Dear self,
Happy One Month Anniversary!
I first launched my website with my first two posts on August 19, 2018. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from blogging for just a month. It actually astonishes me that I’m still standing and continuing to blog because I felt almost certain that my determination to start one would run out within a week or two (probably because I went and spent the money to be self-hosted)! I feel really happy and proud that I’m still here, and I enjoyed the little journey I’ve gone through so far.
At a glance – As of Saturday, September 22:
Twitter followers: 198
Instagram followers: 505
Blog subscriptions: 17
* I was contacted by a seller / vendor for the first time on Thursday to get a free article of clothing in exchange for a review *
I think I did pretty well considering that the numbers above well exceeded my expectations and can only hope that it will grow from here!
A few valuable things I learned from my one month of blogging are:
1. Blogging is harder than I thought.
It was a little tricky getting started with WordPress, but I eventually got the hang of it! Being able to word things eloquently yet simply is an art that not everyone can master. Knowing how to format and organize the contents of your blog post takes time. Writer’s block gets in the way! I’m also very good at over-complicating and elongating things.
My post drafts literally look like this sometimes …
Blogging is actually not difficult but it’s just a lot more time consuming than what I expected. I was just complaining on Twitter this previous Sunday about how it took me four hours to complete the last 20% of my blog post! Unbelievable.
Between typing up my blog post and formatting it, it also takes a bit of time each day to maintain some sort of a presence on social media, not to mention taking nice pictures. I’m really only on Twitter and Instagram (and trying Bloglovin’) and I find it hard enough to be active on both platforms. I don’t count my Pinterest as unfortunately I’ve really slacked on that end and I’m actually regretting that I even made one. Bringing traffic from Pinterest to my blog seems hella tough and of a lot of work for a newbie! I’m still trying to pin and post things on that platform but its definitely on the back burner for now.
2. My life isn’t as boring as I thought.
Starting my blog forced me to recall all the things I’ve ever done or experienced for the sake of coming up with topics to write about. I surprised myself with the list I came up with, as I always feel like I never do anything interesting! I realized that not everyone has gone through hygiene school, or been to the Philippines, or is / has been in a long distance relationship. We all have unique experiences to share with the world that others may find interesting and helpful.
There’s so much that I actually do that I take for granted; I feel incredibly humbled and more appreciative of my life now that I’ve realized it, and I’m eager to share all these little things!
One of my fears when I started blogging was that I’d run out of things to blog about. However after jumping in and starting my lifestyle blog, I now see that I shouldn’t have worried about that at all. I say that now because for the most part I’m only publishing one post a week, but I’ll probably find myself in a rut if I tried increasing my posts published in a week!
3. I have a greater appreciation for nature.
In conjunction with #2 and appreciating the life I live, I’ve learned to “stop and smell the roses” more. This came from me brainstorming about potential blog posts and looking to my surroundings in hopes to take bulk pictures so I can use them on my Instagram feed. Since my bedroom is far from organized and looking aesthetically pleasing, I often find myself outside looking for inspiration. Doing this for a month has made me keener to the things around me that I often overlook. I’ve lived in this house for over a decade and I didn’t realize how many different kinds of plants my mother grew. It’s sad but I think I’ve caught up with what’s around me now!
My Hopes For the Future
I really hope to consolidate my work hours / days so I’m not working five to six days a week and can thus have more time to blog. I want to continue meeting fellow bloggers, reading and commenting on their posts, and be a part of that supportive network. The blogging community is great and I’ve made a few connections with awesome bloggers that I aspire to be like. Hopefully I’ll learn how to tweak that darn SEO, learn more about Google Analytics, better time management, as well as learn to take better pictures!
Maybe I’ll pursue one of my passions as a variety game streamer? Maybe one day I’ll start vlogging. Another cool thing that I’d love to achieve is getting involved with affiliate marketing. Who doesn’t love getting stuff they love and getting paid a little for it? It would be amazing if this ever turned into something more than just a personal blog but that remains to be seen!
Dear future me, DON’T GIVE UP! Starting this blog has been fun and amazing so DON’T STOP!
Thanks for reading! x
What was it like when you started your blog?
Birth Control Delivery – Better Access To Care
Things I Didn’t Know Before Blogging
Forager – A Cute and Highly Addictive Game
Things To Consider When Buying a Blog Theme
Alex says
September 23, 2018 at 3:00 pmThis is awesome, Geraldine! You’ve done really well for just over a month. I think I’ve had my blog for a year now, and I’ve slacked so much that it feels like I’m starting out totally new. Getting your perspective on starting blogging is actually really helpful. And you’re so lucky to have been to the PI! I’ve always wanted to go, and my Lola wants to take me some day. Just hasn’t panned out yet.
xo,
Alex
Geraldine says
September 23, 2018 at 3:06 pmThanks so much Alex! 🙂 I know it’s so easy to get relaxed and take it easy for the blog but I know in the end I will just procrastinate more and more so I wanted to start off with some sort of structure. I was actually born there! It’s quite a bit for a trip and you can’t just stay for a week! 🙂 Hopefully one day you can go visit, I heard a lot has changed (I haven’t been there in years)
Laura B says
September 24, 2018 at 10:08 amCongratulations on your first month blogging! You’ve done a wonderful job and you should be super proud. I had similar feelings in my first month. You definitely have many wonderful things to contribute to the blogging world and the sky is the limit for the direction you’re taking your blog! Keep sharing! Can’t wait to see your future milestones!
