Honestly, I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that blogging may very well be the new American dream. It gives you everything…complete control over your life, your finances, your time.
Financial freedom. Career success. Time to parent. Freedom to travel.
That may be the gist of it, but those reasons really only scratch the surface of why you should start a blog.
Having a blog is so worth the effort it takes to make it succeed. It is, without a doubt, the best thing I ever did for my family and my career. And the benefits go way beyond the obvious (that it’s a flexible way to make some extra money).
So before you blow this off as something not worth your time, consider these reasons for starting your own blog:
Related post: How to Start a Money-Making Blog
A Blog Provides an Unmatched Creative Outlet
Everyone needs a creative outlet – even (or especially) if you think you aren’t creative. I don’t think I fully appreciated this until I started my blog (and I didn’t do it to be creative). After the initial anxiety, excitement, and frustration passed, I started to experience this amazing sense of relief and contentment when I would finish a post. It’s like going for a great run, having your first cup of coffee in the morning, or reading a really great book.
I get to try out new things with nobody standing in my way telling me I can’t or insisting I get approval first. And I only write about things I love – I have complete control over my creation.
A Blog Will Boost Your Career
This may come as a shocker, but a blog could be one of the best things you ever do for your career. Why? Because it allows you to take complete control over your expertise.
When you’re working for someone else (as most people are), you’re at their mercy with regard to what you get to work on. Have you ever had a great project pass you by because you didn’t have enough experience? Or maybe just dumb luck that your colleague got it instead? This is your opportunity to take that back.
You can write about whatever you want. You can research, interview, and theorize. And eventually, all of this information will culminate into a beautiful thing – your expertise in the area of your choice (and not your employers).
A Blog is a Springboard to Other Things
As you build an expertise and develop an online presence, you will be shocked by how many doors open up to you. People will reach out to you for support, opportunities, and offers. This includes things you never even considered for yourself!
What do these additional opportunities all add up to? Whatever you want them to become. It could be your chance to shift career directions, make a little extra money, or just try out something new. The important take-a-away is that a blog is not just a way to keep yourself busy. It’s a huge step in just about any direction you want to go.
You Get Complete Flexibility
By its very nature, and thanks to a variety of great automation tools, blogs provide more flexibility than probably any other job, hobby, or endeavor. You truly can work anytime and from anywhere. Not only are you in complete control of your schedule and content, but blogs allow you to plan ahead, leaving few instances of time-sensitive emergencies.
This is possibly one of the greatest aspects of a blog – it lets you do so many other things!
If You’re a Mom, This Flexibility Means Even More
As a stay-at-home mom, I am well aware of the desire to be “doing something else” while staying home with the kids. I wouldn’t trade being at home for anything, but being able to have a project on the side is amazing.
As a mom, the flexibility that a blog provides goes way beyond just being able to work during nap times or when Daniel Tiger is on. It means that I can plan ahead and stop working when a new baby is on the way. I can stop everything when an emergency arises. And I can plan around any trip, vacation, or school event, regardless of the timing.
I have complete control over my schedule. I get to decide what maternity leave is appropriate for me and my baby. I get to decide what school functions are worth missing work over. I get to be a stay-at-home mom, while also being a work-from-home mom.
Related post: 8 Reasons Every Stay-at-Home Mom Should Be a Freelance Writer
It is the Ultimate Oar in the Water
As you already know, or have probably gathered, I left my job to stay at home with my kids. One of the biggest worries I had when making that decision was what would happen if I decided (or needed) to go back to work.
This leaves a big challenge for moms like me – we have to figure out how to “keep an oar in the water.” We need to figure out how to make that 5-20 year gap not look so big.
Guess what. A blog is the ultimate oar in the water. Not only have I been working the entire time that I “haven’t been working,” but I’ve built an amazing expertise, developed skills I never would have had access to, and built a network of contacts that will be able to help me with my next step. Furthermore, the blog alone may be that next step because who needs a full-time job when your hobby provides a full-time income?
A Blog Creates Passive Income
In the beginning of this post I stated the obvious reason to start a blog – it will make you money. And it will make you money. But what is far more important is that if you do it right, it will create passive income.
Passive income is worth so, so, so much more than a steady paycheck. When you create passive income, money keeps coming even when you stop working. That extended maternity leave that I give myself? I am still making money while I bond with my baby. The last-minute vacation? Still making money while I’m enjoying a cocktail at sunset. Passive income doesn’t stop when you do. It keeps coming and coming and coming.
Blogs Have a Low Cost to Start & Manage
Technically, you can start and manage a blog for free. If you want to make money from it, however, you do need to make some investments. But these investments are incredibly small and you will pay them off almost immediately. We’re talking as little as $1 a month to have your site for the first year! This allows you to have full control over your blog, which is basically all you need to start incorporating different ways to make money. From there, it’s up to you whether to invest in some automation and/or support tools, but these can be purchased after you’ve earned enough to cover their cost.
As far as hobbies go, this is one of the cheapest you can find. As far as home businesses go, blogs are a total steal.
You’re Creating a Masterpiece that Chronicles Your Life
As I approach 3 years of building my blog, I’m starting to really appreciate this aspect of blogging. No matter what you blog about, little tidbits of your life will work their way into your posts and you will eventually be able to look back and reminisce, just like you do with a photo album.
Even if your posts are not personal in nature, you will be creating a masterpiece that can exist after years and years of work. It is a huge accomplishment that will only get better and better as time goes on.
It is an Unbelievably Fulfilling Hobby
If all else fails, you will have taken on a hobby that leaves you feeling productive and accomplished. You will challenge yourself, grow your skills, and keep yourself current.
It is said that you should always be engaged in at least 3 hobbies – 1 that makes you creative, 1 that makes you money, and 1 that makes you healthy. Blogging knocks out the first 2 easily.
Related post: How to Start a Money-Making Blog
I can tell you from personal experience that starting a blog is one of the greatest things I’ve done. I’ve learned so much about people, social media, business, writing, graphic design, and website management. More importantly, it’s given me the opportunity to stay at home with my kids while also fulfilling my own needs. I would (and do) HIGHLY recommend starting a blog to anyone and everyone. Good luck!
