Monday 26 October 2015

When Blogging becomes your JOB!



Everything in life starts off as a dream, an idea, a wish for your future. 

It may come to you in a way that seems completely random, you may even wish upon a star, but once you have those butterflies, that feeling and those stars in your eyes, there isn't much that you wont do to get you where you need to be. 

Dreams are creative ideas that light a spark in your soul, they provide you with direction and a purpose. 

They say life doesn't throw anything at us that we cannot handle, and it's so true. You can be dealt a hand that has the power to completely ruin you, a route to destroy you. You take that card and you rise up, you navigate a pathway out of the embers that were sent to burn you, and you see it as a pathway out of the darkness. The destruction ceases and you find yourself opening the next chapter to your life.

This year was my card, I have lost not one, but two jobs. In April I was made redundant and in August my shining light went out at a second position, where I can't help but feel that I was taken for a ride, but you know what? I left both with my head held high. I left smiling, I didn't stop smiling. I found a way to navigate around it and make the situations work for me. 

I didn't think that almost 2 months later I would be sitting here and writing this post, but here I am. I am now a full time blogger, I am sustaining my entire existence through a passion that I developed four years ago. I am fueling my car through a hobby that was born in the wake of Leo's arrival. I am doing something that I head over heels love, I am doing something that I quite honestly didn't believe was possible.

When I lost my position in August I wasn't worried. I didn't cry, I didn't shout. I didn't even pass blame. It was what it was and I was going to handle it like I handle everything, I picked myself up off the floor, dusted myself down and I moved on. I decided that I wasn't going to apply for any new job roles, I didn't even have a look to see what was available. My heart wasn't in it, and this time I decided to forget what ever my head was telling me, and just listen to my heart for a change. When I was made redundant in April my head told me to get straight back out there again, and my heart told me to give full time blogging a try. 

My head won out and look where that got me...But I knew that as one door closed, another was opening, I knew that I had something special at my disposal. My blog. I had an opportunity to see where this door that was opening and closing in the wind would take me if I gave it a chance and propped it open, I have always had the opportunity to earn a few pennies through my blog, but I didn't know if I could earn a full time wage through it. I didn't know if it was practical, if it was realistic, if I could do it or if it was even possible. 

I now know that it is possible, because I am doing it, and it really is the most amazing surreal feeling. I cannot quite believe that the place I write all of my inner most ramblings is enabling me to stay at home and do what I love. Today and for the foreseeable future I take Leo to school in the morning, I work from home, I attend blog events and I even get to attend gym classes at the leisure centre. In fact the world really is my oyster these days. If I want tomorrow off, then I know that I can take it. I am my own boss, and I absolutely love the flexibility that comes with it. Yes I have deadlines to meet, but that's absolutely fine. I have invested in a diary and write absolutely everything down, I really don't know how I functioned with out it...

I was looking to move out again in the next couple of months, because it is high time that Leo and I get our own space again. It's still on the cards, but I am giving it a few more months just to see how money goes and make sure that I am not jumping the gun. What I am most looking forward to about moving back out is getting my office set up, making it a place that I can happily sit and work on my musings.

What to think about when blogging becomes your business:

- How much money do you need to earn through your blog to cover all of your over heads?

- Have you built up a network of regular contacts that you can work with on a monthly basis to meet your financial needs?

- Do you have the self motivation and dedication to work on your blog?

- Considering procedures (health and safety plans) that you may need to put in place should you look at taking anyone on and really taking your blog to a new level.


I don't know where the next few months will take me, or if I have just been incredibly lucky these last few months, but what I do know is that I can raise from the ashes of absolutely anything. I can be kicked down, but you best watch me get back up stronger and more determined than ever. 

I am so thankful for the incredible opportunities that I have been blessed with because of this here blog. I take absolutely none of it for granted and I know that I am a very lucky lady. I also know that I work hard, and that these things are only possible because people believe in me and what I do. 

I am rather excited about the next couple of months and taking my blog to an entirely new level. A level that I didn't ever think was within my reach, but when you are thrown to the ground and you try again, that's when magic happens.


1 comment:

  1. Michelle (July 11 mummies!)27 October 2015 at 13:28

    Love your blog. I love reading about what you and Leo have been up to. So inspiring! Go you! Xx

    ReplyDelete

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