Geraldine says
September 24, 2018 at 10:17 amThank you Laura! I definitely feel so much potential for the blog and I can’t wait to share!
bournemouthgirl says
September 27, 2018 at 2:58 pmIt took me over a year to finally post anything I was so nervous, but now I wished I had done it sooner. You have achieved great things and wrote great content and you will only develop and become more confident! Happy one month blogging! Xx
Geraldine says
September 27, 2018 at 6:37 pmI really appreciate your words of encouragement, thank you for reading! 🙂
Alison says
September 29, 2018 at 2:41 amWow, you’ve done brilliantly in your first month, well done! I’m just one month ahead of you and also have a full time job which I’m hoping to reduce the hours in! It’s hard work doing a blog on the side, but I’ve found if you have the passion, it gets done! The techie side has frustrated me too at times but I do have a couple of writing tips. The first one is a little tool called hemingway app, I’ve found this really helps to simplify my writing. http://www.hemingwayapp.com. The second tip is to open a new document on my phone and then use Google voice to ‘write’ my blog post. Yes it needs editing, but it is saving me so much time 🙂
Geraldine says
September 29, 2018 at 7:49 amI will definitely check that app out if it makes my life easier! I’ve also totally use Google Voice to jot down notes for my blog and I love it. Thank you for stopping by!
Rachel Meets China says
September 30, 2018 at 12:08 amI loved reading this post! Even if you haven’t been blogging for long I can already see your passion for it and how much you enjoy it! Keep sharing!!
Geraldine says
September 30, 2018 at 8:19 amThank you so much Rachel! 😄
With the Devaulls says
October 4, 2018 at 9:10 amCongrats on your first month of blogging! I’ve been seriously blogging for about a month now. I’ve been learning a lot! Like you, I thought that my life would be boring and what could I continuously blog about it? But thoughts and ideas keep flowing to my head! Can’t wait to see more from you!
Geraldine says
October 4, 2018 at 10:33 amThank you for reading! I am getting so many ideas now I have to sort them out and I think I’m good until next January!
Alex says
October 11, 2018 at 5:06 pmIt’s really nice to see how far you’ve come since you’ve started blogging stats wise but also personally. I’ve only been blogging for around a month and I’ve learnt some similar lessons. Nobody realises how much time blogging takes until you start blogging. Great post and I can’t wait to see more from you!
Alex x
https://allthingsalexx.wordpress.com/
Geraldine says
October 11, 2018 at 5:13 pmHi Alex! Thanks for visiting 😉 Yes I am extremely amazed at how far I’ve come and I can’t imagine the other things I will learn through the blogging journey! You’re right, no one knows how much you would actually spend in blogging. But it’s a LOT! I read a tweet a while ago where someone said it’s an OBSESSION, not a hobby. I think they’re right haha. I’ll be looking into your blog as well!
Karen Bradshaw says
October 14, 2018 at 10:22 amWell done on a really good post. One thing I have taken from this is that I want to start getting outside and taking photos. 💖
Geraldine says
October 14, 2018 at 10:57 amThank you! It’s a wonderful thing because nature is so beautiful and there’s so many different things to appreciate 😊
allthingsalexx says
October 17, 2018 at 12:06 pmThank you so much for your reply! It does become an obsession I can agree with that because you end up putting so much into it with writing, posting, promoting on social media, interacting with new people and then reading, commenting and replying to everybody! It’s great but it is hard work which I didn’t realise before I started blogging. Keep up the hard work girl🧡
Geraldine says
October 17, 2018 at 1:11 pmYes! But you are doing an absolutely fantastic job with your blog. You’re growing so fast and it’s so nice to see such growth 🙂 Thank you! You keep it up as well xx
allthingsalexx says
October 17, 2018 at 2:51 pmThank you so much for the support it means a lot! It’s exciting times for us all which is nice to see xx
Hayley says
October 28, 2018 at 5:17 pmKeep going you are doing amazing! My first posts were terrible haha – you already have your brand and what not that’s really good! One thing I have found is helping me with content lately is to draft my post ideas as I get them, chances are I will near enough write the whole post. At the moment I have two drafted posts ready to go. Perfect for when you are low on time but you want to stay consistent!
If you ever need any help, feel free to reach out to me. I have lots of resources on my blog, one of the most requested mosts is about how to increase your DA score, definitely worth a read as you are already self hosted 🙂
Hayley | hayleyxmartin
Geraldine says
October 28, 2018 at 5:48 pmThanks so much Hayley! I try to make drafts of potential posts as well, I just haven’t had too much come to me lately unfortunately! I’m trying to get my blogging calendar in order. And thank you, I will check it out!! xx