Most of us begin blogging because we have a specific knowledge or passion to share with others. Perhaps you love to write, or love you to discuss topics and issues with others whom you may not know. After a few years, however, I’ve found that many bloggers have continued blogging because they want to “make it”—that is to say, they want fame, fortune, or a combination of both. Chasing money on the blogosphere, while not wholly a waste of time, can end up becoming a Moby Dick of sorts. You become so obsessed with money that you lose sight of all else. And when you fail to live up to your expectations, you become dejected, and you may even throw in the towel all together. If you need some motivation, here are a few reasons to continue blogging that you may have forgotten because you’ve been at it for awhile.
1. You truly enjoy blogging and you want to improve but your writing and technical skills.
This is probably why you began blogging in the first place. You knew that you had a specific set of knowledge on one or more topics, and you wanted to try your hand at the art of blogging. And the art of blogging is so much more than just writing. It’s about learning to write in a very specific way, one that is melds concision with clarity. There’s also the design and development aspect of blogging that requires practiced skill as well. As such, one of the most important reasons to continue blogging is to get better at it.
2. You enjoy meeting new people who share your same thoughts and interests.
One of my favorite things about blogging is how social it is. Although, of course, you are the one who writes most of the content on your blog, comments enable you to discuss interests with others who feel just as strongly about the issues you care about as you do. This virtual communing with “kindred spirits” is one of the most personally rewarding aspects of blogging.
3. You enjoy the performance aspect of blogging.
While there is certainly a discussion-focused aspect to blogging, there is also something almost theatrical about blogging, which separates it from writing in other situations. Usually, bloggers use the first person, and if you think of a blog as a platform, then you can easily see how the writing environment becomes a soapbox in which you deliver a monologue of sorts. If you’ve got a performer in you, then embrace the theater inherent in blogging.
4. You enjoy learning about new blogs and other sources of information.
Although it is wonderful to meet people who are just like you, it can be just as wonderful learning new things from people who are very different from you. My favorite part about blogging is that once you’ve done it for awhile you’ll learn about all the top blogs and bloggers out there. And learning from those who are better than you is one of the foundations of a rewarding life in general.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with pursuing blogging for its lucrative benefits. At the same time, however, you’d be surprised that once you stop making all about the money, you’ll end up with more success, both personally and monetarily.
