This year, I’ve been trying to channel my inner Jada Pinkett Smith. Have you guys seen the most recent cover of Shape Magazine? Yeah. That.
I wanted flat abs. I wanted lean legs. I wanted a firm butt. And I wanted it all within one month.
Unfortunately, all throughout 2014 I ate pancakes for breakfast, burgers for lunch, and pizza for dinner, so I wasn’t exactly close to my goal of looking like Mrs. Smith.
After a month of little progress, I had to realize something: she’s been doing this for over 20 years, while I’ve been doing this for 30 days.
I got discouraged when I focused so much on the numbers that I didn’t embrace nor appreciate the journey.
I forgot that tiny progress was still progress, and a little progress each week leads to some serious results over time.
I got to buy cute new workout clothes and tennis shoes.
I took fun and entertaining dance classes.
I met great, new people who were also trying to channel their inner celebrity body.
And I even lost five pounds!
Great things don’t happen overnight. You have to allow yourself to grow into your ambition.
The blogging journey is not all that different from the weight loss journey.
Your first year in blogging is kind of like being that girl who dreams of having a fit bod. When you first start out, you bookmark awesome blogs in the same way you’d scour magazines for “fitspiration” from hot celebs.
Unfortunately it’s not that easy, kids. (Believe me, I’ve tried.)
Even if you write seven blog posts in one day, it’s important to pace yourself, because results don’t come overnight. If I hopped on a treadmill for five hours, I would still be the same size as before I got on the treadmill. I would also just be exhausted and less likely to put in work the next day.
Set mini goals for yourself.
Your first week, you might want to write two blog posts and be more active on Pinterest. The following week, you may share three posts and join a Twitter chat. After two weeks or so, track your growth. There’s nothing more devastating than working out for three days, then hopping on a scale to learn that you haven’t lost any weight. The same disappointment arises when you try to track your blog’s growth on a day-to-day basis. Be realistic. It’s when we take a step back that we see how far we’ve come over time.
If you’ve been going at it for months and you’re still not getting the results you want, don’t give up. Consider hiring a coach. Fitness and nutrition coaches help get you to reach your physical health goals while blogging consultants/coaches help you reach your goals as a blogger.
Finally, give yourself a break.
Don’t worry if you miss a day of blogging that you had scheduled. There’s always tomorrow. The blogging world, like the gym, isn’t going anywhere. Keep pushing. Keep striving. Keep blogging.
I love this and so appreciate the perspective. I am about 11 months into the blogging venture and can relate to every piece of this. I have goals and dreams for my online space, yet the day to day can be defeating. It’s when you look back and notice an evolution of quality blog posts and writing style, or the more quantifiable page views/unique views, though I’m trying very hard not to live by that! I need to be enjoying the process and writing for me. That’s the goal.
Though readers are BEYOND welcome, so here is the URL! 🙂
therossettoblog.com
Great post, this perspective somehow quiets my mind as well. Even though I am not really working out to lose weight at the moment (pregnant), I am sometimes behaving the way you describe regarding my blog. It’s crazy. Good things take time, progress takes time. We should all take a step back some times and appreciate the work we do and the small steps we take. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend!
This is a great analogy! I often feel like after working for a long period of time on -what I think is- a good post, it can be disheartening to not see any progress. However, I have definitely seen progress in the long run and I tell my self just to keep pushing along!x
Abbie|Thoughtsandthunder
I really love the way you put this! I can put so much pressure on myself to see results (both health wise and professionally) It’s a great reminder to sit back and enjoying the journey – and to celebrate the small victories on the way to my big goals!
This is such a great post! I’ve been feeling a bit meh about my blog growth this month but this has definitely helped put it back into perspective for me 🙂 compared to where I was last year, I’m doing MUCH better!
Thank you! xx
Little Miss Katy | UK Lifestyle Blog
This post is such a great reminder to take everything in baby steps! The images of the Internet give people the expectation to have it all now. I love the idea of setting mini goals. The only way to achieve success in whatever you set out to do is to do it slowly. Thank you!
Circus & Bloom
♥♥♥
This is such an inspirational post, and just really helps put blogging into perspective. Especially for new bloggers like myself, who only recently started taking blogging more seriously. Thank you so much!
X, Carina
Running White Horses | Fashion + Travel
Great analogy Maya! It’s so great to remember that results don’t happen overnight with most things, so why should it for blogging? Thanks for the great post 🙂
Hi Maya and Mel~
This post is just what I needed! Yesterday I had a break down because I don’t see constant results on my blog </3 but I'm going to keep trying ♥!
Greetings~
Aw Cori! Let me be the first to say that you are doing a GREAT job. Growth comes slowly over time and you just have to stick with it to see a change. You are so sweet and great at building connections though, so I don’t see why you won’t see growth in the future. 🙂
Mel! Thank you so much, your words always encourage me ♥.
And I just noticed my comment was cut… I think I wrote something like “I’m a little better now and I’m going to keep trying and be persistent to achieve my goals and dreams!”
-Hugs-
WOW! I love this post! I am traveling through both of these journeys. Fitness and blogging and I never made the connection. It’s so true. We need to be patient with ourselves in every aspect of our lives.
