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10 Life Lessons I Learned from 10 years of Blogging

Blogging is serendipity. Maybe this revelation will shock you, but I had not read blogs till 2011, simply because the worldwide web did not feature in my knowledge bank. Probably, it was because my life was all about traditional pen and paper till the 1990s. Then, it was forced to transit to computer typing that became a story on paper. How I got the hang of computers is also a story for a later post. I couldn’t ever imagine a story that wasn’t on paper. But the blog changed me, it turned me into another human being, who finally sighs with relief at being normal in this fast-paced world.  

Lesson 1

Change is the only constant in this universe. To remain dynamic, keep your mind open, adopt a learner’s attitude. Chuck ego, age is no bar to be at par. Read news in details, not just the headline notifications and keep progressive company. I learned about e-mail in 1990s, when it had not come to India. A classmate was travelling to the US for higher studies and she mentioned this form of communication. She and her sister had even got scholarships to the capitalist continent and were happy to settle their lives on their own.  Freedom lies in knowledge and confidence.

Circa 2011: No job, magazines sliding—I had no way forward. Maybe, I was immature and naïve, not knowing how to handle myself in the world, or maybe the lack of opportunities was getting to me. I seemed to be caught in an inexplicable trap. But necessity is the mother of invention or should I say change.  

I had never been a very ambitious person. The ambition to join a newspaper was a by-product of my exposure to the world through a sudden entry into the world of journalism in 1999. The only thing that I had ever loved were books and writing or drawing cartoons. But here was life, taking me out from the fantasy to the real world; journalism turning my desire to discover into a desire to write the truth. It took me a year to learn how to write features.

Taking the context to 2011-12 again, well, the job didn’t happen. Depression set in, the desire to do something was there. I was lost and then a young colleague suggested that we launch our blog. Her profile had been to aggregate news. I didn’t even know what that was. I do seem stupid, now. But then, I didn’t know my path or maybe I was just a sleeping brain.

Lesson 2

There is never the right time or the right place or the right person. You awaken as you experience the myriad shades of life. And that my friend, is the right time, right place and right age and stage. Always, be open to opportunities, you never know what profits they bring your way—tangible and intangible.  Live in the moment and be prepared for the next one. Not all dreams shape up the way you want them, keep them alive in different ways, and keep dreaming new dreams.

So, we started a travel and lifestyle blog, which began to do well. At least, it looked like that to me. People followed us on Facebook. We got many invites for events and food reviews. We didn’t get many invites for travel but we did begin to cover walk leaders in Delhi. Mind you, my only job was to do content, my young colleague did the backend technical job, even took photographs. We were not present on Instagram or Twitter. She devised a strategy o put up 3 posts daily on Facebook. It worked. I had the magazine model in my heart and soul, having made so many in 11 years of work life. We added a weekly angel card and tarot readings column to get more readers. Well, now after 25 years as a professional, I have a different model in mind.

Weeks turned into three months, and my young colleague wanted to turn the blog into a website. I didn’t agree, I wanted to understand this medium before proceeding forward and I didn’t have the confidence that this was the way forward. The result, we fell out. And again, I was left on my own. I still didn’t’ have digital knowledge. But I thought I had a new skill.

Lesson 3

It’s good to walk as a team, but it’s not good to be on crutches. Learn the basics of your partner’s functional areas. Always be prepared for an emergency. Disagreements need to be resolved rationally. Emotional decisions hamper a profitable outcome. Egos are fragile, and for success, ego is a dampener.  

In 2013, I started a blog on blogger, cumalive.blogspot.com, and began posting there. I learned to view analytics, got to understand sharing and commenting. And then began asking people about pushing this forward, ways and methods. I thought the blog could be my career now.

In 2014, I transited to WordPress because it was the more popular CMS. I named it, atravellerswishlist.com, after all, I wanted to travel and travel. But you don’t get invites just because you have a blog or you know how to write or you were the editor of a famous inflight magazine. My experience did not count here simply because this was another medium. Its demands were different and I was learning. I learned that all this while I had been sought after for the media house I worked for, it had nothing to do with my skills. This was my first awakening—I did not count; the media house gave me the product that counted.

Lesson 4

It’s okay to experiment. It’s okay to not know and fail. These things will teach you how to succeed. If you don’t know something, ask for help. It’s okay. Keep exploring your possibilities, and your options. You will find the goal only if you flow, not when you are in a box, not ready to come out. Not everything you do on an organisational scale is meant for yourself. Keep your balance and find what’s good for you. Skills change when platforms change.  

