I was looking for an email from late 2015 when I found this:
03/02/15:
This is the first time you are sending an email using your All The Things
I do account, today marks the day your whole life changed.
WOW! That was both ambitious and so long ago. I’d like to think my punctuation has gotten better but it blows my mind that I’ve been on this journey for two years.
A lot has changes in the past two years since a creatively unfulfilled 25-year-old me hit “Publish” on that first post. The direction of the blog has become more focused and has become a huge part of my day to day life.
I remember about six months ago I was thinking about how two years was coming up and I wanted to do something big. While I didn’t schedule a live event as I had hoped, I did want to take some time to mark the occasion on the blog. Last year I didn’t too much write an anniversary post. Instead, I wrote a letter to my pre-blog self.
This year I want to talk about a few things I’ve learned in the last two years as a blogger.
Keep Going
There are so many up and downs in the blogging world. Months where pageviews are painfully slow, days where readers aren’t very friendly or you just totally lack motivation. Then there will be months when your email list is growing, people are sending the sweetest messages, and you find yourself with some extra disposable income. With anything in life, there are good times and bad. The bad times make the good times better. Also done is better than perfect. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the myth of perfection, just do your best. Improvement comes over time. Kawhi Leonard didn’t get his Championship ring by telling coaches he didn’t want to play in a game until he was sure he’d make every shot. He practiced, played and improved his skills. (Go Spurs Go!)
Give Yourself a Break
We are all so quick to make excuses for the people we love and people in general. “He doesn’t know any better.” “She’s still learning.” “She meant well.” When it comes to ourselves, we tend to be more unforgiving. Give yourself a break, if you mess up figure out where and how to fix it. In blogging, business and in life, learn to forgive yourself so you can love yourself.
Stay With The Purpose
There are tons of ways you can get mixed up and lose your way. You get distracted by the bloggers talking about their 6 figure launches and running their business on autopilot or with the help of a team. Then sit in your one-bedroom apartment and feel like you are working your butt off but getting nowhere with your $200 AdSense check. Keep in mind most of the crazy successful bloggers have started with a purpose or mission, not to make money. If you want to keep your passion, focus on the purpose. Keep your integrity and stay true to yourself, it might take longer, but you’ll sleep better.
[bctt tweet=” If you want to keep your passion, focus on the purpose. ” username=”Diadoll”]
Shake Them Haters Off
I am just going to share a few things that keep me going when the trolls go to work. Including (some loosely quoted):
“It’s easy to attack and destroy an act of creation; it’s a lot more difficult to perform one.”
-Chuck Palahniuk
“The bigger game you play, the more criticism you’ll receive.”
-Marie Forleo
“The world is filled with people who, no matter what you do, will point blank not like you. But it is also filled with those who will love you fiercely. They are your people. You’re are not for everyone and that’s OK. Talk to people who can hear you.”
-Rebecca Campbell
I can’t say that a day will come where a hurtful comment or mean words won’t sting me at all, but I have worked hard not to dwell on them. People are always going to have something negative to say but don’t let that derail you. The only time you should let criticism alter your progress is if it’s constructive. I believe it was a MarieTV episode that said when you receive criticism ask yourself, “Is it constructive,” and if it’s not then let it go (Especially when you didn’t ask for that person’s opinion).
Not everyone is going to like you no matter what you do. You could give a hundred dollar bill to the next ten people you see and one would be upset you didn’t give them five twenties, two would think you’re showing off and four would believe you want something from them in return. The hundred dollar bills of your knowledge are for the three people who are grateful and understand the reason behind your work.
All in all if given a chance I wouldn’t go back and not start my blog. It has been an amazing two years and here is to many more. So if you’ve been reading for a while or this is your first time on my site, thank you for being a part of the journey!
David
Congrats on your anniversary
candy
Enjoyed reading about your adventure and what you have learned in the two years of blogging. There will always be haters. I like to think of them as jealous people. Keep on blogging.
