My First Year Blogging Experience: Was it hard?

Wow! I can’t believe mrsmichellegomez.com is ONE! I’m soo proud of myself for sticking through this entire year trying to be committed to this passion project of mine and being able to see through it.

I’m not all the way there yet, but with a consistent work ethic, I know I’ll be there to impact more women + mommas. 

I’d like to share with you my first-year blogging experience and what tips you can probably use for your journey of blogging. 

I’ll admit, it was hard.

But I’d like to thank those who have been part of my tribe since the beginning! And to those reading this post, Yall keep me motivated to do what I LOVE to do. I enjoy creating content that resonates with you and sharing my journey. 

Ok, so when I started my blog journey back in December of 2020, I had the idea of starting the blog while creating some content and figured I would launch in January of 2021. 

I was on Instagram and figured I should start a blog to write more than a single post caption on IG. 

I thought I was getting ahead by creating content a month before but I started in December and there were a lot of holiday things going on which created more distractions!

Then as I was getting the technical part situated like my hosting site, WordPress, and website template together by Pipdig (they have great customer service and templates BTW)  I started noticing there were A TON of things that needed to get situated before launch day!

I was one week away and was feeling a bit overwhelmed since I wanted everything to be perfect for my blog. 

For example, I needed my photos to be on point, my posts to be fabulous and excellent, the colors on my website to be amazing blah blah blah.

Now as my year has come, I realized those things weren’t as important as I thought they would be.  

Yes having a nice looking website is important but I felt like I was trying to get it too perfect on day one.

I had anxiety!

But I forgot I was just starting out and so my “start” would have progressed to growth eventually. 

All of my life I’ve always tried not to fail at anything because I wanted to get it right the first time. Then after having my daughter she made me realize that it’s ok to start over and over again. 

This realization allowed me to give myself grace. I wouldn’t get it perfect the first time and that’s ok. As long as I kept going and practicing, it would get better. 

So if you are wanting to start a blog but are hesitant to do so, here are the main gems I learned in my first year of blogging:

There are a few links in my post where I’m able to earn a small commission if you decide to purchase and there’s no cost to you.

Just Start…

Seriously, just start your blog!  Let me tell you, I was the one who would try to read ALL of the books, listen to ALL of the podcasts, watch EVERY youtube video, google EVERYTHING so that I can do it right. 

Most times this can lead to analysis paralysis. Basically, you’ve got all of this information and you’re too afraid that you might take the wrong step and you’ll feel like a failure. 

You’re not a failure.  Don’t allow your mind to trick you that you aren’t ready to start your blog. I don’t think anyone is ever prepared when they start.

Just know your blog will eventually change, your niche might change, or brand colors might change but it doesn’t mean that you have to get everything perfect the first time. 

Just look at some of your favorite bloggers who have been in the game for a while. You will probably notice how their posts, brand image, or niche are completely different from when they started. 

It’s a learning path because as you start your blogging journey, you will end up meeting people in the same niche as you, learn more in blogging programs and you’ll figure it out along the way.

It’s definitely a journey. 

There is no time limit in what you can do. Don’t feel like you have to be doing X by the time Y is here. Sometimes it doesn’t happen this way because of LIFE. 

If you don’t know, I’m a mom first so my mom job takes most of my time daily. There are plenty of times where I couldn’t post a blog or get creative because my daughter would get sick or she would need me all the time.

I felt like as I was wearing multiple hats of being a blogger mom/influencer/photographer it was getting to be a bit much. I thought I should take a “pause” but knowing myself I knew I would stop for a whole month or two and not get consistent.

I was beginning to doubt what content I should create and although my blog views were low, I knew I had to keep going and see what resonated.

So just start.

Start your blog because someone needs to hear your story, your amazing tips, and your uniqueness. 

Stay Consistent..

Consistency……this was the first word I heard when I was following Mattie James (One of my favorite black blogger/influencer) she would ALWAYS emphasize being consistent and it’s so true.

I’ve been consistent with my Instagram and now after almost a year and a half, I gained a huge following after my video went viral in December 2021.

Doing things here and there won’t get you the results you want. 

I did a few partnerships in 2021 but knew I could have done more if I was consistent enough.

I started to realize that the only way to work with my dream brands would be to stay CONSISTENT and create content that would be top-notch. 