My job search was always on, even as I slowly crawled my way through a new network of people and things. Unlike the organised media house, where departments ad work are clearly defined, here I walked into an unorganised world. There was no common platform, just a common event. That changed the game—while there was variety, there was a question mark on the quality. But then, quality is defined by the individual and not the event. Slowly, as I wove my way in and out, I understood that I needed to express myself in a way that would bring out my definition of quality. I could share my experience and my thoughts in the way I thought were appropriate.

Lesson 5

It’s important to choose wisely in the professional arena. Following or leading, always be discerning and thoughtful. Focus on your goal and the best way to reach there. Old skills are never wasted, but new skills need to blend with old ones.

I began to study Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, blogging hacks, hashtags, SEO tips, photography, videos. I stopped putting random selfies. I started to pen stories that were more web friendly. I changed headlines, learned about keywords, linking, DA, page views and all the other tech stuff. I began to see YouTube tutorials and advice for bloggers. I learned to go live, share my thoughts in a more attractive way, stopped being scared of coming out on a camera and so much more.

Lesson 6

Appreciate yourself and your efforts. Don’t jump into the bandwagon just because it looks glamorous. Make sure you know the pros and cons. Long-term success lies in knowing the details. Nothing in the world is ever the same, it might be similar but it’s also unique. Treasure that uniqueness, master the game with that USP.

Well, in between these periods, there were more well-paying projects, which would last for a few months. Then there were months of learning new skills and exploring more avenues. The digital world is an unexplored galaxy. To find your place in this galaxy, you have keep going from one fragment to another and connect it all. So finally, after 7 years, I did have a picture of what to do and how to do. All along, I thanked my stars that I had progressed beyond words and cartoons. I had learned photography and videography. I can now write copies for small advertisements, do ghost writing, make brochures, newsletters, books, choose the right theme for my blog and make some presentable changes to it as well. I am a book-maker, website content writer, and photographer, podcaster, videographer. I learned many streams of mass communication on the go.

From a simple features writer with a deep love for the creative, I had now learned different kinds of content and entered into the world of visuals and sound and motion. I realised that there were many like me, who were going through similar learning. I learned to appreciate the efforts they were making for this.

Lesson 7

There is never a right or wrong path. There is the path that you need to learn and that path comes with awareness. Some things you become aware of while walking, some through experiences shared by others and all through things you consciously choose to learn and adapt to. Given the vast choices on the web, there is never an idle moment.

In the decade that went by, I saw journalists losing their jobs, magazines shutting down, YouTubers, Instagrammers, Podcasters, Videographers taking centrestage. Well, I also saw blogging platforms shut down, for instance Indiblpgger. I had travelled for an event in Dehradun via the platform. A few months later, I heard the platform closed down and the founders were back to jobs! It wasn’t a happy end, but I realised that to succeed in blogging, you need a good business development manager. And I didn’t have that. Covid-19 nailed the coffin of traditional ways of working. The paper had truly been replaced by the digital.

Lesson 8

Once you have the basics in place, you need experts. Admit and search for the expert. The old order doesn’t collapse in a day and a new order is also not made in a day. Accept the speed of time and keep walking.

In this last decade, social media has gained more momentum and bloggers feel left out. Videos are the norm; the written word feels lost. But is the word really lost in the visuals and sound and motion? Does the bite-sized moment really satiate the appetite or does the bite-sized moment ignite the desire to go deeper? That’s a very tough question, as the ocean of content with infinite choices and attractions means that there are no long-term readers and viewers. Everyone flips channels and handles and blogs. Everything is relevant and nothing is relevant. There are demographics and persons, each individual has an appetite for something different—the variety gives us room to be more creative, to learn more, to grow more and to do more.

Lesson 9

Remember, variety is the spice of life. Add to your core skills and always find ways to shift out of your comfort zone. There is never a dull moment in life if you keep adding the colours to it.

Given this scenario and my learnings of one decade in blogging, I finally decided that I had too many interests and wanted to write on varied subjects. Mother Earth has given us such an abundant planet and such a fertile mind, and I wanted to put all these treasures of body, mind and soul on the blog. And armed with all the evolvement of one decade, I finally narrowed down on a name that would help me on my journey forward. In October 2022, A Traveller’s Wish List transformed into Queen of Treasures. After all, change is the only real constant in this world.

Lesson 10

Never, ever give up on your expertise. Remember, the world needs everything. And your road to abundance lies in adding and not subtracting. There is no turning back—just keep learning and adding. There is never a perfect skill or a perfect formula, but there is always room for doing something better and bigger. Remain consistent and dedicated to change.

What have been your lessons in life? Do share with us in the comments box.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads’ Cookhouse.

This post is a part of Blogchatter Blog Hop 
It was related to the prompt, ‘Tell us about yourself using your favourite pieces of content’. 

