As a blogger or freelancer, it's easy to get caught up in the day to day of growing, building and nurturing a brand. Between creating new content, maintaining old content, running a business, administering a blog and managing social media, the tasks are time consuming.
It's easy to get lost and forget what your mission was day one when you hit publish. Dear Healthy Living Blogger Remember Why You Started.
Before you became a big blogger with a 120,000 Instagram followers, who were you? What was your mission for blogging? Was it to make a lot of money or was it to help people?
Like many of us, I'm guessing it was to help people. Help them get healthy, show them how to eat healthier, inspire them to get active and to live happier. I'm also guessing you were in an unhappy place that led you to the place of blogging.
But if that was your mission, then why have you forgotten about the person reading your blog who doesn't know the first thing about healthy living?
The person who thinks drinking diet soda and eating Chinese takeout is healthy. The person who doesn't know what kale is. The person who doesn't realize they're drinking too much caffeine contributing to their stress and weight gain. The person who doesn't realize something as simple as drinking more water and taking a short walk every day will make a huge positive difference in their life and lower their risk for chronic disease.
Dear Healthy Living Blogger Remember Why You Started
That person sitting on the other side of the computer reading your posts, drooling over your delicious recipes and admiring your long run recaps or how you deal with your chronic illness. That person wanting so badly to be like you, but feels little hope. That person who doesn't know healthy the way you do.
Stop wasting your time putting down other bloggers.
I'm tired of seeing bloggers putting down other bloggers over petty, stupid things. It's immature. It's a waste of time and it needs to stop.
So what if your health tips are similar to my health tips or your recipe is like my recipe? According to Google, a lot of other people are sharing the same content. Who cares when people need help? Real help! What matters most is inspiring and helping people.
There is no shortage of people in this world who need help getting healthy.
Your energy should be directed to helping the millions of people struggling to get healthy in this world. Your energy should be used to teach, inspire and communicate. Your energy should be used to share what you know about healthy living because it's a lot more than the average person.
Healthy living bloggers should be banding together as a team to reach as many people needing help as possible.
Turn the negative into positive. There is power in numbers! The more of us out there posting the same message, the higher the probability of reaching people who need help.
Dear Healthy Living Blogger Remember Your Why
Before you hit publish or send emails accusing bloggers and finger pointing, stop and remember your why. Why you started. What led you to blogging. Remember your mission. Remember your passion.
Fatima says
Thank you for this reminder! i just started blogging as Moroccan healthy living blogger..I wish I ll never forget my WHY
much love
Megan says
That's awesome! Welcome to the blog world!
rachel @ athleticavocado says
LOVE LOVE LOVE This! thank you for sharing <3
Megan says
Thank you!
Tiffany@GreaterThanYesterdayNutrition says
Thanks for 'thinking out loud.' This was exactly what I needed tonight!!
I am a 'new' blogger and sometimes it feels overwhelming to try to learn about social media, boosting posts, trying to figure out which plug-ins are best. But, you're right - I started because I hoped to be able to help others learn about nutrition and become happier in their own skin!!!
Thanks again!
Megan says
You will get there lady! It's take time to get started and even once you feel like you have everything you need, there's always so much more to learn. Remember to ask other bloggers for help. They are always willing to help because they're been through it and now how hard it is.
Ellie | Hungry by Nature says
I love this! It's so easy to forget, but so necessary to check in with yourself every once in a while. Let's all support each other and build each other up - isn't that the reason why we started?? To help each other!
Megan says
That is how it should work!
Kayla says
I love this! I'll admit I've been at this awhile and sometimes it's easy to forget or start playing the comparison game with other bloggers. It's about SO much more than that, thank you for the reminder
http://www.kaylainthecity.com
Megan says
After you've been doing it for awhile, you lose site of it or become consumed with making money. Maybe I won't make as much money as other bloggers or ever have a book deal but at least I know I'm changing lives.
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says
Amen, blogging sister! There's a world of people out there to inspire -- so let's all be a little more positive and remember why we're in this game. 🙂
Megan says
Thanks Ashley!
Emily says
MEGAN!!!! Thank you. I could tell that you wrote this from the very bottom of your heart, to really re-center us on why we do everything we do. This puts it back into perspective. It makes blogging the delightful adventure that it always should be, it makes it about others, not your own selfish gain, it makes it about the relationships, which is the most amazing fundamental part of blogging. <3 Thank you for helping and serving so many.
Megan says
I'm glad you like it friend! It was something that really did pour out of my heart & it makes me so very happy that came through.
Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says
Love it! It's easy to forget where we came from or what our motivation was for starting. I like to check in w myself every now and then to make sure that my head is in the right place and I'm still going where I want.
Megan says
I think you of all people are probably really good about this. I can tell from the other things you write!
Kat says
LOVE this post girl. It can be really easy to get caught up in the "business" of it all and forget all about the PASSION. I think thats why I never become a personal trainer [ridiculous, I know] but I never want it to feel like work. I love fitness, I love working out, and I love the relationships I've made at the gym by sharing my workouts and tips with others - even though I'm not getting paid for it. That aside, it can be tough to hold on to the "reason" we started blogging sometimes. Thanks for the reminder!
Megan says
I love that Kat! Sometimes your passion doesn't have to be about money. I teach swim and I definitely don't make a ton of money doing it, but for me I do it because I love it.
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
I think you are preaching to the choir today. It is a really great reminder. I know that I started to share that you could achieve a healthy, trim, body without starving yourself or obsessively calorie counting. My blog is very personal and takes many different directions but this is exactly what I needed to hear. OH, and I LOVE that you said we can share the same message, that is the point isn't it!?!?!? Your the best.
Megan says
No, you're the best! Except you don't have a face. You need a face friend. LOL
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
Yes! Yes! Yes! We get wrapped up in our little world and forget there are so many people out there to help. We need to work together not apart!
Megan says
Exactly! It's motivated me want to brainstorm ways to organize bloggers to do that.
Catherine @ A Cup of Catherine says
I so needed to read this today! After being 100% all into redesigning my blog, I've sort of hit a wall when it comes to motivation and managing my time toward the blog. Part of that is because I'm much busier at work, but I think I just need to step back, remember WHY I started doing this in the first place, and find that joy again (especially since I'm a small blogger who's pretty much accepted I'll never hit the big time). For me, it's all about the community...even though I've never met any of my readers in person!
Megan says
You really have to see it through their ideas. I think sometimes we want everything to be perfect (like redesigning a blog), but the reality is you don't have to wait to start making an impact. Nothing will ever be perfect or the right time. You just have to go for it!
Bri says
Love this! It's easy to lose sight of why you started, especially when you actually start making money from blogging.
Megan says
Confession, I've been making money and I hope that never changes me.
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
Oh, girl, we have talked about this so much. You know I am right there with you. I actually had written something of a similar ilk for today before we even talked this week, and then had a change of heart, but it is coming.
Megan says
Oh, I can't wait to see what you have coming!
michele @ paleorunningmomma says
It really is easy to get caught up in the day to day! I love getting comments from readers that remind me that what I'm putting out there matters. Totally agree with this 🙂
Megan says
Yes! Getting those personal comments & emails from readers (bloggers included) is my favorite thing about blogging.