Marie
While all of these tips are wonderful, I have to say my favorite was stay with your purpose. I just celebrated my one year blogging back in January and I hit a big wall. I was frustrated that I had put a year in and didn’t see as much as I had hoped from it. I quickly realized that I wasn’t blogging because I enjoyed it anymore and I had started looking at it as a chore of my list of things to do everyday. I had forgotten my purpose and why I had started. SO i took a break and went through all of my blog posts from day one. Doing that helped me see my progress and how much I had grown in that year.
Sarah Althouse
I love to compare what others have learned to my own lessons. Learning to take needed breaks is pretty big!
Janel Berchielli
I agree I’ve been a blogger for nearly 10 years and with a few years of breaks I have learned a lot. Actually most of my learning has happened in the past year when I re-launched. There is always more to learn too.
Joanna
“Keep Going”. YES! This has been a tough one for me over the past two years. Love this post:)
Ginger Marie
Stay with the purpose is a big one for me! You see so many other bloggers doing cool things that you feel you need to do them too. But you just don’t. Having a niche and staying within it is actually better for your growth!
Ana Vukosavljevic
This was really amazing post! I agree with everything you wrote and I relate so badly on giving yourself a break, we need to learn to give ourselves more breaks!! And yes, we need to learn that haters gonna hate… 😀
Thanks for sharing, cant wait for the next one like this!
Sam @ The Haunted Housewife
I’ve been lucky enough to not have haters thus far! Yay! But I know my day will come lol. You’ve given me an idea for a post, I’ve learned a ton too. Here’s to many more years blogging!
Neelofar
I love all of these lessons! I’m a new blogger, so These will be perfect for me to implement now! Congrats!
Neelofar
http://www.theloveliestlily.com
Jenny
Woohoo – you go girl! I hit 2 years on my lifestyle blog the other day and it’s crazy how quickly time flies.
jessica
excellent tips and ‘shake them haters off’ is the best…it’s quite challenging but so important…keep up the good work (:
Rachel
All of these are spot on! Blog as a business is not easy. Blogging because it is your passion is fun!! Good Luck!!
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
You are so right about everything! I have been blogging for 6 years now and still have my moments when I go through many of the things you have mentioned. But, we just have to keep our heads up and remember why we do what we do 🙂
Bea
Thank you for sharing this post. As a new blogger sometimes I get down on myself because of the “haters” but I try and remind myself that I am doing this for me and I keep pushing forward!
http://thebbar.org/
Suzette
Stick with it! I’ve had my blog since 2009, and for the longest time it was crickets. I worked at getting out there and connecting with my local bloggers and that helped me out a lot. I wish you luck!
Pamela Marks
I am thankful for all of my viewers over time and hope to be around blogging for years to come. I do however need to step up more posts about stuff we do to fill int he gaps between product reviews and giveaways. Thank you for posting this and keeping my mind on track.
Brittany Daoud
Thank you for sharing your insight on your past 2 years of blogging! Learning to give my self a break was hard the first year, but this second year I’m really trying to take more time to myself when I feel I need it.
Dia
Thanks David 🙂
Dia
Haha I do agree. Why else would you feel the need to rip someone apart you don’t know unless you feel badly about yourself.
Dia
I took a break over the summer, it wasn’t a total stop just a vast reduction of all the amount of content I was producing. It helped me get my focus together and focus on other creative activities.
Dia
It’s true Sarah. Teaching yourself to take small breaks can be the difference between taking a permanent one.
Dia
I pretty much have written my whole life and blogged on and off for the last 8 but this was the first time I made a decision to run it like a business. Yes I learn more everyday.
Dia
Thanks Joanna 🙂 <3
Dia
Yes Ginger! If you drop your why you won’t enjoy it as much.
Dia
Awe thanks Ana!
Dia
Thanks, Sam. They say, you know you’ve made it when you have haters. LOL
Dia
Thanks for reading the post. Good luck with your blog.