As a blogger, I would read about other successful bloggers and their main theme was consistency. 

Being consistent is hard, but not being able to have your dream blog/life is way harder. So it’s definitely a mental thing when you have to decide whether you want your blog to take off or not. 

As they say, no one is going to give you that business plan, no one is going to save you and make sure you make money every month for your blog.

YOU have to go out and do it. 

I started using my blogger planner this year and was able to plan out my 12 months. Like this is crazy! Never thought I could plan a whole year! It blew my mind and not only that, this planner I’m using makes blog planning so much easier. 

Before, I would write down my ideas in a digital planner which was working for a bit, and then I fell off because I forgot to consistently look at it.

Then I would write in a notepad mixed with my other content ideas for IG and Pinterest. However, my content would get lost in the pages because I didn’t organize anything the half part of the year.

I would feel overwhelmed to the point that I stopped posting every week and thought I could post twice a month but it still wasn’t satisfying me.

So I decided this year (2022) I will be intentional and get organized/consistent with my content.

So stay consistent even when the road is tough because there will be lows and highs but you have to keep pushing through. 

You got this fellow blogger, 

Do it afraid. 

As I said, I would be the type to want to have ALL of the information first before making the leap. For many years it would lead me to analysis paralysis and I would start something but when something went wrong I would quit that venture and make an excuse. 

It was definitely overwhelming being a beginner blogger and I would see ALL types of classes, tips, etc. that “gurus” say you need to make money in your first-month blogging, etc.

It was just A LOT of information and although I was intimidated, I knew I had to do it step by step.

Brick by brick.

So I had to keep my mind focused by listening to self-growth audiobooks and listening to stories of successful people when they started blogging.

It was not a pretty beginning but they kept pushing through.

I learned that in blogging there are going to be so many technical things to learn, how to market yourself, how to use ads, how to do all kinds of things that you won’t be able to wrap your head with. 

This can make you AFRAID to continue. 

This is another way that can mount increasing anxiety and you would feel like you aren’t good enough to blog when there are so many tasks. 

But you’re wrong. You can do it. The thing is with blogging it takes TIME. 

What you do with your time is up to you. 

I learned that while you plant the seed, it needs to grow, the plant will have to be watered (as you invest in yourself and market yourself with more experience) You will eventually be better than the day before and as your one year anniversary approaches, you’ll be glad you continued on your journey. 

It’s ok to FEEL fear, but what’s not ok is allowing fear to stop you from doing what you passionately want to do. 

We have been born with all of this uniqueness and it would be crazy not to share your journey with someone who could be inspired by you! 

Just remind yourself that it’s ok to not have everything together in the beginning. The most important part is to continue and stay in your lane. 

As I’m writing this, I feel like by going through this journey, I appreciate the fails because now I understand how to get better. It’s best to learn from your mistakes and you will have a much better understanding of where you stand. 

P.s. Surround yourself with supportive people in your niche because these people will bring you up when you feel like you hit a wall and can get advice from them. It can be a lonely road if you think you can do it alone. You’re not supposed to be alone so reach out to your fellow blog in your niche! 

Believe in yourself, I believe in you 🙂 

I hope this summary of my first-year blogging experience helped you, there are so many more tips I’ll be sharing but know that if you’re thinking about doing a blog please do it. It was definitely a learning experience my first year and although it wasn’t perfect, I’m happy I was able to stick through it.

So yes my first year of blogging was definitely hard but it wasn’t too bad. I’m still learning and its worth the trials and errors.

It’s not as hard as you think! Reach out to me if you have any questions,

Here are some books that I’m currently reading for my blog and will be adding to my 2022 blog book list this year:

Create Blog and Editorial Planner

How to Blog for Profit

The Essential Habits of 6 Figure Bloggers

Lifestyle Blogging Basics

In addition, here are a few mindset books that I’ve read already and LOVE! These have definitely changed my life and perspective. 

100 days of believing bigger

You are a badass

The Big Leap

Do it afraid: Embracing courage in the face of fear

Cheers to a New Year and Happy Blogging! 

Subscribe to the tribe today for more content like this and more fashion, beauty, lifestyle inspiration.

There are a few links in my post where I’m able to earn a small commission if you decide to purchase and there’s no cost to you.