5 things I wish I had known during my First Month Blogging

So I have officially been a mommy/lifestyle blogger for a whole six months. For you seasoned bloggers out there, I am sure you, six months now feels like nothing. For my readers who are new to blogging, six months may feel like a lifetime. To me? It was very much so the dipping of my toes into the cold, vast waters of blogging.

Looking back at my first six months now, I certainly can see that I have come a long, long way from where I was on day one. I have had my ups and downs.  Through everything, there are certain things that I wish I would have known when I first started. Therefore, in order to hopefully educate you on some of these things so you can do it differently, here are the 5 things I wish I had known in my first month of blogging.

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What you put into it, is what you are going to get out of it.

Blogging is a lot of work.

 While it is a great platform for income, you are only going to get out of it what you put into it.

For me, I put a lot into my physical blog in the first couple of months and then slacked off on posting after that. This has affected where I am at income-wise at the six-month marker. I have watched as other mom bloggers in my network who started at or around the same time as I did soared past me in profits due to the work they put in. On the contrary, I have also watched other creator’s blogs who are at a standstill because they just do not have the time to devote.

Your blog is only going to be as good as you make it. If you want to make the big bucks blogging, you have to be willing to put in the time sacrifice from the beginning.

Organization is king.

 So truth bomb, I have never been an organized person. My journey however has taught me that in the blogging world, it is organized or bust.

Stock photos, class schedules, sponsored posts, and time management. All of these have to be organized and fit into your life somewhere. It may sound simple, but when you start trying to juggle this with your mom life, you quickly realize that you are going to drown a bit before you swim.

Organization is still something that I am working on every day for my blog. Eventually, I hope to have a schedule for my daily tasks, and reflecting back, this is probably something I should have established early on.

No matter how much you learn, there will always be something else to know. 

 If you have read any of my income reports, you are already know that I preach the fact that you will never learn everything there is to know about blogging. Six months in, I have hardly scratched the surface of everything I need to know to be successful. Never in my life did I think that blogging would incorporate so much learning!

Seriously though, I have absorbed so much information in the last six months that it is unreal. I have learned to manhandle Pinterest with Brilliant Business Moms, Inez has taught me countless lessons in blog promotion on her Facebook Mom Bloggers group, and I have picked up on more blogging lingo than I care to admit. Guess what? I will have a new topic to research tomorrow. And the next day, and the next.

You see, if you are going to be a successful blogger, you never stop looking for ways to improve. The internet is evolving every day, and so is your living, breathing blog.

Blogging is not for the weak.

When I started this blog, I thought it would be a cute, part-time hobby to fill the void of a job while I was venturing into being a stay at home mom.

Hahaha. That was a funny thought.

Currently, I can honestly say that I devote a minimum of 35 hours a week into my blog. While this is done around my children’s schedules, it is still very much so a full time job for me.

Also, I have found that as a blogger, I am exposing parts of myself that I have never showed the world. People I have never met have read into my life, judged my work, and found solace in my posts. Talk about having some weight on your shoulders. This gig is not for the weak of heart, but it is so worth it.

It is the biggest step and most exciting leap I have made in career. 

I have had some pretty amazing jobs. One of which was one of those positions that change your life forever. Blogging however, has been a completely different beast, and yet it has been so rewarding.

From the moment you hit “publish” on your first post, you are your own boss. You set the tone, you set the hours, you choose the niche. This world is all about you. I can honestly say, I have never had this flexibility and control in a position.

Not only do I get the excitement of being my own boss, but I officially have my own brand. When I started my blog, I knew that I would be creating my own tiny corner of the internet in which to express myself. I never imagined however that my tiny corner would grow to over 10,000 followers on four social media platforms outside of my blog. That my friends, is a crazy, awesome feeling. I may not be as big as Scary Mommy, but I have over 10,000 people who are interested in what I have to say. Never did I imagine I would be this big, and it is awesome!

Honestly, I could probably continue to go on and on about other things I wish I would have known when I started blogging. While it has been a fun road to come down, it has been one that has been full of twists, turns, and roadblocks, and I have loved every minute.

Ever considered starting your own blog? What is stopping you? Let me know in the comments below! Ready to start today? Check to see if your domain is available with Bluehost, and get started today!