Good Morning Gold Coast! Day 1 of Problogger at the RACV Royal Pines Resort. Keen to learn more and to meet all the bloggers today.
Well for me there are many reasons why I blog.
Something for me– I started the blog to do something while the twins were babies. Before I had my twin girls I looked after, managed and organised websites so it was a natural thing to start my own site.
Keep my professional skills sharp – At first I just kept it quiet and did it for me. It was something that I started to do. It was good to do some work that was not looking after babies and allowed me to use my mind and skills that I had developed and practiced at work.
Control over my work – I then decided to make the blog public and moved it over to a domain name that removed WordPress from the URL and I control the page and the back-end. It is a site that allows me to have overall control and that makes me feel amazing. Making decisions of what direction the blog goes in and what it looks like and what gets posted is fabulous. It is my site and I have control over it.
Gives me a voice– As you can already see I like the fact that I have my own space to have a voice. I love the fact that it is a medium that can be done from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to a computer or a phone.
There are so many possibilities that you can do via a blog. You can make it a business or just keep it a hobby it is up to you.
My aim is to take the blog to the next level and to do a new look and feel soon (so stay tuned).
Today is day one of Problogger. I am keen to learn what others are doing with their blogs, learn about strategy, planning and content. It is a great event to get inspired, focus on your talents and find ideas that might help you out. You never know what idea will be the one that is the changer that can make the most difference.
Have a small business that you are passionate about?
Would you love to get better and be inspired by others? I know my answer would be big YES!
I love being surrounded by like-minded people that just make you feel energetic, inspired, and think about things in such different ways.
Investing in you is important. Learning from others that have been there and had some of the same experiences is helpful. You can learn what worked for them and what didn’t and of course how to improve things for the better. Maybe they will give you their procedures and techniques, or at least give you some idea how they manage to do it all and do it so well.
This is why I love going to conferences like Problogger. It is a chance to focus on me, my work, and I believe it is an investment. It is corporate training, corporate development but for me, I am the corporation. I am the BIG business although on a much smaller scale. It is nice to think BIG even when you are not.
Me and Barry Du Bois. Yes I did say I know you from TV! @cancercouncil #TheLivingRoom @kids_business
Even if you have been blogging for years and might know a bit already, there might be that one thing that you had no idea about. That one thing might be the difference on how you run your blog/business and it could be the thing that allows you to stand out from the crowd.
Attending conferences like these is also good for networking with other bloggers and creating friendships. As a blogger that is a stay at home mum to three kids now, it is nice to be taken seriously as a blogger rather than just a mum. I know I’m not earning the big bucks but you never know my time will come and that might be the case. Everyone had to start somewhere.
Investing in you as a person is always a good idea. I see that a couple of days away and the costs associated with this trip as minimal in the scheme of things. I don’t get time off as a mum. I don’t get sick leave, I have been going non-stop and think that this is a nice break that will also allow me to focus on my fourth or maybe other baby (my blog)… not sure where it would place in the scheme of things. Maybe it really was third?
It is so easy as a mother not to do things for you. If you don’t do anything for yourself you will get frustrated and annoyed. Taking the time, even if it is a day here or there is much needed.
Do you have a partner or maybe friends that don’t see the value in what you are doing? “Oh that blog, why are you doing it, it is not like you are getting paid”. Well I think they are wrong…it does not matter if you are getting paid for your efforts now. Although heaps of money would be nice and bring it on! You just don’t know where things might lead. You could be blogging away and someone might love your writing and offer you a book deal. The book might become a film and now you are famous and worth a small fortune. Yes I have used some wonderful positive daydreams about how blogging could lead you to a fab job and yes being very wealthy.
It does not have to be sudden fame and wealth, you could just be offered a wonderful job for a magazine or a website. If you were not blogging this job would never have happened, so keep going everyone out there in blogging world. Don’t give up. If it is important to you, then that is the only thing that you need to worry about. Forget about the haters and people that have no idea. Just keep on keeping on and invest in you and things will happen.
I am very lucky this year that I can attend Problogger. The reason is my wonderful mother is able to come and mind the kids. I was hoping that hubby and the kids might make it a family holiday again but that was not to be. Hubby cannot take time off work, so it is just me going again. I am just grateful that I get to go.
Only yesterday I was able to attend Kids Business’ Bloggers Brunch. They were kind enough to offer babysitting and I was very happy and appreciative of this. The babysitting allowed me to walk around and talk without a baby on my hip and to have adult conversations. It was a delightful change from my daily goings ons.
Yesterday I was up at 4am due to baby wanting to be fed. I was going to be up at 5am so thought no point going back to bed. After feeding the baby I gave him a bath (I have never bathed him so early and that was amazing I fitted it all in), changed his clothes and put him to bed until we were all ready to leave. I changed his nappy and then all kids were in the car ready to drop the twins at before school care.
