Y'all?!!! I'm so excited that I remembered my “blog-aversary today”. By the time you guys read this, it's probably the next day cause I sure didn't remember this earlier in the week to prepare a post in advance, lol. Typical. It kind of snuck up on me, but the fact that it's 8 whole years made me excited. I won't lie, a part of me was sad that I'm not waaaay ahead, or further along in my blogging journey cause I know bloggers that monetized and became full-time bloggers in less than 5 years. But then Holy Spirit reminded me of the trillions (could be a slight exaggeration, lol) of more blogs that have died in less than 5 years. It gave me an appreciation for my journey and the fact that I've stuck with it, albeit not consistently. But the plan is to change that this year. It's only February, so we got time to turn things around 😊.

What I want to share with you today are the 3 lessons I've learned over the past 8 years in blogging which are transferrable to any area of your life really.

Just Start.

As you can see in the screenshot below, when I started, I just jumped right in. Sure it would've been amazing to have everything planned out in advance, and for certain things, you'll want to be more prepared or you can potentially do more harm than good. However, for many things, we over-complicate and overthink what's actually involved and get stuck in analysis-paralysis.

Don't get me wrong, most everything requires work, and you may very well be realistic as you conjure up all the tasks and hurdles involved to see your dream come true. But the beauty about starting is that you now find ways to solve the issues you come across as opposed to letting those hurdles stop you altogether. Whether you want to look at it as getting your feet wet or having some skin in the game, the point is that you're more likely to cross the bridge once you step foot on the bridge.

Never Give Up.

As I mentioned in the intro, I'm definitely not as far along as I could be on this journey, but I'm still here. Don't compare your pace or your success to anybody else's. Cause sis, you're in competition with NO ONE. That's right. Not. a. single. body. That alone should relieve all the pressure. But I'm not new to this. I've compared myself to others for years. Online and offline. And although looking to others for inspiration, advice, mentorship, etc. is good. Beating yourself up about not being where somebody else is on their journey will never serve you. I'm talking to myself as well as I type this.

There's an old meme you may have seen with the man digging for diamonds and giving up when he was soooo close. Don't let that be you. I'm not saying that whatever goal it is you have needs to lead to diamonds and riches. What I am saying is that whatever reason you have a certain goal, the achievement of that is like a jewel added to your crown. It could be a weight-loss goal, savings goal, healthy eating goal, education goal. Literally, anything that leads to self-improvement or self-actualization is a jewel you're worthy to be adorned by. So don't give up on yourself cause God wouldn't give you a dream you're incapable of achieving.

Pivot, adapt and adjust when necessary.

The people that truly won in 2020 are the ones that figured out how to pivot. I'm not comparing blogging to the economic impact that Covid-19 had on businesses, but I am saying that whether online or not, things always change. For those who've been in the game (any game), things just don't look the same they did 10 years ago. In the world of blogging, what worked way back when won't get you ranked in Google searches today. The head-first football tackles that were cheered back in the day, will get you fined today. But just because the rules change, doesn't mean you should throw in the towel.

What it does mean is that you learn how to play with the new set of rules handed to you. See as long as there are rules to the game, you can always find a way to win. At the onset, it might look like the rules in the game of life are out to get you. But not true. It's simply a matter of figuring out how to adjust to the new rules. It's true that in life we're all dealt a different hand, and for some, it may indeed be easier than others. But the reality is, even though everyone's "hard" is different, there's going to be a level of hard to achieve anything of lasting value. A castle built on sand will never stand the test of time. I'll let you cry over the hand you were dealt in life; but after that, I'm gonna need you to play the crap out of that hand.

Conclusion.

You may have your dreams mapped out in your head and they either scare you or motivate it. You may look around and see your circumstances as a hindrance or as motivation. There's a quote that says "anything truly worthwhile does not come easy. If it did, it would not be all that worthwhile." I'll say there are exceptions to this rule, but they're just that, exceptions. In life and in business, you're going to have to be intentional about what it is you want to achieve. But the beauty of it is that you CAN achieve it sis. Just start, never give up, and pivot if you have to. ♥

Stay blessed!

V.