The first stage experienced in The Commitment Curve is Uninformed Optimism. This is your first day of blogging. Do you remember those emotions? Do you remember why you started to blog to begin with? You are really jumping in head first not knowing that you will be trying to find your way back up to breathe. It is exciting – a whole new world even.
You may have started this new venture not knowing what you would get into, but that was part of the fun, right? This stage, as a blogger, is when you press Publish and are giddy that you have one person that registers on your statcounter. Granted, it may be your mom, but still. It’s one person reading what you had to share.
Your are optimistic probably because you have no clue where you are headed! That is just plain exciting!
I had a blog for months in my My Space account, but it was private. It was also safe because I knew they were personal friends who wouldn’t require me to grow the thick skin like I have today. When I started Mommy Snacks.net, I was ecstatic to help inspire others to save money. More important, though, I felt blessed to provide hope to just a few when the hopelessness of the economy seemed too daunting – we were there so I could totally relate.
Two years ago, I had no clue about those who consider themselves *professional* bloggers. I didn’t know you could make a penny from blogging, let alone the thousands I now know many successful bloggers work hard for. I certainly didn’t know that I would meet and interact with people in this blogging space and eventually call them my IRL friend (that’s in real life friend, of course).
All of those things are *side* benefits. I didn’t anticipate them whatsoever because I was completely uninformed. I think even in these past two years there is so much more for people – there is so much more sharing – to help people understand those additional benefits. I had no idea where blogging would take me. I had no clue I would even continue to write for as long as I have. It gave me an outlet to express creativity since leaving corporate America behind.
Blogging was fun.It still is.
I was being validated.
It felt good – it feels good! Just like the Bel Biv Devoe song, but without the inappropriate suggestions.
Do you remember the feelings when you started to blog? Share them in the comments.
The next installment, I will share about the Informed Pessimism stage. This is one I find myself going in and out of still today. I will bare my virtual soul and explain why.
Andrea Deckard is the author of MommySnacks.net. She started a blog to provide hope. It is truly her mission to help people save on what they need to spend on what they want. No lie!
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my this sounds familiar. I think I am still in this phase, though I think I’m on my way to the next area, for sure. But yes, I still get giddy when one more person signs on to follow my blog.
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Blogging was a different animal for me, because my first serious foray into it was in the corporate world. I had a livejournal, but never really shared that.
It’s amazing how quickly things change!
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Andrea – thank you so much for this series. After 9 months of blogging, I was (and still am) having a love-hate relationship with my blog. (My husband has started to call me Sybil.) I loved doing it – I wondered if anybody was reading it – I wondered if it was worth it – I love comments – I hate comments. This series is making me realize that I am normal – and while I still have the love-hate relationship to my blog – it feels nice that I’m normal. (Kind of like when your girlfriends get together and you realize that you aren’t the only wife whose husband doesn’t pick up his socks.) Thanks again.
- kelly
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Crystal & Co Reply:
April 1st, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Oh my lands… your husband does not pick up him socks either? Ugh! I totally get it.
Cute blog by the way!
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Great post, Andrea! Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
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When I first started blogging, I wrote mostly about my husband severe arthritis. It was very therapeutic. Those first few kind commenters meant so much to me.
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I’m really enjoying reading the posts over here. I’ve been blogging for 3 years & can totally relate to what you are saying. I had no clue what I was doing at first (still don’t, to some degree), but learned about the business side of blogging about a year into it. I took things slow & didn’t jump into advertising too fast & my blog has continued to grow each year & I’m grateful for that. So, I’m past this phase of blogging and now trying to figure out where I want it to go next. Actually, I’m letting God decide that, since I didn’t have a lot to do with how it grew to begin with. I still love blogging & am passionate about sharing home projects with real women out there who want to make their house a home on a budget.
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Because of the nature of my blog, I was both petrified that someone would read it and find out my deep dark slob secret, but I also desperately wanted someone to read it because I was enjoying writing it so much. I started with NO readers because I didn’t even tell my mom, or even my husband that I had started it until they started to see a difference in the house.
I do love the feedback now that I have some readers. It makes me feel like I’m not alone and that maybe my struggles are helping someone else.
I think I teeter on the edge of this stage and the next.
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I have piddled around with my website for years and just recently started a blog. Unemployed since December 23, 2009 presented me with an opportunity to pursue my love of art and turn it into a business. Doing my blog helps my emotional well being as I track my goal through the next year. Being able to express my thoughts, feelings, and the emotional roller coaster that I ride on a daily basis has helped me to understand myself and by writing about it to the world, maybe it will help someone else to not feel all alone. In no way am I an expert with the ins and outs of making money with a blog (I am working on learning though!), but I seem to be an expert at expressing my opinion!
I don’t have that many followers yet and can relate to the comment about wondering if anyone is even reading what I write. And yes, the excitement I feel when I see that someone has commented on something just makes me silly but more than that, it gives me reason to continue. Thanks for the great article!
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I started blogging on a lark almost 4 years ago. It’s been a lot of fun and like you, it took me quite a while to realize money could be made. I remember being so excited to get my first commet — it mean someone, somewhere “out there” read what I wrote and must have liked it enough to take the time to leave me a comment. Pretty exciting stuff!
