There is no other way to say this so I am going to be as real and open as I can right now. I am scared of what is unknown, and I am specifically scared about the amount of effort I am putting into my blog and if it will pay off. I also know that the options are to give up or to go full speed ahead. So what am I going to do? Go Full speed. There is no other choice. With all this work, if I stop now what would have been the point? There would have been none. I don’t waste my time. I believe in what I have done but haven’t seen the results I expected at this point so what should I do? Make some goals and set some checkpoints for them. So what are the goals for 2018? How will I get them done? I have shared what I want to do in another post but I haven’t really fleshed out HOW I would get it done. To be honest I don’t have all the answers. If I did wouldn’t I have already have done it? I do know this to get many of the things done that I want to do I have to adjust my hustle and focus. That is the intention that I am setting for my goals and my year: FOCUS. My hustle is not lacking, it just needs to be structured. This will be very uncomfortable for me, but it is necessary to see the significant change and success that I have wanted and the blog needs now.
Let me explain by giving you a view of my life. I work a 9 to 5 that is sometimes a 9 to 8 or a 9 to 10. I have worked it for many years. It is in the tech field which allows me to work from home. I work on this blog after work into the night. I get obsessed about blog posts (each one takes me about 2 – 3 hours to write, edit, add pictures, post, and socialize: FB, IG, etc) I usually get inspiration to write around 11:30 so you can tell when I go to bed. Which starts off work late the next day and I drag thru that and the cycle continues. That really has to change so my goal is to be in bed by midnight EACH night. I want to be fully rested for work so I can get to it and manage my time so I am finished at a decent hour. I need time for myself and for my life. I think this will increase my happiness and give more time for self-care.
Time management – I can’t continue writing for the blog at night. I need to dedicate time to the blog each week where I write posts, plan social media and events for the upcoming week. That day is Sunday. Sunday is going to be shoot day, writing, editing all of that. Sunday. The goal is to write 3 posts and complete the work needed for each post. This way the content can be scheduled and as inspiration hits me through the week those posts can be added to the existing calendar, not be the only things I have ready to share. I am giving myself the first quarter of 2018 to get the blog scheduling and planning worked out. No more time. We must move on.
Sources of traffic – There has been a lot of traffic to the blog via direct clicks and then 60% of my traffic comes via social media, whether Facebook or IG but very little from Pinterest. Pinterest is the more sustainable traffic generator and I have not figured it out yet. I must do that because everything else seems to come with an expiration date. IG is only good for as long as the post is up or the link is up. It cannot be my main generator of traffic. I have to learn how to get traffic flowing to the blog via Pinterest, how to make pins that go viral. When I figure it out I will share it with you. There needs to be at least 25% of my traffic being generated by Pinterest by end of 2nd quarter 2018. This is the only sustainable way to generate long-term traffic to the blog outside of me getting in manually and some of that seems like disingenuous traffic (short story is it is blogger to blogger traffic with reciprocation being mandatory, not genuine to the interest of the blog). I have a few resources for that I will use as guides to generate Pinterest traffic. If it works, I will keep you posted on its success.
Events – I let searching for events go to the wayside this year and I need events to write about and share with readers. 2 times a week Tuesday and Thursday I will search for events to attend. The checkpoint will be Sunday. There must be at least 1 new event scheduled each week specifically for the blog.
There are so many other things that I want to do but sometimes with goal setting, you have to focus on a few things, get them well on their way and you can add to your list. So in June, I will see you back here. I will share where I am with the 4 goals I listed above. I know they are attainable. I believe in this blog and I believe in my hustle. So let’s get it.
via GIPHY
xo, Danie
It’s a lot to work a 9-5 and run a blog at the same time, so I’m impressed. It’s all about consistency but you also have to schedule time to experience life and have some downtime as well. Here’s to an amazing New Year.
Author
You are so correct it is about consistency. Definitely if I get on top of the time management I will have time for all those things, I appreciate your comment so much
I share some of your same fears, and some of your same goals! The unknown terrifies me, but it also excites me. There’s so much opportunity waiting to unfold. I have also thought about stopping my blog, because I didn’t realize just how much work goes into maintaining, nurturing, and cultivating one. But I realized that ultimately blogging makes me happy, so I’ve also decided to keep going. For this new year, I’m focusing on having specific goals for my blog and writing them out for me to see each day! Best of luck to you on your journey, and Happy New Year 🙂
Author
Larissa, I am so glad you decided to keep going. That is why I decided to share this post. I knew I could not be the only one feeling this way. If you stop you may miss what was waiting for you a little further down the road. Let’s keep in touch. I am excited to see what you do with Life with Larissa in 2018!
I love this and wish you the best of luck in growing. Just don’t forget to take the time to breathe. I think a lot of us bloggers with 9 to 5 jobs forget to do that and get overwhelmed. But let’s hope we can all make 2018 the best year we can.
Author
Definitely making that a priority. I am hoping the time management will give me more time to do more things that I love like play with my puppy or just take a nap 🙂
It’s great that you’re trying to plan more, I think that will make everything a lot more manageable! It’s definitely tough to balance it all and I share some of your same fears about running a blog. But in the end, even if it doesn’t do what we intended, it’s a great learning experience.
I know how you feel.
Have you thought about how to balance your time? . Maybe you dedicate a full Saturday to blog writing so you can give it your best attention and you can go to work rested in the week?
Maybe try breaking the big tasks down into smaller ones you accomplish monthly so you don’t feel so overwhelmed.
You’re doing a great job! Keep up the good work.
Nicky.
http://www.sincerelybalanced.com
Author
Yeah I chose Sunday as my day. I definitely will keep working, I appreciate the advice. I wanted to document this for the newer bloggers that follow because some of them send me messages not understanding that this work is not all roses. Sometimes it is uncertainty. I am glad you commented. I am gonna check out your blog 🙂
I’m also looking at Pinterest next! All the best! 😊
Good luck with your goals! I am sure you are going to have a great year, your a fighter! Don’t be afraid of the unknown, just jump and go!
Author
YAY! Here we go Helene!!! I so appreciate your support!
Thanks for sharing this. I think many of us have day jobs and have the same problem. I also struggle with time management, but on top of everything else, I think it’s important to remember why we’re doing this in the first place. At least that’s what I’ve come to figure out. Best of luck! 🙂
I agree with Helene, just jump & go 🙂
What’s going to happen next is something none of us will know unless we go & take a look at it ourselves. I wish you all the best for 2018 🙂
Keep with it, beautiful! So so so many of the blogs I follow say they didn’t hit that “WHEW!” spot until 2-3 years in. It’s the long game to build your traffic and see the SEO pay off. YOU GOT THIS!!