(Remember, you’re still chanting: “the blog was created for me; I was not created for the blog”…)
In order for blogging to really work for us in a healthy way, we need to evaluate our lives. You know – our “real lives” – the ones that include “real people”, such as mothers, fathers, husbands, children, coworkers, friends, enemies, etc.
What’s important in your real life?
What do you need to focus on in order to promote the well-being of the people entrusted to your care – including yourself?
These are important questions to answer, because they must determine the content, size, and demands of our blogs.
We must determine to blog exclusively that which benefits our life.
Otherwise, what’s the point? At best, our blogs are just a figment of our imaginations. At worst, our blogs will eat us alive.
So, let’s evaluate what is important in our lives-away-from-social-media, and then make social media submit to those important things.
What’s important to me:
At this point in my life, my relationship with God and my immediate family is of utmost importance to me. So, my blog must benefit my faith and my family. I simply don’t have a capacity to handle much more than that. In order to serve God well, love Ryan well, train the girls well, and nurture a pregnancy well, I’ve gotta eat, sleep, read, think, write and talk about topics that hover around these very narrow topics. In order to pour my time, attention, and heart into my faith and family, I must blog about my faith and my family. It’s that huge for my brain and energy supply.
But, I’m cool with that. Sure, I can drool over the vast capacity of other bloggers, but I can only operate from what I have. I’m grateful for my gifts, abilities, and passions, and I’m determined to steward them well.
As it turns out, there’s a place for faith and family blogging, and I’ve been happily writing posts in those categories for 4 years.
Perhaps you share many items from my “what’s important” list, but you also have a knack for crafting. It’s important to you, and enhances your home. It inspires your children and blesses your neighbors. Well then, blog about crafts, my friend! Perhaps, for you, it’s frugal living, or baking, education, healthy living, or fashion. I say, if it benefits your faith, your health, and your home life, snuggle into your niche and blog about this important part of your life!
Regardless of our blogging niche – be it family or fashion – may we keep our hearts open to the real people who need us – and want us. They are always, always more important. Let’s plan ways in which we can make our blogs benefit our lives.
A personal example:
Evaluating “what’s important?” helped me to create “Family Fun Friday” recently. I’m lovin’ it because “Family Fun Friday” holds me accountable to following through with something that is very difficult, but important: planning specific times of unity, peace, and fun for our family. If both my family and my blog readers are looking forward to my consistency in this area, I’ve got the wind in my sails to do it. Not to mention, I believe that fun is important for your family, too, so I’m thrilled to offer any ounce of encouragement possible! And the best part is, I’m starting to see some of your ideas trickle in, which I love (to steal).
So, here’s hoping that at least one day a week, I’m blogging about something that I’m making happen in my “real life”, that is benefiting my family as well as my blog readers.
I’ve also decided to join the “Blogging through the Bible in 90-days” crew and intend to blog about it as I go. That way, I’m reading (lots of) Scripture, which directly benefits my faith, and blogging about something relevant and helpful for my readers.
Do you get my gist?
What’s important to you?
How do you shape your blog to benefit your real life?
