It’s My Blogging Birthday!

It’s the Fourth of July holiday as I’m writing this — the day that’s the birthday of the country where I make my home — the United States of America.  But whenever the Fourth of July holiday rolls around I always celebrate another “birthday” of sorts.

It’s my blogging birthday too. 🙂

Thoughts on what it's like after 5 years of blogging

It was exactly five years ago that I started this blog.  I can hardly believe it’s been that long!  It was the Fourth of July holiday in 2010 when I decided I was going to jump in and try out this “blogging” thing that I’d been thinking about and reading about and just pondering in general for several months.  I had a nice little stretch of days off from work for the holiday so I decided to take that extra time to sit down at the computer and start muddling my way through.

And five years later here I am . . . still at it and still having fun!  I’m so glad I took those first steps and got started.

Is there something in your life you’re thinking of starting?  A change to be made?  A new direction to take? Is there something you’ve been putting off hoping sooner or later it will finally be the perfect time?

If so, let me share a few thoughts on my five year blogging birthday that might be helpful.   When I reflect back, I believe these points were fundamental in helping me to not only get started, but to then also be able to consistently continue on without giving up and to enjoy some blogging success over these past five years:

1.  Know Your Motivation.

When you’re considering starting something new, it’s important to know why you want to do it. What’s your motivation?  In fact I would say it’s more important to know why you want to do something, than it is to know exactly how to do it.

When I got started with blogging I knew next to nothing about the technical side of it. But I did know that I wanted to share ideas.  I knew I liked homemade stuff.  I knew I enjoyed making things and that I’m the happiest when I have a good creative outlet in my life.  I knew I was doing it because I thought I would truly like it, it was a good fit with my skills and personality, and I felt I could provide something of value to others in the process.  If my only motivation had been some kind of misguided hope for fame and fortune, I would never have stuck with it.

If you’re pondering a new venture, do you really have a heart for it?  Or are you just doing it for the money, or because everyone else is doing it, or you’re trying to live up to someone else’s expectations?   Take a good look at what’s motivating you because the right motivation will keep you heading towards long term results.

2.  Baby Steps Are OK.

I think most bloggers would agree that we look back at some of our first writings with a strange mix of pride and embarrassment.  My very first post I wrote was about how to make your own seafood cocktail sauce.  I look back at what I wrote that July 4, 2010 and it’s pretty obvious I was a newbie.  BUT, I also feel a satisfying sense of pride and accomplishment when I look at that first little post because it’s the proof that I took my very first steps into the world of blogging.  I sat down and wrote something and I hit that scary “Publish” button.  I took a baby step in the direction I wanted to go.

My little one-year old grandson is just starting to think about taking his first steps.  He pulls himself up, reaches his little foot out, and then whooomp!  Down he goes.  Doesn’t faze him a bit. Soon he will be walking and it will only be because he took all kinds of little baby steps where he fell down and got up again. It’s the only way  to truly learn and grow your skills.

It's OK to take baby steps when beginning something new

Don’t let the fear of perfection stop you from beginning.  It’s OK to take those first tentative steps even if your steps seem very faltering compared to those who are farther on the journey than you. In their own way, those baby steps are beautiful because they show you had the courage to begin.

3.  Stay Curious And Keep Learning.

So yes, I think I had the correct motivation when I began blogging, and I was willing to stumble along with my baby steps to get started.  But I think the thing that has helped me stay the course for these last five years is that I truly love to learn.  Nothing stays the same, and as the old saying goes – the only thing we can depend on in life is change.

Blogging in particular is in the area of computer technology where things are always changing – and usually changing fast! One of the biggest changes since my beginnings in 2010 is the rise of Pinterest.  Images were not that important to a blog post back then.  Now, because of so many blog readers wanting to “pin” your blog posts, your photos and images are super important.  I had to learn more about photography, I researched cameras and finally purchased a new one, and had to get comfortable with photo editing and creating graphics. I still feel this is an area where many bloggers outshine me, but I’ve tried my best to stay curious and learn more and more about photography.

No matter what you are thinking of beginning, I would encourage you to always keep a curious spirit about you and look at learning as a joy, not a burden.  This will allow your humble beginnings to blossom and grow into things you may never have expected.

Bev at The Make Your Own Zone

And in honor of my five year blogging birthday, I decided it was time to get some new photos of myself scattered around on the blog and on my About Me page (a little chore I’ve been ignoring since 2011).

Feel free to tell me I haven’t changed at all in five years. 🙂

I want to say thank you to all of my faithful readers over the years too!  You have all blessed me more than you will know with your helpful comments, observations, and ideas.

{{ Virtual hugs to all of you }}

So here’s to a fun past five years of blogging, and I’m looking forward with gratitude and excitement to sharing many more bright ideas for homemade living in the years to come!

Bev at The Make Your Own Zone

 

 

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6 Comments

  1. Happy blog day Bev. Been following you on and off the last few years. Just signed up for your emails a few months ago. I have been making most of my own food items from scratch because of my food allergies. Your site has been a big help. Thanks