Blogging has helped me grow not just as a blogger, but also as a person. Here are my top 3 growth points that I’d like to share as a blogger.
Blogging has turned out to be different from my initial expectations three years ago. Yes, I tried starting two other blogs, but for various reasons, only this one that you are reading now is still standing strong. I have experienced writer’s blocks, stressful times in my life when I felt like giving up (and I did, twice!), and envy when I learned about other personal finance bloggers who are thousands of times more successful. But I have also experienced happiness, satisfaction, and personal growth. There isn’t another hobby that I have had in my life journey so far that has brought me so much sustainable joy than blogging.
I now treat blogging as a serious business
One of the main reasons why I ended up abandoning the two blogs that I started was that I didn’t treat them seriously. I treated them like short-term hobbies that I could give up any time. Needless to say, when something popped up in my life, they were the first things to go. But my inner desire to blog always comes back and urges me forward.
I have decided to change my attitude towards blogging. I spent a few days ruminating over my initial version of the Mission, Vision and Values for my blog, and included them in the “About Me” section. They were the reasons why I have this blog, and they motivate me every day to live up to the goals I set up for myself.
Nowadays, I treat blogging like a serious business. I have created a product backlog for all the items I’d like to work on, and have created a weekly action log for all the tasks that I want to complete for the week. I have spent a lot more time on social engagement and search engine optimization (SEO). It is almost like I am employing Agile Methodology for myself when it comes to blogging.
I am sure there will always be unexpected things happening in my life, but, just like how I treat my regular job, I will not give up blogging so easily any more.
I no longer compare myself to others
This is another important lesson that blogging has taught me. Over the last few years of blogging, and a much longer time period of surfing the Internet, I have come across many successful bloggers whose blogs have garnered many accolades and millions of views. Some are able to fully support themselves by blogging alone, and some literally make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
I used to feel a bit sad and jealous when I come across their stories, but I have stopped comparing myself to others. Everybody has his/her own story to write. Wasting time comparing myself to others does NOTHING to help me grow my blog.
I have also changed my perspectives. Nowadays, when I find a successful blogger, instead of consuming myself in envy, I try to learn as much as I can from him/her. Does they use a theme that looks cleaner? Do they have a page on their blog that I think may be good to have on my own? How do they write their tweets? The more I learn, the more I grow as a blogger.
This habit of no longer comparing myself to other bloggers has also spilled over to my life as an individual. I find myself much happier, and have much more appreciation for the things I do have.
I am motivated to develop and maintain good habits
Because my blog is mostly about sharing money habits and self-improvement tips, I find myself become more motivated in developing and maintaining good habits in everyday life. After all, as I said in my “About Me” page, I want to be authentic and genuine. I practice what I preach. These good habits, whether they are related to time management or things I no longer waste money on, have made me not just a better blogger, but also a more financial-savvy and disciplined individual.
Check out the blogging tools I use!
- NameSilo: One of the most economical registrar and hosting companies out there. I stumbled upon this company and have been very happy with the service. It is my current registrar. Use promo code “bellawanana” at check out to get a special discount! Sign up for NameSilo here.
- SiteGround: This is my current hosting company. It is more expensive than Bluehost, but I like it for its SiteGround optimizer plugin, the free email accounts, and the better speed with my site. Sign up for SiteGround here.
- Ezoic: This is the ad network I have joined. It pays quite a bit better than Google AdSense. If you have over 5,000 pageviews a month, you should definitely consider applying for it! Sign up for ezoic here.
Final words
As a passionate personal finance and self-improvement blogger, I cannot recommend blogging enough to those of us who enjoy writing and sharing their own perspectives with the rest of the world. Blogging is quite a bit of work, and you may even lose motivation, but I have been surprised to see the positive impacts it has on my life (check out my blog anniversary post to learn more!). If you want to join in, feel free to check out my top blogging tips here, or read this article to find out what 20 financial bloggers have to share!
Do you have any thoughts about blogging that you’d like to share? Leave a comment down below!
