I’ve been blogging for almost two years. Yes, I am that experienced. Fear me.
It has been quite the journey, and I’m not exaggerating when I say it has completely changed the direction of my life. Sometimes, I have to stop and catch my breath because, wow. I love it too much for words.
That being said, I’ve learned a thing or two in my extensive time here on the blogosphere, and not just about SEO or making a fun post. There are actually quite a few skills I’ve learned from this little blog that have been beneficial… in real life. Yes, the spooky dimension in which you must speak instead of typing. That real life.
I get a lot of questions asking if starting a blog is really worth it, if the payoff is worth the struggle, so today I’m happy to show you a few ways blogging has helped me out! Hopefully, anyone questioning starting their own blog will be convinced to take the leap and go for it. Let’s get started!
blogging has taught me how to…
write & speak better
Although I’m a writer at heart, I tend to have a hard time getting real-life ideas from my head to the keyboard. Dialogue? Easy peasy. My opinion on seafood? YOU’RE ABOUT TO GET A LONG RANTY EXPLOSION MISTER. As the months go by, I find myself learning little by little how to express myself better through words. Yay!
Despite the sophisticated perfection of my Youtube persona (psst abnormally), I am not a good speaker. At all. I do not talk well, and words do not function outside the realm of paper and pen. All blessings to blogging, though, because writing posts and comments have enabled me to thinking a little faster and with a little more dignity.
blogging has taught me how to…
make/keep friends
Alright. Learning how to make friends from being online seems… counterintuitive, to say the least. But blogging really has taught me a little about making lasting friendships!
First, having online friends through blogging has helped me find the self-confidence I didn’t have before. I remember being so thunderstruck that people actually (1. liked my writing, (2. liked my humor, and (3. liked me. That realization helped me let go of my anxieties and allowed me to deepen my current friendships and create a few more.
Blogging has also given me an abundant opportunity to make new friends right here on the internet. Some would say internet friends don’t require the same effort as keeping up with your friends in real life, but I think it takes a lot of dedication and drive to make and keep online friends. You live in different places, have different lifestyles… and your schedules are crazy mismatched! But they’re also amazing and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. 🙃
blogging has taught me how to…
start/run a small business
After blogging for an extended amount of time, you start getting the hang of publicity, networking, and setting up a good business. The experience I’ve logged since I began has been imperative in my family of entrepreneurs. I’m basically the little social media expert in my house, haha!
more lifestyle posts
- best (SELF-CARE) day ever!! // 10 ½ stress-relieving activities for creatives
- 3 Secrets To The Best School Year Ever™ (How I’m Owning College AND High School)
- Creativity & Its Worst Enemy Ever, Burnout (Also: I’m On Hiatus)
blogging has taught me how to…
be productive
Here is a fact: homeschoolers have it easy. We don’t have to go to school for seven hours and do homework. We just… do our school and be done with it. Which leaves a good amount of time for extracurriculars. Liiiiiike blogging!! But when things start getting extra crazy — you have new responsibilities, do try a sport, get a job — you’ve got to start learning time management.
It has taken a long time, but after a lot of frantic, last-minute, messy school projects, I finally embraced the science of being mindful of your time and it has been SO. HELPFUL. Not only am I writing posts on time, but school gets done faster, things get crossed off the to-do list, and I have time to do what I want to do! If there’s anything that’s going to teach you to use your time wisely, it’s blogging.
helped me find what i love to do
I have no idea what I would be doing today if I didn’t start my blog.
Maybe I’d still be writing half-finished books, wondering when I’d finally get published. Or maybe I’d be on some sports team (ew, excertation) hoping to make it big. But, here I am. Typing away on the day this is to be published, splayed out on the floor, trying to hurry because I’m leaving for the first shift of my first job in fifteen minutes. (and just a sidenote blogging and social media was one of the reasons they hired me 😉 )
I love blogging. I know that no matter what I do, I want to be inspiring people until the end. I don’t know if that means creating graphics or making videos or photography or even a totally different career than what I’m going to school for. But blogging helped me find my niche. And I just truly love it.
I’m going to make this QUICK because I have to move it out the door and be the Best Employee Ever™, but I really do hope this has inspired you to blog or keep on blogging. If you’re in a rough patch, I know how easy it looks to give up but keep at it, friend. You got this in the bag, and it’ll be worth everything and more.
What about you? What skills have you learned from blogging that have made a difference in your everyday life? Do you plan on making blogging (or something related to it) a part of your future career? Let’s talk all about it in the comments below!
Great post, Abby! ❤ It’s taught me to be more organized, run/make a small business like you, and I’ve learned a lot through other bloggers technically and spiritually.
