What I Learned My First Year of Blogging!

Wow, when they say so much can happen within a year, that saying is so true. Last year went by so quickly, and I learned so much just by starting. I get a lot of questions about starting a blog and how to start, so I figured I would share all the things that I learned by just starting. If you’re looking for me to say that this is a piece of cake and it’s easy, then don’t read this blog post lol. It takes a lot of time and consistency. But it’s all worth it because at the end of the day it’s your vision, your ideas, and your self-expression.

Invest in yourself
I learned this year that investing in yourself is so important. Yes, you can buy all the fancy equipment, but if you’re not truly devoted and committed, it means nothing. I always get questions about finding money to start, and my advice is to start with what you have. If you have a phone, begin with that the rest will come!

Comparing is the devil
In the words of my friend Ebone “you’re comparing your first day to someone’s 1228th,” it’s so easy when you start a project of any to compare yourself to someone who inspires you or whos probably been in the industry for over 10+ years. In the world of social media, it’s so easy to start comparing yourself to other people, especially when you start blogging. You start to overthink what you’re doing and question whether it’s good enough. I did this all last year a million times and sometimes can be a terrible habit. It really can shoot down your creativity hell, even your confidence. When I have moments like this, I take a break from Instagram altogether. Whether it’s for a day or a few hours, sometimes stepping away is best for your mental health.

Growing is hard
I’ll be honest. I thought that building an audience was going to be a lot easier than it is. This year I fought the battle of the Instagram algorithm, posts not being seen, and unread blog posts lol. I remembered the reason I started my blog, and it wasn’t for likes, and that’s what pushed me to keep going.

Planning, Planning, Planning!
I’m someone that tends to like to go with the flow and to do things as they come. This year that got thrown out the window, and I became a planner lol. The only way to be consistent is to plan everything. I work full-time, go to the gym, and create content all on a schedule lol. At first, I thought it was not very pleasant, but it keeps me on track and, most importantly, consistent!

I hit many milestones this year and have so many more things to learn and achieve. It is all a continued learning process with so much more to learn. Thank you for all of your support and mostly just reading my blog! I hope you learned something, and remember, just start!