Could blogging be your next career path? If it’s something you see yourself doing, set yourself some goals and start a blog today!
Blogging is something I’d been considering for quite a while. But my life was already extremely busy and I just never seemed to be able to find the time! That is until I decided to MAKE time and finally got my blogging project underway.
Recently I wrote an article about EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT (Read that post here.) And most importantly, I touched on the topic of prioritisation – and procrastination! Which is something we are all guilty of getting wrong from time to time. And that leads me to the story of how I came to start a blog!
The moment of inspiration struck me when I was home one night and couldn’t sleep, still suffering from jetlag.
I was mindlessly scrolling through social media when I stumbled across a link to an article in Cosmopolitan. The headline immediately captured my attention – “The Amount of Money Bloggers Make for 1 Instagram Will Make You Jealous AF!”
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that blogging is for everyone and I am certainly not doing it for money, as I already have a full time job which I love!
It may seem like a lucrative way to make money, but if it really were that easy then everybody would be doing it!
However, I came from a background in marketing and I have always loved writing and being creative! So branching into writing a travel and lifestyle blog was a natural progression for me. When I left my job as a Marketing Manager, one of the final projects I remember working on was the rebuild of the company’s corporate website. I had studied IT at school and enjoyed getting involved in the design and build process. It was something I found challenging, despite the many headaches along the way!
No doubt, it would have led me towards exploring digital marketing, blogging and social media marketing in more depth. But to be honest, after nine years in marketing, I was burnt out! So I gave myself a break, changed careers and developed many new skills whilst getting out of the office to explore the world. (Read that post here.)
Four years on, I’m now inspired to return to the field that I love (in my free time) and have decided to start a blog about my Life as a Stewardess!
The idea that I’d had to start a blog was something that I’d been tossing around in my head for quite a while. I’d even attempted to get the project underway, but after procrastinating for a short while, life got busy and I simply wasn’t home enough to set it up in the way that I wanted. So I put it off. Until reading this article, which served as a timely reminder. Suddenly, I thought to myself “Why am I NOT already doing that?!”
But, if this is something you too are considering, be warned! The financial investment required to start a blog is small, yet still, more than I’d anticipated. Especially if you choose the self-hosted option like I did. And it certainly is more work than I’d first imagined! So some weeks I do struggle to find the time. Especially since I’m still working full-time as a Flight Attendant.
Instagram influencers make it look oh-so-easy, posting photos lying on a beach in some exotic location, whilst most people are stuck at the office. But that is not quite the case. Truth be told, they probably did that shoot a month ago and now they are back at work hustling just as hard as you are!
At this point, I am only a few months in and I already feel like I have so much more work to do in order to create the vision I have in my head!
But working for myself on this passion project is fun and so far I am loving every minute of it! The thing that has amazed me the most so far, though, is how welcoming and supportive the blogging community has been.
As a people person, I was worried that my blog could turn into a solo venture.
But there are so many amazing blogging mentors out there who have been successfully blogging for years. And I’ve found that they happy to share their tips on how to start a blog with newbies like me. Which has certainly made the venture a whole less scary!
It also really helps to know that there are others out there looking to start a blog, or who need a bit of guidance. Plus, connecting and sharing stories with other bloggers and readers is what it is all about. So hopefully, as my blog grows, I’ll even make a few new friends along the way!
Thinking of starting your own blog? Go for it! If you are passionate and committed it’s a great creative outlet. This is my first attempt at publishing, so please bear with me here and feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas on what you’d like to see from me. I’d love to hear your feedback!
Credits:
Everyone needs a friend in the business to hold us accountable! Especially when you start a blog. So thank you, Carmen Roberts at Compass West for helping me with web hosting and all the tech stuff. While also giving me the push I needed to get this project underway.