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thank you, ariana! i can tell you’ve learned a lot already and THAT IS SO EXCITING YAY!! 🎉
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You’re very welcome! Haha, yes!!
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claps YAASS YOU got a job because of blogging! Ish. XD Way to go!
ah, blogging’s taught me so much. Like how to comment. XD And design. And how to talk to people and voice my opinions. I’m starting to talk like a blogger in real life too. 😛
(Look at that, I almost typed, “tlak” and “lobgeer”. facesmacks
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i did!! sort of!! …yay!! confused celebrating
oH MAN AMEN ON THE COMMENTING THING. and design. and literally all of the above alksjfkjshdk !! hah i go in ‘blogger mode’ in real life too 😂 they should put that on as a side effect of blogging, like, “warning, you may adapt an alternate blogger-ly personality” oh my goodness typos galore hahah 😎😂
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Yasss I totally agree with all of this! Loving your yt channel 😉 Congrats on the job, hope it goes well!!
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aww, thank you! i’m glad you enjoy my videos, hahah! 🤭 thanks !!
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Oh my goodness! All these are all so true (for me too anyway :P) I used to be terrible at talking to people/making friends and now I’m doing things I never would’ve thought of doing socially. 😉 Also YES about finding out what I love to do. Before I started blogging I literally had no clue of what I wanted to do with my life or anything like that! Congrats on almost 2 years of blogging! Your blog is absolutely wonderful!
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YES GIRL! blogging is such a motivator to get out there and make great friends 💛 honestly, it’s a life changer. AH YEE,, same same with not knowing what career path to take 🙈 thank goodness for blogging being a lifesaver! aw, thank you, hannah! wouldn’t be the same without your awesome support ✨🤗
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I haven’t been blogging for very long, but I can say, it is helping me learn how to not only interact with people, but I feel like it is bettering my writing voice and I hope to continue blogging for the “rest of my life” – because um, PEOPLE, this blogging stuff is totally awesome! XD
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YES! i’m so glad you can recognize this earlier in your career 🤗 have you ever looked back at your old posts and been like, ‘wowie, i was a totally different writer back then’? because that is so cool eeep!! aMeN to blogging being AWESOME ✨ thanks for reading, julia!
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Congrats on your first job!!!! I hope your shift is Super Awesome! I’ve grown to love blogging SO much which is awesome. I just wanted to inspire people and grow my “author platform” at the same time, but I really do love creating content and resources on my blog. I’m glad I stuck with it (for all of these 5 reasons above lol) when I just got started. Also, I can describe a made-up world in my head, but effectively conveying my opinions??? Nope. Can’t do it. Great post, Abby. 🙂
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thank you, madeline! my short stint in the working class has been amazing so far 😉 AAH! i know,, right??? blogging molds into a little bit of a passion of itself after a while 😅 yay! and my goodness, how can we writers explain entire universes no one else has ever seen with ease … but not know how to say simple concepts??? smh haha! thank you for reading love!
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I completely agree with blogging helps you communicate better. For me I get a chance to express myself. Also, when you see a read from other corner of the world, there is a feeling that you are making a difference.
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aMEN SISTER. even if it’s just a post you still feel like you’re making a bit of an imprint on the world 💙🤗 thanks for reading, vaish!
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Hey Abby! I’ve been thinking of starting a blog. It seems SO. MUCH. FUN!! Though if i did, I think i would want it to be a general blog with like everything on it (book/movie reviews by me, hairstyle tips, current events etc) i basically love everything so I don’t know if i would want a blog for just one thing. Do you have any tips for cough potential cough bloggers? thank so much! and good luck at your job!
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UM YES PLEASE DO 😍☀ it is so incredible and life-changing and asfdkhkdkl I LOVE. a lot of my blogging amigas have general lifestyle blogs! two of the best of these are clara-and-co.com and afarmgirlslife.wordpress.com. and hINT HINT maybe look out for a post on the 22nd?? it might contain a bit of info you need 😉👍 and if you have any questions please message me !! i love to talk about blogging! 🤗✨
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Great post Abby! And I agree, blogging is a lot of fun!! 😎👍
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thank you, caleb!! blogging is the coolest 😊
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love the way you write blogs.
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thank you!! thanks for reading 💛
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I totally agree that blogging helps you find out what you love, and it definitely kept me productive (I’m homeschooled too!). I used to blog for almost two years, then I stopped blogging, but hopefully, I’ll start a new one soon.
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absolutely!! woo, homeschoolers for the win 😉 oh, yeah, if you have the time and drive, definitely consider starting again! i would love to read it 🤗
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