I Wanna Quit Blogging, Like, Every Day

January 30, 2019

At least, for a couple minutes a day, I do.

I love blogging but, oh, is it frustrating.

What do I love? Creating content, putting together looks I might never have thought of. Fostering a community within my blog and Instagram, people commenting and telling me I’m their go-to skirt and dress blogger really makes me happy that others enjoy what I post. Meeting people within the blogging community, I’ve connected with so many other bloggers who have become great friends through our mutual support of each other.

But what don’t I love? What makes it frustrating?

Feeling like a failure in all aspects of blogging. Like I’m not good at what I’m doing no matter how much work I put into content, into growing, everything that comes with the territory of blogging. All of this can be so frustrating on a day to day basis because it’s constantly on my mind and that weighs on me every day.

It’s hard not to compare yourself to others. One piece of advice that I always hear—especially from bigger, well established bloggers—is to not compare yourself to other bloggers. And, I agree, that’s one of the worst things you can do when you’re trying to grow your brand. But it’s also easy to say when you’re when you’re bigger and established. Not to say bloggers that are larger and established

Outfit Details: Jacket • Dress • Boots

established don’t want consistent and constant growth. Everyone wants to grow their blog, Instagram, and brand no matter how large they are. And they’re definitely not immune to the comparison game. But being established does give some comfort that building doesn’t allow.

The honest truth about blogging is that sometimes, I am so frustrated, I think about walking away. Seeing this and worrying on a daily basis really takes a toll on me. I have bad days where engagement is low and more people unfollow than follow, and it seems like other bloggers are having really good days. It happens. It’s inevitable. But days like that still make me flip my phone over, shut my computer, and question walking away.

It’s the worse when I spend all day on Instagram and feels like the result don’t match the output of effort and time I put in. You can rarely control the results of anything in life and that’s hard to remember when putting in that much work, the time, and the effort. There’s only so far doing it for yourself can take you. External validation is definitely more intoxicating than internal. Thought, that doesn’t mean internal isn’t also important, if not more.

I also sometimes feel like blogging keeps me away from other things I love, namely writing. Focusing every moment of the day on my blog then Instagram then back to my blog then to Pinterest and Facebook and then back to Instagram, you get it. Time spent doing that is time away from the books that I want to write. But at the same time, it feels like if I don’t spend that time working on my blog, it’ll greatly suffer. Truthfully, that’s time management and I feel like my blog takes up more time than I would want it to. I’d want it to be way more even in terms of my time commitment.

The comparison game also gets me every day. For me, it’s numbers. Growth is hard to watch for someone else when it feels like you’re struggling. It always makes me question what’s wrong with me. Is it my style? My photos, the way I edit them? Is it technical things like hashtags? Mythical things like a shadowban? Or is it just me? Am I not as likable as the next blogger? All these questions run through my mind as I compare myself to blogger friends and random bloggers I stumble across and bloggers I look up to.

But that typical advice is right. You can’t compare yourself to anyone else. Your blog is yours. This blog is mine. Put your spin on the blogging world the way you want to. My corner of the internet with this blog is unique because of what I’ve made it and the work I put into it. And that’s what I have to remind myself. That despite my constant comparing, I still have a blog that’s mine because of my work. I still have a space on the internet that’s all mine and that’s here because of me. That I have to be proud of.

And while I feel like blogging keeps me away from my other writing, that is a part of me having to get better. I have to make time for my writing. I have to be more disciplined with my schedule of juggling both of these highly demanding careers.

But most importantly, I can’t let the frustration get to me. It’s easier to say it than to do it. Words are nothing compared to action. The frustration of an outcome that’s not how I expected it or wanted it to be is no reason to stop. It’s no reason to throw away everything I’ve worked toward and built and am proud of. It’s no reason to quit no matter how badly I may want to. Quitting it the easy way. And nothing worth having is easy.