It’s my blogiversary you guys! That’s right, this month I’m celebrating THREE WHOLE YEARS since The Department of Wandering launched. Holy heck! Time is flying! Initially, I launched this blog was as a way to share my experience living abroad in Berlin and to provide a much needed creative outlet to me while I struggled to cope with a job that left me feeling unfulfilled, uninspired and down in the dumps. Who knew that The Department of Wandering would bring me so much joy and open up so many doors that I would eventually be able to quit my job to focus on it full-time?! Crazy crazy.
So, since there’s no time like the present, I wanted to share with you three of my biggest blogging confessions. These are my secrets, my cold hard truths. They’re not pretty, but they’re real. Sometimes the blogging world can appear so glamorous to those sitting on the other side of the computer screen but really, the reality is a little lot different. To celebrate The Department of Wandering’s blogiversary, here are three of my honest blogging confessions:
1. I’m still (and probably always will be) shy to talk about it
Despite the shameless self promotion you’ll see on social media, if you talk to me about The Department of Wandering in person, chances are that I’ll break eye contact and quickly change the topic. Yep, I’m super shy to talk about my blog! But why am I like this? Wouldn’t I want to gush about this thing that occupies so much of my attention and time? The thing that I’ve created from scratch? The thing that I’ve invested everything in, nurtured and turned into a business?
The truth is, I feel totally awkward talking about it! I’m Australian after all and we’re a self-deprecating bunch. We take an intense dislike to all those tall poppies out there who actually LIKE to talk about their achievements. And since my biggest achievement is my blog in which I talk about me and my experiences and my opinions, to blab about it IRL too just feels a little too self indulgent. Don’t get me wrong, I am intensely proud of this thing I’ve made. I’m just a modest kind of gal. I do want to be able to talk about my blog more openly without blushing and getting all awkward and embarrassed so that’s something I’m working on!
2. I think about it excessively
Being a blogger is all-consuming. I’m not just thinking about the blog when I’m working on it, I’m thinking about it constantly when I’m not. The Department of Wandering hijacks my mind with a never ending stream of thoughts, self-criticisms and ideas that never let up. I set such high standards for myself and always feel like there’s something that I should be working on. Whether it’s do with creating new content, developing new business relationships, launching my first product, driving traffic and updating social media, it never stops. It’s really, really hard to switch off from and I constantly feel the itch to grab my laptop and open up WordPress.
There’s no 9-5 and there’s no concept of a weekend. This is both a great thing (I love my job so much that I always want to work!) and a bad thing (the work/life balance has become very, very blurred). I’m really trying to work on striking more of a balance and at least giving myself one full day off a week.
3. It takes me forever to write a blog post
I don’t post nearly enough as I’d like to but that doesn’t mean I’m not always working on something! It just takes me ages to do everything: to write, to edit photos, to proofread, to create pinnable Pinterest images, to EVERYTHING. I’m slow, you guys. I have a list of blog post ideas that is pages and pages long. So why can’t I speed up my process and whip this content out to you faster? I’m just so particular about everything – the way it looks, the way it sounds, how much value you’re going to get out of it. I think about it all so deeply.
I read so many quotes about productivity like, ‘It’s better done than perfect’ and ‘the only perfect thing is a blank piece of paper’ and I wholeheartedly agree with them. And while I know that nothing that’s ever created is perfect, I still want to focus on quality rather than quantity. Most of the articles on The Department of Wandering are long-form, detailed and (hopefully) useful. They genuinely provide valuable information (at least I hope so!) and aren’t vague or unoriginal like many blog posts out there are. So it does take me a long while to let an idea marinate in my mind, write my drafts, edit the accompanying images and do all the other things that need to be done alongside pressing publish. I’m not a robot and I can’t go into autopilot to churn blog posts out like a machine. I would never want to be like actually. Maybe I will get a bit faster over time, especially if I get to the point where I can hire an assistant to help me. Let’s see!
Like this post? These other posts might be right up your alley:
- One Year On: 10 Things That Happen When You Quit the 9-5
- Why You Need to Re-Think Your Definition of Success
- Shouldn’t I Have My Shit Together By Now?
I really needed to read this! I have about 14 drafts and I keep working a little bit of each one but not ever completing them and posting! I’ve been on a hiatus lately but just knowing that not everyone writes post immediately, makes me feel normal. I was really doubting myself but this is definitely motivational for myself and I’m sure other bloggers alike. 🙂
Glad to hear it was a useful read, Ada! I only tend to work on one draft at a time, but I have a HUGE list that I work from that just seems to get longer and longer! All we can do is try and stick to a schedule that works for us personally, even if it means posting once a week or once a fortnight. I hope your adventures in Germany give you renewed inspiration! x
Congratulations on three years: that’s so exciting! Aha I totally agree with number two about obsessing over your blog. Like, I’ve started having dreams about it now!
Thanks Sophie! Time has really flown! So awesome to know that I’m not the only one, haha! I mean, how can we not when we pour so much of ourselves into it?!
Great job on three years and developing your passion into a full time job. It’s a great achievement. I can relate to all of your points :). I started my blog when I moved to Austria as an outlet for me to take a break from German and help me settle in. It will only ever be a hobby and I still work full time, yet I am constantly thinking of the articles I am writing, or need to write. I recently finished my first blog in German, which took me forever to write, but it’s so good to hear other bloggers admitting these realities.
Thanks so much Nicola! Whether you blog as a hobby or full-time, it’s so rewarding isn’t it? I’ve become so much more creative since I launched my blog and absolutely love developing all these new skills. Amazing that you’ve started to blog in German – that is no easy feat! Thanks for your comment 🙂