Meanwhile, as I go to war internally, shield and sword in hand, to battle ‘The Fear’ of taking this leap into the blogging world, my cavalry is to prepare with research. If you ever want to start a blog but you’re absolutely terrified, like me, to do it, you can’t go wrong with some initial research. The more you know about something, the more comfortable you are taking action. It’s no secret that the only way to create a great blog is to read other blogs. And not just any other blogs. The blogs that cover the same content you intend to focus on and the best-of-the-best bloggers who have achieved great success blogging.
So, that’s what I did. Now, as a Mom of three (an 8-year-old and 6-year-old twins), reading is a luxury. Or I should say, finding the time to read is a luxury. Mama, the only way around that is by setting boundaries. I personally found that a tough concept. I’ve got 40+ years of being made to feel guilty about everything (thanks to my mother’s version of parenting, but that’s a therapy session for later). I felt immensely guilty about telling my kids to occupy themselves so I could do some reading and writing (which btw, to them, looks like I’m playing on my phone and tablet…more guilt agh!). And I should probably also mention that I’m starting this during the Thanksgiving week, which means my kids are home for the next five days in a row, while my husband is at work and it’s just me at home with them. Fortunately, at 8 and 6, kids can entertain themselves without you being completely hands-on. But thinking back to when they were babies, stuff had to get done and I managed that somehow. My memory jogs back to a playpen or baby gates forming a circle with toys to keep them distracted. (For those Moms who have older kids, perhaps your time looks different now that your kids are more independent).
Either way, you can make it work, you just have to create boundaries and not feel guilty about it. It’s 7 am, and I’m writing this while my kids are playing a board game, which they decided to play without my suggesting it or finding something for them to do. Remember, you don’t always have to be their entertainment coordinator. It’s okay for them to find their own activities to do. It creates imagination and independence. If I can accept that and do it, you can too! You can set a time limit though. I’m giving myself two hours to read blogs and write. Then I’m going to start my day with them because there’s stuff I need to get done. I can always continue this if I have time later.
As a Mom, I’ve had to learn and get used to the fact that I won’t always finish a task and to be okay with it taking longer to finish. That’s Mom’s life. However, it makes you really good at structure, time management, and organization. And, based on what the bloggers I follow say, those are superpowers for a successful blog. They also mention courses, which will be my next step in building my arsenal against ‘The Fear’.
A xo
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