So…you’re just starting your blogging journey and things aren’t going exactly how you thought they would. It’s been weeks, months, maybe even a year…and you aren’t as successful as you thought you’d be.
Trust me when I say that I know exactly how you feel, because I have been there myself.
Blogging is a wonderful and exciting opportunity that just so happens to take a lot of work. But even when you’re giving it your all, you feel like it’s still not enough.
You literally dream every day about becoming a blogger and living your dream job, but at times that dream feels so far away that your motivation starts to thin out.
Well I’m here to tell you that your dream isn’t unattainable, you just need to find the right ways to motivate yourself.
Because with the right amount of hard work and dedication, I truly believe that your dream of running a successful blog is 100% possible.
Set Attainable Goals
To just say that you want to be a successful blogger is too broad of a goal. Yes, that is the ULTIMATE goal, but it is such a large one that it can seem impossible in the beginning.
The trick to setting goals is to set smaller goals when you’re just starting out.
Attainable goals you could set:
Gain X number of followers on social media
Write X number of blog posts within the first 6 months of your blog
Have X number of people subscribe to your blog within the first year
Have X number of monthly website visitors by X date
Complete one brand collaboration within the first year of launching your blog
Be featured by your favourite brand via social media
Make X amount of dollars within 6 months of blogging
These are the types of goals that that build upon each other to eventually lead you to the main goal of being a big-time blogger.
Working towards micro goals like these may not seem like they are taking you very far, but they are essentially laying the ground work for your future success.
And not only will they keep you on track and moving forward, you will feel great about your growth when you are able to accomplish these specific goals, leading you to stay motivated.
Appreciate Any + All Growth
One thing that people fail to appreciate, is slow growth. It’s still growth, people! As long as you are moving forward, then you are on the right path towards your success.
Everyone has their own journey and it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that success needs to happen now. It’s a completely human response, but you need to be patient if you want your success to be real and you want it to last.
Instead of being disappointed that you’re not living your dream life immediately after hitting publish on your blog, appreciate the little things you have accomplished.
If you just gained five followers on social media, that’s five more people seeing your content. If you got one re-share of your blog post on Pinterest, that’s potentially more people seeing/reading that post.
If you tag your favourite brand for your #OOTD on Instagram and that brand likes it, that’s more exposure for you. (See also: 10 things bloggers should be doing on social media for more tips!)
Focus on the growth you have, not just the growth you want. If you learn to appreciate your own journey, the motivation to keep going will happen naturally.
Play the Long Game
Like I just said, it’s easy to want something now. I’ve been there, you’ve been there…we all have been there.
And when we don’t get the immediate satisfaction of the things we want, it’s easy to lose focus and forget why we even started in the first place. That’s why I changed my mindset to focus on the long game.
Try to remember the first time you thought about starting a blog. You had a vision of your dream job, being your own boss, making great money, having a creative outlet or whatever else you imagined.
Those hopes and dreams you set for yourself, were meant to be lifelong. So, if you’re losing motivation because things haven’t happened yet, then adjust your time frame.
There’s nothing wrong with anticipating achieving your goals one or two or even three years from now. You are working on creating a forever dream and that may take time.
Turn Comparison Into Inspiration
We are at a time where some amazingly talented bloggers out there who are seriously killing it. And while that’s an amazing thing, it’s easy to see that as a new blogger and get discouraged.
You see how accomplished they are compared to how accomplished you are, and you almost want to quit. BUT DON’T QUIT!
I can pretty much guarantee you that just about every successful blogger you follow started out exactly where you are.
From their Instagram feed, to the blog post writing, to the number of followers they had. Everyone started out from zero and worked their way up. Hardly anyone jumped into blogging as an expert and if they did then they are a rare commodity.
So instead on comparing yourself to others who have been doing this for a while now, turn the comparison into inspiration. Allow their success, creativity and message to inspire you.
Let yourself be motivated by all the possibilities of what could be if you keep going. If they can do it, there is no reason why you can’t do it too.
Find A Community
One of the biggest mistakes I made when I started blogging, was not finding some sort of community to be part of. Because while blogging is technically a solo career for most people, you can be so much more successful if you reach out to others.
Once I started doing this myself, I not only saw an increase in my social media following, but I also saw growth in terms of my blog traffic.
More people than ever were paying attention to my blog compared to when I wasn’t actively being part of a community.
A community allowed me to share my journey with others in the same position as me and it reaffirmed that I was on the right path. I realized that I wasn’t alone, and it made me feel so much better knowing I had the support of others who were going through the same thing as me.
So why is finding a community important?
You can find inspiration from bouncing ideas off others
You can end up with your first collaboration, possibly from an account larger than yours. This would ultimately mean greater exposure for your blog.
Your content could be shared by others in your community, again leading to better exposure for your blog
It provides a support system when you’re struggling with something.
How can you become part of a blogging community?
Join Facebook groups
Engage with other bloggers on social media, regardless if they are larger or smaller than you
Learn to Rest
The one thing people forget to do when they are hustling hard to get their blog off the ground, is rest. It’s very easy to feel like you need to be working 24/7 to get the best content, to reach out to brands, to grow your following, etc.
But honestly, that’s just a quick route to blogger burnout. Of course, you want to be consistent, and I’m not telling you to take weeks or months off. But if you want to avoid losing your motivation, you need to learn how to properly and strategically rest.
It may just be picking one day a week where you do absolutely nothing blog related, but whatever it is…do it.
Giving yourself a reasonable amount of time to relax and turn your brain off, is not only necessary for healthy growth, but it can also give you time to reevaluate what you’re doing and recharge.
Rest is an extremely powerful tool that, when used the right way, can actually aid in your success much quicker. So, make sure to invest in your rest!
If there is anything you take away from this article, I hope it’s that your dream of being a blogger is totally and completely achievable.
The biggest mistake any new blogger can make is to think that they won’t be successful if the success doesn’t happen right away.
If this path is something you truly want, then allow yourself the necessary time to find your place. You are more than capable of making your dream a reality as long as you stay motivated.
Last Updated on
