This post is for you, fellow bloggers and bloggers-to-be.
This will be a bit long and somewhat rambling, but my sense is this:
Blogging is changing.
If we want to succeed, we need to learn how to adapt.
When I started blogging four and a half years ago, the community felt smaller. You could actually get to know many others in your niche. It wasn’t tiny, of course, but it was much more intimate than it is today.
Award – 2007
A few years back, you could write from the heart and still stand out. It took hard work, consistency and quality, but if you stayed persistent and engaged with your readers through comments and genuine community-building, you could survive and even thrive.
Today things feel different. More people are in the game, which is wonderful, but blogging has expanded beyond writing alone. Success often depends on numbers across many platforms and on how effectively you steer that traffic back to your blog.
Modern bloggers juggle priorities we didn’t even consider before. How many times was your project pinned? Can you make it more “pinnable” with different images or format? How many Facebook likes or Twitter followers do you have? Were any tweets retweeted? Who is following your Instagram account or Pinterest boards? What is your Klout score doing? Should you attend a blogging conference, and which one? Who’s speaking where? Should you join promotional groups to boost each other’s visibility? Which camera do successful bloggers use?
Being a top blogger and online influencer can be complicated and costly. Thinking about all of it at once can feel overwhelming.
When is “enough” truly enough? I love blogging and I’m not opposed to growth, numbers or competition. Those can be positive. But I resist being pressured or tempted to constantly do more.
So how should we set goals for blogging success today?
Numbers and influence have value, but should they be the ultimate measure of success?
When I set blogging goals I prefer to start with what I’m really aiming for. I consider the foundations of a well-lived life: contentment at home, peace, joy, meaning, health, and time with family. Those are the real-life goals that matter most.
{this artwork with the lovely message was originally shared via Home Grown Hospitality}
Can we reach those life goals while growing online? Yes, sometimes. It’s possible to expand a blog, stay content, and keep perspective. For many, though, spending more time chasing metrics can lead to feeling scattered and less peaceful.
It’s easy to lose sight of real goals when the internet pulls you in every direction.
How do you focus your online energy and decide what “enough” means?
Must we choose between a successful life and a successful blog? For me, the balance lies between deliberately growing a blog business when it matters and recognizing when to stop—because saying “enough” is vital for long-term health and happiness. I don’t always get it right, but I accept that I cannot do everything well. Daily choices are necessary.
It comes down to being intentional. That has always mattered. Extra hours online, more conferences, or more projects might boost followers, pins and likes, but they can also create distance from family and personal priorities.
Start with your real life goals before defining blogging goals. When you know the outcome you want in life, it becomes easier to decide how to spend your time now. That perspective helps prevent burnout and keeps blogging sustainable. After four and a half years, I’m still here, so I must be doing something right.
If you don’t set priorities, you risk burning out — and no one wants that.
So bloggers, let’s talk about blogging with intention!
How do we pace ourselves?
If you blog, please share in the comments: How long have you been blogging? How has your experience changed as blogging has grown? What advice or questions would you offer to longtime bloggers or newcomers?
What drives you crazy about trying to grow your blog while keeping your sanity?
How are you intentional about goals, and how do you decide when to say “enough” regarding your time spent on blogging and related activities?