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31 thoughts on “10 Life Lessons I Learned from 10 years of Blogging

  1. Blogging is not so much easy I feel, but when success comes through it we really feel happy. I too felt happy reading your post, where you told how you started travel blog and how it gained fame. I truly agree whatever lessons you gave and how blogging is serendipity.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. What a remarkable attitude to have Ambica… you didmt give up and have striven to stay relevant through all the challenges that came your way. The lessons you have shared are indeed invaluable. I wish I could share some too but right now I am not able to think of anything.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Extremely motivating and realistic blog. Writing is no mean feat and this post highlights all the challenges a writer faces in their journey and the suggestions by you are equally motivating. Thank you for this post.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. As someone who loved writing, blogging came to me naturally and I like every bit of it. There are days I feel overwhelmed but can never stop. I agree that’s it’s our own path and we need give ourselves time to develop it. Being honest and investing in it have their own perks.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Inspiring post. I have been going through this when you don’t know the path but know the goal. I started blogging since 6 years ago and learned everything by experience only. When it get read and appreciate it will always give happiness. Your lessons are valuable.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Great lessons. I completely agree with you that age is no bar. I started blogging in my 70s. The idea is to enjoy it so that it does not feel like work.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Dear Ambica,
    Blogging for me is Magic. It reflects the inner me which I strongly believe matured beautifully since the day I decided to step into this world of content development. There are countless lessons I learned in my journey a blogger. It helped me think different and in a creative way in multiple segments. Yes, I tasted success being a blogger and that is the most satisfying feel a blogger can have in life. I learned to a great extent about character assessment of people I encountered in my way as a blogger. Trust me I faced setback because of getting ditched but I never stopped and considered it as a lesson and moved ahead with dedication and passion to help by blog standout in the crowd. The most important point in your content which I really liked and appreciate is the attitude to never give up on expertise. The world really needs more and my expertise somewhere or the other will help to create my niche as a blogger. This is a power-packed post Ambica and It helped me revisit my innerself and the journey as blogger.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s nice to meet new friends on this journey Samata. Blogging alone and learning in isolation is quite challenging, unlike regular workplaces. The beauty is that we keep doing stuff that keeps us alive and spirited. Glad we could share this dialogue.

      Like

  8. Quite true about change being the only constant. And just like every other field of profession, you need to stay updated. I have been working on blogs long before they became huge but running my own blog is a different ball game altogether.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. A blogger goes through so many ups and downs while blogging journey and we suffer setbacks also. Yet we keep going and all the ten points enumerated by you reflect every bloggers journey. I certainly agree with all your points but I particularly agree that spice is variety is spice of life and we should keep moving on to keep our blogs going.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I just loved the lession points as they are so positive and inspiring. Never give up and every path is right path these two points are goal changer. Blogging for me is a therapy where I can share my ideas, my dream with my community and that’s why I will keep continue.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Thats a good one, Varsha. internet was a shocker for me. I started my career at 40 and began writing for The Hindu Metro Plus. They wanted me to mail the article and I didnt have a computer. I took a loan and bought a PC. My son said, keep at it mom and you will get it!! Imagine, I learnt all by myself. Even I started blogging in 2011 on WordPress.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Congratulations on 10 years Ambica. I will complete ten years next month. What a journey it has been! I love your lessons and many of them are common with mine. I too wrote 9 lessons last year, when I completed 9 years.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Love all your pointers 😍 I can feel every word you wrote.. .. Blogging has become more than just a hobby for me; it’s a passion I can’t imagine living without. It allows me to express my innermost thoughts and ideas while also helping me grow as a writer and person. Blogging mirrors my growth since I entered the realm of content creation. I’ve seen myself mature and evolve in ways I never thought possible. Blogging has become a significant part of my life, and I’m grateful for the opportunities and experiences it has brought me.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. One needs to keep reinventing and learning new things that to stay abreast of the changes….this is more so for the digital medium where everyday there is something new happening. Inspiring journey.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Firstly, congratulations on 10 years! Thanks for sharing these lessons and I especially resonate with point 7 that there is never just a right or wrong path, every path leads you to a discovery

    Liked by 1 person

  16. This was such an interesting post to read Ambica. I feel like my journey has been the exact opposite of yours. I practiced as a litigation lawyer; took maternity leave and decided to quit the profession because it was too stressful; started a blog just to do something (I’d always loved writing but had no formal training); got noticed through my blogs and landed a column in a newspaper; learnt to be an independent features writer, currently contributing to numerous publications. Change is definitely the only constant. Would you like to go back to features writing if given the chance?

    Liked by 1 person

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