Christina
http://www.cityloveee.blogspot.com
I promise this post came right on time for me. I need to appreciate things I have accomplished in this new year already while working towards bigger goals. Great Post! Thank you
This is really a great post! Amazing title first of all. And I loved how you combined two different journeys and came up with helpful tips. Wonderful post. X
Girl Against Oleka
Such a brilliant analogy! Just what I needed to read, it’s so easy to compare ourselves to others and completely miss our own accomplishments!
Hannah x
Hanniemc.co.uk
These are all fantastic suggestions. I never even thought of it this way, but they really are nearly identical. You do have to pace yourself for both and get a good routine for both. If only I could get one or the other in order for myself now. lol.
what an amazing post! love the analogy that you used: getting healthy & blogging. They are very similar. I struggle with both! Oh man….I am in trouble! I am looking forward to more posts. Thanks for the great ideas, love.
Chie | The Brown Eyed Fox
This is so true and exactly what I needed to hear. I’m currently in the beginning stages of both my weight loss and blogging journeys, but somehow I never connected them before. Thank you for posting this wonderful article! Hope you have a happy weekend 🙂
x Kathryn
Through the Thicket
This is so true and super helpful!
Thank you for this! Such good points! x
Blog | A Girl with a Camera
Wow wow wow this is the best metaphor I’ve read! This is exactly what I needed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to switch to a healthier lifestyle, so I can relate to both ends of this metaphor. Right now I’m finding it really hard to “keep my momentum” going with blogging with school and activities going on. I’m also trying to sleep more and do more independent reading, both of which I’ve been able to, but only by taking away time from blogging. I think it’s good for me to be more in tune with what’s going on in my immediate environment, give myself a break from the Internet, and then get blogging back into my schedule naturally. Thank you! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
I wanted to say “discipline” in answer to your question, but I think your metaphor works even better!! Good post 🙂
Really loved this post! It’s so hard to keep pushing and see slow progress on the blog but when you related it to fitness and exercise, I better realized it’s slow but steady and that’s how it should be. And easier to maintain that way. I think I’ll reread this many times! Pinning and sharing on FB.
I love this analogy! I thought the similarity would be something like “you have to work them both out and do it regularly,” but the “give it time” is great advice, too. 🙂
Thank you for this reminder. I am learning that the only way is committed small steps. Sometimes, I think it’s tough to not be discouraged by all of the other amazing bloggers who have been in the game longer. It’s easy to feel stuck when you’re sure everyone else is already doing it better.
That’s when we have to remember that we each have a unique voice…and we should speak up…and eventually we will be the blogger who’s been around longer (and in shape like Mrs. Smith:-)
Always enjoy your blog. Thanks!
such an inspirational post. thank you 🙂
I love this. I spent so much of my time waiting to be “perfect” to enjoy my life. I’m still working on giving myself a break, but even just deciding something as simple as deciding to take dance classes now (not wait until I look like Natalie Portman in Black Swan) has really boosted my confidence and brought me a lot of joy. Great post!
Feels like you read my mind! At the beginning of 2015 I knew I wanted to continue getting better at eating healthy and working out regularly and also, I wanted to kickstart this year writing content that I am passionate about. By starting a fitness journey I learned so many new things that I can not only apply when I workout or plan my meals but in every other aspect of my life too. I´ve always been a very inpatient girl and I gave up working out a few times because I didn’t see results right away. Now I focus on how much I enjoy exercising and this has made me learn to focus on how good I feel when I film a video or write a post.
This post just boosted my motivation even more, to keep working out until I get the best version of my body and also, to keep creating content that I enjoy so that other will enjoy it too! Thanks! 🙂 x
Hahah this is such a fantastic comparison – I LOVE it. I’m trying to do both (get fit, grow the blog) and it’s actually hilarious now that you’ve pointed out the similarities! Thank you!
I never thought about how alike they really are. My hubs and I just started getting back into working out after some time of not working out. We keep telling ourselves small goals.
This is such an interesting post! It’s true that in fitness and in blogging, we have good days and we have bad days. We just have to persevere in both situations! 🙂
Thanks for the tip. I’m actually trying to loose weight myself and trying to get my blog going. It is hard but I know it’s not really going to be easy.
http://heidepadilla.blogspot.com/
Do you still host the goal link-up? I used to link-up with you but haven’t seen it for a few weeks.
Hi there! Yep, Weekly Wishes still happens every Monday. 🙂
This post is great, Maya! I love how you said “I forgot that tiny progress was still progress, and a little progress each week leads to some serious results over time.” That line is full of so much truth!
Thanks, Stacia! I only tell truths! 🙂
This is so true. As a person blogging about become healthier I want both to give me results now and fast and I don’t want to burn out. I also know when I will reach my rewards before making any effort to do so. Its a lot of effort to get my brain to listen to logic and realize it takes time. So thank you for the wonderful post, my brain need it!
Cielo| http://www.buildingtheconfidence.blogspot.com
What an inspirational post! Thank you for bringing perspective, Maya!
{I think I can finally take a deep breath 🙂 }