My Biggest Blogging Mistake

I came across blogging way back in 2009. Like any new toy, it was all fun and games initially. I started various blogs, tried membership sites, wrote a lot of content, published a few ebooks, and I was all over the place.

Blogging helped me get clients, a job as Managing Editor for a national print magazine, and connections with a lot of smart people.

In 2010, I rebranded, got a new domain name and continued blogging.

When I first started, I just kept learning, reading and blogging throughout the day. I had no real balance in my life. I tried way too many things.

The Burnout

In 2014, I was burned out. Five years of blogging, the four years before that as a retail business owner, and four years of college before all this had exhausted me physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I sold my primary blog that year. And got out of blogging. I still had about three blogs with content, and several domains lying around with me. I started spending more time in event management mostly organizing product launches, exhibitions, flea markets and promoting artists. I was having fun.

But after a while, I realized that I needed to get back into the blogging business.

The Comeback

Sometime in 2017, I made a conscious effort to get back. Blogging had worked well for me in the past. And this time, with experience behind me, I could reflect on my mistakes, start fresh and do it right.

Here’s a reflection on my biggest mistake.

Blogging like a lot of things in life is about consistency.
You don’t need a lot of intelligence, smarts, or even a college education. You must just be willing to do the same thing again and again even after it gets boring.

Many of us are excited when we start a new project, hobby, or a business. But after a while, we tend to lose interest, get bored and move on to something else. The challenge is to continue fighting it out even after it gets boring, or find a way to keep things exciting.

The most important quality of a champion is discipline. It is your ability to follow a schedule and do what you are supposed to do irrespective of your emotional state of mind.

Blogging is no different.

When I first started blogging, I wrote every day. I pitched for interviews on radio shows, made an effort to get media mentions, and was connecting with other bloggers frequently. But after a while, I ran out of steam and stopped blogging altogether. That was my biggest mistake.

It’s okay to slow down, but one shouldn’t stop. If you can’t post an article every day, post one every week.

We are going to face challenges in life. Winners go out there and face them, losers quit. You will go through super-productive phases; there will be other times when you’ll slow down. That’s life. Stick to your plan, keep tweaking it, working on it, and more importantly, learn from your mistakes.

Blogging can open up many doors for you. But new bloggers may not see results right away. It can take a while if done right.

Conclusion

My biggest blogging mistake was not being consistent. Many of us get distracted by shiny objects and are looking for the next new thing, instead of focusing our time and energy on things that are already working for us. It’s better to do fewer things but do them more consistently.

Blogging is a lot of hard work; it’s not as easy as it seems.

The hot YouTube sensation, the Instagram hottie, that travel blogger who shows up on your Facebook feed have all had to work their way to the top. If you want to make it to the top of the charts, you’ll have to sweat it out too. Luck ain’t getting you there!

What has been your biggest blogging mistake so far? Let us know in the comments below.