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Ahem, obviously you can still blog and not spell very well…. I meant to say comment : )
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I started my blog so that my husband didn’t have to listen to me recount each and every penny saved at Kroger and CVS. (Though he still patiently hears me out when the deals are REALLY good!) I was thrilled to connect with others who also loved picking apart each deal. I definitely started out not having a clue but having fun.
I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. I can aleady see myself reflected in what you’ve written.
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No one mentioned overwhelmed…am I the only new blogger that is? I started blogging almost 3 months ago and it has been quite the learning curve for this non-techie girl. Learning how to maneuver around my blog has been hard for me. Whether to learn any html, how to customize even the smallest of settings, how to determine the number of peeps following me via feed….all questions I have (and continue to have!).
And while that part is very hard for me (and ultra time consuming!) I absolutely LOVE blogging! How thrilling to be on this crazy ride and not know exactly where it is going. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for my little laundry blog.
Looking so forward to the rest of this series -
-Lauren
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Wonderful article!! I absolutely love blogging. I started off with a blog about homeschooling & wanting to keep it private (for family/friends) worried about all the “internet crazies” out there. I had a few safe message boards I visited, but everyone was warned not to give out personal information online…this was the early 2000′s and everyone was “guarded” still.
This phase lasted a good 7 years. I found it hard to believe more and more were putting themselves out there!! In February 2008 my youngest daughter (#3) was born diagnosed with a birth defect at 2 wks of age. Craniosynostosis!! It was probably the most earth shattering thing that had ever happened to me, so I found myself starting a blog about her, and to share our journey. It was very therapeutic…I learned a lot about blogging & discovered sitemeter and watched it grow. It really was amazing to me to see how many people around the globe was affected by this diagnosis and I had never heard of it. I did not promote her blog at all, but it gets about 60-70 hits a week just with people googling cranio. Mind blowing!! I was so encouraged to interact w/ others, and it was a good way to keep everyone informed. People around the world were praying for our sweet baby and I was in awe!! She’s a healthy 2 yr old now btw.
That summer a trusted group of online homeschool mom friends started raving about facebook I figured I’d check it out. I remember being SO nervous about all of it. Now I love facebook!
This past summer after years of looking up recipes online, my passion and love for cooking came full circle when it collided with my online habits. I had NO idea about this growing food blogger community. And that was it….forget privacy….I have to have a way to connect with others that share my passion. I’m still in that exciting stage as well…but at times get frustrated by the lack of time to fully engage this new passion. After all a mom of 3 has quite a few other commitments
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I just started blogging in last December of 2009, and I have no idea why. I had been reading other blogs for a little over a year and I guess I decided or should I say God decided it was time for my own. I do wonder sometimes if I have readers (other than family & friends
) I am still learning on how blogs work, and I am listening to the advice given out by many of the bloggers. I am so glad you are writing this series because it will help me in the stages I reach during my blogging moments. Thank you!
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I’ve been blogging for years–since I was 13, even–but until a little over a year ago, I only kept personal blogs. Now my personal blogs have fallen by the wayside (though I still journal privately) and I have a still-personal, but more broad blog. I’ve always loved blogging and still do–I find the more I do it, and the more readers I get, the more I like it.
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Great series Andrea! I just started in October ’09. I had only planned for my mom and friends to read it . I thought it would be easier to share the deals I found around town in a blog rather than to keep calling them individually. I was shocked when other people started reading it. I had no plans to be a blogger, but here I am. I truly love it! I have formed so many great on-line relationships with other bloggers and with readers. They are all so kind and helpful.
I don’t enjoy the business side of it as much. It is a difficult balance and I am still learning, but I read a post by you when I first started monetizing. It said be true to your own voice and that has been my guiding principal. If it is not something I would use, then it doesn’t go up on my blog. I guess that means sometimes I will miss out on the bigger pay outs, but I have to be true to myself and to my readers.
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I started blogging last year basically as a journal for our homeschooling, but it has become so much more. I love to get followers and comments. It’s nice to know other families go through the same crazy stuff we do. I enjoyed this post. Thank you!
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Great article!!! I had a blog with wordpress at one time, but stopped blogging. I ended up deleting it. (Nothing against wordpress. I like wordpress. I just decided to stop blogging and take a break.) I then decided to give it another go in January ’10. I now have a “blogpost” blog. I’m still new at it, but enjoying it. So, Mama Laundry you’re not the only newby
Thanks for the great site!
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This article is exactly where I am at right now. I just started my blog last month and have high hopes for it but at the same time feel overwhelmed and wonder if it is really worth it. I’m at the point right now of trying to decide if it is worth “investing” in a new and better platform like wordpress. Glad to know what I’m going through is completely “normal”.
Lauren- Your laundry blog’s design is beautiful! I love the calming colors and pictures.
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I started blogging two years ago this month… simply to share with family. It was not until this last summer I realized…. people make money at this? There are ProBloggers, say what?
And then like you said the absolute thrill of just one person reading your post… and it IS your mom!
Mom, did you read it? What do you think?
Then the days of thinking… is this really what I am supposed to be doing? Is anyone really reading this stuff?
Great post and excellent information!
Thanks
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