I love blogging for a living! Seriously, I feel grateful every single day to know that my work allows me to have all the freedom I need & constantly keeps me motivated to grow. I’ve been blogging for over five years now & today I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned so far from running my own blog.

I’ve started kotrynabass.com back in 2012 and little did I know that one day it’s going to become my job which I absolutely adore. I love how blogging opens me new doors almost daily, here are 10 Life Lessons I have Learned From Being A Blogger:

1. Being yourself is the way to success.

I know, this sounds so cheesy, but, it’s true! All of my top posts were written out of my own head. If I try to follow a trend or produce content that doesn’t stand for what I believe in- it shows & those type of posts never end up doing well anyways.

Even if the blogosphere keeps evolving & changing daily, people will always look for the personality behind your blog. I realised that showing my true colours and opening about some deeply personal topics not only makes me feel better about my work, it also brings me closer to my audience which initially keeps my blog growing.

2. Learning to let things go is crucial.

When it comes to blogging, I always encourage everyone to try different things out. However, not everything you’re going to write about is going to work. Don’t push yourself to keep publishing the content that simply doesn’t feel right. It’s ok to change your mind and let go of the things that simply do not exceed your expectations. Not all the posts are going to become viral and not every photo shoot you plan to detail will succeed, but it’s important to keep your mind focused, take a deep a breath and move on.

3. When things feel off- spend some time away from your computer.

Whenever I feel like the creative block is coming- I try to go offline for as long as possible at the time. Taking a long walk, reading an actual book or simply spending some time with my loved ones inspire me more than any online training ever could!

4. It’s ok to ask for what you want.

I was so afraid to stand up for myself in the first year of starting my blog I wasn’t confident enough to determine my own charges and asked brands to provide me with the possible budget instead. Most of the times, this affected me in getting underpaid and even if I had a great experience and learned a lot, it left me feeling undervalued and overworked. These days, I set my own rules when it comes to working with companies & more often than not- they are completely fine with that!

5. Comparison kills the dreams.

Simply stop. Comparing yourself to others won’t get you anywhere. It’s not healthy and has no meaning. You do you, that’s what you’ve started your blog for in the first place! I struggled with comparison a lot throughout my blogging career until it really got me into a bad state. I refuse to do this to myself any longer and so should you. Read more about this here.

6. Asking for help is OK.

You might be trying to handle all of the tasks when it comes to your blog yourself. Look, I get it. I’ve done this myself for a long, long time. However, in the last couple of years, not only I had my fiance join me in my online business, we now hire other freelancers on regular basis to complete some of the tasks for us. Having other people to rely on allows me to focus on what I love doing the most without getting too overwhelmed.

7. Investing is a key.

You can’t expect to grow your blog without investing back to it. If you’re planning to give some extra attention to your blog, here are 5 Blog Investments You Should Make On Your Next Payday. I’m not talking about investing your money only tho! Spend your time learning new things, creating content and make sure to seriously commit. It will all pay off in no time!

8. Working in my pyjamas is fun, but I create my key content all dressed up.

Good morning routine doesn’t only contain good breakfast or waking up early, it is also important to actually ‘get ready’ for the day. Putting an outfit together, applying minimal makeup & even getting my hair done instantly gets me into that go-getter mood.

9. Your blog is the most important (and safe) place of your online presence.

Yes, I am going to talk about IT. I keep seeing this all over the blogosphere- people are losing audience from changes in Instagram’s algorithm, well-known YouTubers lose their income through new regulations and let’s not even start discussing Facebook ads… I know, it’s hard to keep up and you don’t have to! Focus on your own platform instead- grow your website, provide regular, high-quality content and you’ll be fine! Read more: Why You Should Always Take Your Blog Seriously.

10. Making money off your blog is easy. If you know what you’re doing.

I see this all the time- new bloggers trying way too hard to advertise their services or affiliate links without a proper strategy. The thing is- once you get the ball rolling, you’ll be able to create yourself a regular income from your blog, but you have to put the work in. Make sure to learn from the people that already made it and check out these 3 Best Online Courses You Should Take If You Want To Monetise Your Blog.

Or, if you’re currently looking to improve your current blog, I hope this list gave you some inspiration to work hard and make your dreams come true! Let me know what is the best lesson you’ve learned from running your own blog!

p.s. if you don’t have a blog yet, but this post sparked your interest, go ahead and start one in five minutes.