I’m not making a regular income and how can I justify the hours I put into it if it’s ‘just a hobby’.

Obviously I’m not wasting my time, the blog is more than a business opportunity, it offers me a place to be me, as well as the chance for my family to experience lots of exciting things. So moving forward I need to remember to blog for the love of it. Perhaps in time I will find a way to make an income from it but for now loving it needs to be enough.

How to blog for the love of it;

Firstly I think it’s important to define success differently. My blog is successful, it’s boosted my confidence because I have proved myself capable of creating and publicising content regularly for nearly four years now, which isn’t easy. I enjoy the creative process, and I always feel good after I publish a post.

I’ve built up nearly four years of family memories, photographs, and stories on this blog. As I’ve mentioned it has shaped my families life, with experiences that we wouldn’t otherwise have had. On the other side of it I have a regular readership, and consistent stats. I’ve also built up a strong social following. So even though I will never win a blogging award, and I don’t currently earn a living from blogging, I would still call my blog a personal success. It’s so easy to define blogging success by stats and awards, but looking at it this way helps focus your mind on what you have achieved.

Secondly, and it’s an easy trap to fall into, do not compare yourself to others. It’s so easy to look at other peoples blogs and get content/design envy. Equally socialise with other bloggers online and it can be tricky not to fall into the trap of wondering why you haven’t been offered the same opportunities. Nothing good comes from this. Your blog is unique, and comparing it to other blogs or yourself to other bloggers is extremely unhelpful. Instead hold your head high and be proud of what you’ve achieved.

Thirdly, and finally, don’t forget to enjoy blogging. Create the kind of content that you enjoy creating, and it will read as much more genuine. Don’t sign up to work on projects which will cause stress or upset, instead put more energy into working on things which fit your blog and this will ultimately lead to better posts. Don’t do things because other people are doing them and you feel like you should too. Not into photography? Then use manual, thats what it’s there for. Not into speaking to camera? Then don’t feel pressure to do vlogs, just because they’re popular.

In conclusion enjoy your blog and try to remember the reasons you do it and the benefits it brings you. Happy blogging.