Reasons I’ve Been a Blogger for 3 Years + A Peek At My Blogging Journal!

It’s hard to believe, but I have been a blogger for over three years.

I’ve been a Weebly blogger and a WordPress blogger. I’ve written posts about food and books and writing and so many others things (but mostly books). I’ve commented on blogs, I’ve had my blog commented on, I’ve had long posts and short posts and everything in between. I’ve been frustrated and sad, but most of all I have felt joy.

Once I started blogging, I didn’t want to stop. The first half of this post will be reasons why I’ve stayed on this journey- why I love being a blogger. 🙂

1. I love sharing my thoughts with other people. It would be a boring world if everyone just kept their ideas inside their head!

2. There’s nothing like the thrill of getting an email that someone has commented or liked my post. It may seem simple, but it makes my day every single time! Thank you.😊

3. I’ve learned about so many other blogs! I have discovered so many other blogs that are so wonderful to read and relate to.

4. It’s nice to know people out there can relate. Did I love a book? Hate the book? Ship these two characters? Sometimes it seems like I’m the only one I know who feels the way I do (at least in real life), but now I can read other blogs that feel the same way or connect with my readers through the comments.

5. I love to write. Writing is a passion of mine. I’m lucky to be able to do it whenever I want, through this little corner of the Internet.

6. It’s given me a creative outlet. I’m definitely a creative person. I just love to create. As cliche as it sounds, it’s the truth. What would I do if I had to keep all of these thoughts bottled inside of me? Probably scream.

7. I’ve felt the satisfaction of improvement. While I still have a small blog, in the past few months I have begun to see growth. It is a wonderful feeling to see that your work is paying off and people are reading your blog!

8. I’m a really shy person in real life. I’ve learned that a lot of bloggers are like this. We’re shy in real life, and therefore don’t share our opinions aloud too often. T y p i n g is a whole lot different than talking, let me tell you. 😉

9. I have an honest-to-goodness love for books. Books are amazing! I love reading them, I love talking about them, I love everything about them! They’re my main inspiration for my blog.

10. I am dedicated. The other day I was telling a friend about my blog (hey Liz, if you’re reading this!) and when I said I’d been doing this since 2014 she said, “Wow, you’re really dedicated!” And that’s true. I’m really dedicated to this.

Now, you get a peek into my new blogging journal! I was inspired by this post of Charis’. Meaning my journal is pretty similar to hers, so it’s important that you know all the creativity credit belongs to her. 😉 I just wanted to share mine here!

 

I’m using a journal I got for Christmas a few years back- I think the title fits its purpose well! The image on the right is my cover page.

On the first spread I have just some general blog info, and then a table of contents. I made the mistake of using Sharpies, so everything is bleeding through a bit. Oh well. 😉

Next I have some of my favorite resources for images, editing, etc. and my favorite blogs. (This post was scheduled in advance, so the ‘favorite blog’ page isn’t quite up to date.)

The next spread features a goals page (which I covered because some things on there are secret projects of mine!) and a few post idea pages (also covered, for obvious reasons).

I started my notebook near the end of August, so I set up for September first. (Once again, please excuse the bled-through Sharpie.)

Finally, I set some goals for September and left a place for me to look back on the month, then a stats page, too. AND GUYS. I actually post planned for September! In August!

Since I knew I’d be really busy with the start of school, I planned out September’s post (and covered them up, of course!). I didn’t know if I’d need any more room for anything, so I just left a page blank.

And that’s my blogging journal! A big thank you to Charis for doing a post about this and being my inspiration and guide. 🙂 #organizeyourworld

Before this post is over, I want to take a moment and recognize that today (if you’re reading this on the day it was published) is September 11th. Sixteen years ago was a dark day in American history, and the lives of so many were taken. Please take the time today to pray for the families of 9/11 victims.🙏🏻

On a similar note, all of my thoughts and prayers are going to victims of Hurricane Harvey, as they deal with the aftermath, and those caught in Hurricane Irma. (And any other hurricanes that may come along?)

I’d also like to note that I am hosting a Q&A next week on September 25th. If you’d like to still ask any questions, then go ahead and comment on this post.

Now, what are the reasons you blog? Why do you love blogging? And do you have a blogging notebook, and what do you think of mine? See you in the comments.