Learning more about the fab brands at the Bloggers Brunch yesterday. Thanks Kids Business it was a great day out.
I had to get the twins ready for before school care and drop them off as close to 7am as I could. I managed to get the girls to care at about 7.20am. So I thought that was pretty good.
So now kids were at care, the baby and I were in the car for our huge journey to Centennial Park. I enjoyed the journey aside from the couple of times that Alex decided to scream the car out! Yes that was not fun at all. Thank goodness he fell asleep soon after his screaming moments.
I had to be at the Bloggers Brunch for 10am and managed to get there with 30mins to spare. I found a place to park the car. Fed and changed the baby and then got the pram and nappy bag organised and was off to the venue.
It was great to bump into old blogging mates and to meet new ones. I also bumped into a mate’s niece… what a small world.
I must say that yesterday was a HUGE day. I ended up being up for over 14 hours, and oh did I sleep when my head hit the pillow. I am still tired from yesterday as I write this. A BIG thank you to Steph and the team from Kids Business for a fabulous day and all the lovely brands that made it along to showcase their products.
No matter if you are earning money or not, take every opportunity that comes your way. You never know where it might lead and what you might learn. The people that might be not valuing your time you spend on your hobby/blog or passion will value it when it comes to affect them, for example when it starts earning some money. I am sure they would want to be supportive then. Or if you become famous or well known.
Do it for you.
Do what makes you feel good.
I have heard it all. “Oh that is not a job! You are not earning any money. Oh ….. You are a mother”. Yes but I do much more than just being a mummy.
Invest in you and the Rest will come. This sounds a little zen or spiritual but it is true. It is like dressing for the job that you want rather than the one you have.
Let me know what you have done as an investment in yourself? Is it a course? A conference? Or just a weekend away to have some time out? Or maybe it is a course that you have been desperate to do, learning to paint or say photography.
Whatever it is, it is your time.
Have time to yourself.
Have your space.
Do something that helps you grow that allows you to be you rather than someone’s mum during this period.
Do you sometimes feel like packing it in. No point. No one is listening, reading or paying any attention. I do. I have had many moments where I have just wanted to step back and to stop for a bit. However I have invested so much into my work and what I am building. My blog, my ideas and future products that I would love to develop.
Yes always creating and dreaming. Although like everyone self doubt and life sometimes make things difficult to keep on going. Does this happen to you?
Keep going even if you want to quit. You will get there!
This post is for all of you that are thinking of calling it quits.
Don’t!
Keep on going.
Things will happen. It might not be the millions of dollars you would like to earn, or the dream job that you would love to get. However what you are doing will lead you to the next great thing. If you are working at your craft or blog at home it is a skill that you can use to leverage to the next step.
Make things happen yourself.
It is also your outlet.
Without an outlet to express yourself and just be you, it is hard to be happy. Everyone needs something that they feel happy doing. A hobby, a passion an outlet to just be you!
If you are like me a SAHM (Stay at home mum) having an outlet and something for me is needed. I cannot give it up.
It is mine and you never know where your passion might take you. Keep going! You are great and don’t listen to others comments. Just keep plodding along.
Just give things a go. If you try something you might be good at it and it will all work out. You never know until you try!
What is your passion? Do you have a blog? Are you secretly writing a book? Do you make clothes or do you paint?
Have you had moments where you thought it is all pointless but you have kept on going? Let us know.
What are you passionate about? Is it photography, your blog, craft, cooking or something else? I am passionate about my blog, my kids, family, and some other projects that I am working on. Maybe I should have put the kids and family first, they do come first but you know what I mean, it is a list. So don’t read anything into it.
Have you been finding time for your passions? I have found it difficult of late but I am going to make more time for the things I love. Do you make time and stick to it? Is it an understanding in your house that if mummy/daddy does not get to do what ever you love to do you are a grumpy person? I do find that I am happier when I get to do the thing or project that I am working towards. Even a little bit is a help to make me feel good or better about my project.
Do what you are passionate about and stick with it. Image found on Pinterest.
It is hard to book things in when hubby and my schedule change so often. Today I am going to make sure to get some more done for me and in the days ahead to book time for myself. What about you? Let us know how you work it out with your partner or situation.
Loved this quote from bloggingontheside.com. It is so true. You have moments where you get discouraged or give up or want to. Success is not something that instantly happens you get there in the end and it takes time.
Keep plodding away and you will get there in the end. Make time for you, even if it is an hour a day at something that you love doing. Don’t worry if the place is a mess and there are a million and one things to do. If you don’t get some time for you and your passion you will be an angry and unhappy person. Trust me, I have been a bit grumpy of late for these reasons.
And remember you are a star!
You’re a star and have a lovely day! Image found on Pinterest.
