Life Lessons I’ve Learned From Blogging

Wow, it’s been over a month since I launched my blog! To me, it feels like it’s been much longer, probably because I’ve been contemplating this for so long. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned since I started this lil bloggity blog.

As I explained in my intro post, one of the main reasons I started this thing was to explore and learn more about topics I’m interested in. They say you teach what you need to learn about the most, and that is most definitely true here. I’m super excited to learn about ethical fashion, minimalism, spirituality, mindfulness, and more. I do marketing for a living, so I’m always interested in expanding my knowledge about social media, website stuff, publicity, etc. And boy have I learned more than my share about all of that.

What I didn’t necessarily expect was how much this blogging thing would teach me about myself: my habits, my hangups, my strengths and my resistance. Having this blog as my side hustle has brought so many of my issues to the surface, but has also highlighted hidden strengths.

Here are a few of the top lessons that have been illuminated so far.

Writing Will Constantly Challenge You

Writing is hard. I don’t think there are many people who would disagree with me on that one. I’ll say it again. Writing is hard, damnit! There is nothing more daunting than a blank page. I swear that blinking cursor was created to taunt writers. For someone who talks all day errrday, you wouldn’t think writing would be that difficult for me, especially writing about myself. But writing continues to challenge and elude me almost every time.

I always used tell people that I enjoy writing. But that’s not entirely true. Yes, I’m better at writing than let’s say, math or science, but that doesn’t really mean I enjoy it. I liken it to running: it’s never necessarily easy, but it’s more about just getting yourself out the door. You’ll get in the zone at some point during the run, and you’ll always feel accomplished once it’s over. Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone is where the biggest lessons come in.

Done is Better Than Perfect

This one is huge for me. Perfectionism has had a tight grip over my life for many years. It had me wrapped around its finger for so long that I didn’t even see it as a flaw. I thought perfectionism was an asset. Ever since I was a small child, I’ve had a very strong sense of personal accountability. I got straight A’s because I wanted to. I remember my mom begging me to just try getting a bad grade in middle school so I would know what it felt like. This intense ambition and being hard on myself continued into adulthood. Working at law firms for the past 6 years certainly didn’t help (a lawyer will make it their life’s mission to crush you for an egregious error such as misplacing a semicolon).

I delayed even starting this blog thanks to perfectionism. Thankfully, the thoughtful nudges and advice from friends, family, and mentors helped me push past this and just hit publish. No, the website doesn’t look like it was created by a custom web designer. No, the images aren’t all professionally edited, and I don’t have everything planned out to a T.

This blog is my side hustle, so quite frankly, I don’t have the time to make it perfect. And perfection is not my mission. My mission is to live a slow, meaningful life and inspire other women to do the same. As long as I stay focused on my “why,” I can push past my perfectionism.

Community is Everything

Part of my motivation in starting a blog about slow living was to connect with other like-minded folks. I learn by example and am very extroverted, so hanging out (virtually or in person) with people who share this mindset is very important for me. I needed a platform to show and explore my passion so I could grow my tribe.

I have already met the most amazing people through this blog, and also deepened existing friendships. Starting something new is so scary. All of the support from new and old friends has been so life-affirming. I’m a pretty awesome person (if I do say so myself) but I never could have done this alone.

Pushing through fear and making time to pursue a side hustle is not easy. I don’t have as much time as I used to for coffee dates with friends, putting away laundry, or spontaneous trips. Luckily, I have an amazing support system of humans who love me no matter how many dishes are piled in my sink.

It’s overwhelmingly beautiful the way that people step forward to support you when you’re pursuing your dreams. It’s hard to articulate, but it’s like when you really step into your power, you attract people and situations that are deeply supportive. I guess it’s that whole “universe has got your back” concept. Anyway, I am bubbling over with gratitude on a daily basis for all of you incredible humans who have joined me on this journey.

Pursuing New Passions Spurs Personal Growth

I think we all know deep down that if we continue doing the same things in the same old ways, we’re never gonna grow. But growth is challenging and new things are scary. I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of negative, fearful thoughts that ran through my head whenever I thought about starting this blog. But I finally reached a point where I basically felt like I had no other option but to dive in headfirst.

?And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.????Ana?s Nin

What passions do you have that are pulling at your soul? What resistance are you working through on bringing those dreams to life? Share below in the comments so we can all cheer you on!