Why i Started blogging?
…….and why you should too!
By MeTheMillennial
Just do it!… as the Nike slogan goes
This is a motto I am putting into practice in 2021.
Eight years and counting into my Strategy Consulting career, making north of $200k a year. I recently decided to set up a blog.
I am not trying to flex with my salary by any means, you may know how tough I have found it with how stressful work has been lately, especially during the lockdown.
But I have gone and just done it, I set up this blog focused all around personal finance and career success.
If you would have asked me 6 months back, what I thought about blogging, I would have looked at you with a confused look on my face.
As if I had just been smacked by my Mum with a wooden spoon (ah childhood memories, side note this actually worked for me and my endless number of brothers).
I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question with a strong opinion, as back then I didn’t know the first thing about it.
My perception of bloggers were glamorous Instagram influencers who took pictures all day and lived a life of luxury.
How wrong was I?
What are some of the benefits from blogging?
Today after just 3 months of blogging, I couldn’t think of a more powerful tool in my life. Since creating my blog, I’ve learned so many things, in that short time frame that has provided motivated to continue and accelerate.
Some of these include:
1) A genuine outlet to escape from work to share and sometimes vent my thoughts, frustrations and advice to others on their own career – what worked/didn’t work for me
2) Helping others through my experience and posts of how they can win back control of their financial freedom and career success, no matter how much you earn!
3) Making new connections and friends from all over North America and the world, as far flung as New Zealand and Singapore
4) Potential to actual generate additional income (let me know in the comments if you’re interested in seeing details of how much I have made from 7,000 page views a month and growing)
5) Gaining new valuable skills all around online business, marketing, advertising, SEO, writing etc. who knows this could even lead to another career path
These are just some of the examples, there are so much more. But why do this now? I shouldn’t need the money, I have a successful career already – why jeopardize that?
“How much I have made from 7,000 page views a month and growing”
If you read this article on why you should quit your high paying job – I am pretty unfulfilled in my current role.
I’m over the never ending client last minute demands, internal politics, and being required to always be on call no matter what the day or time.
I had a recent ‘urgent’ email from a new client project I was managing, one week in and the client sent an email to me and my team on Friday night at 10pm titled ‘Weekend Project’!
That’s the sort of thing I want away from.
I can’t, won’t do it forever.
I choose not to, I want a life filled with freedom, time and passion.
So there are two paths in front of me –
1) One path is easier, well lit by the sun, heavily walked on with plenty of people beside me.
It is a path laid out already, to continue in my current career journey.
Be a slave to the corporate world and always have a boss who takes control of my time and how much I am rewarded – with little direct correlation between the amount of work I put in versus the amount I earn.
The dreaded Sunday night scaries will be a constant.
But this path in my opinion, will lead to a life of quiet desperation and regret.
2) The second path, is a little intimidating, lonely and less walked on, not as well lit by the sun and great uncertainty around what’s out there.
This is a path of actually making a career out of blogging, and connecting and sharing my advice to as many people as I can about personal finance and life success. Showing others that this can be a viable career option.
Wait you can make money from blogging?
The answer I have found out is yes!
You can easily sustain yourself with a steady income from online blogging (although this wasn’t the original goal when I set this up, it is definitely a good benefit).
And it doesn’t have to be blogging, there a countless other passions out there (e.g. build your own furniture business or interior design business), the important things is knowing you have the option to pursue that idea sitting in the back of your mind, but you are too afraid to act on.
So I want to set myself up for the alternate path.
I want to take back my freedom, time and to be rewarded for the effort I put in.
Meaning my earnings are directly correlated to how much value I bring to you, the reader!
There is a window of opportunity available for us all to take.
I am just starting out, but I see the road ahead clearer now.
In fact I am already seeing progress, page views are slowly growing (see below).
I am looking to hit 50,000 page views per month by December, 2021.
What do I need to have in place to follow this path?
In order to do this, I need something waiting on the other side – like a getaway car ready.
Well you’re looking at that car, my mission is to achieve financial freedom by the age of 35 and share my knowledge and personal finance journey with you to help achieve your goals and show that it is possible.
It will of course take time, focus and dedication.
But everyone has these, take a few minutes a day everyday to focus on your passion project, blog or otherwise.
You can find the time.
Just do it!
Get out before the golden handcuffs take over your life, before you are trapped with a five bed townhouse mortgage, a brand new BMW on credit, which you are tied to paying back for the rest of your life. And in turn tied into the rat race of working for someone else and that monthly pay check.
Take action. As cliche as it might sound, make your dreams come through.
Take the ceiling off, your earning potential is unlimited online, I am not saying I will make as much as I am now on my corporate salary, but I would instantly trade it for a life that is filled with more passion – I love personal finance, investing and sharing my tips and journey to help others.
It is a passion of mine, so writing about it doesn’t feel like work – I actually enjoy it.
Comments and emails from readers make it so much more worthwhile and rewarding, to know others are finding value from following this journey.
What am I doing to prepare?
- Currently, I am bulking up my savings (my net worth is here) so I have the ability to cover my expenses as a safety net. My immediate goal is to hit $330k by December 2021, and ultimately $1.5M by age of 35 (5 years time). Aggressive target I know.
- Continuing to track my expenses, keeping my cost of living low will make it easier to transition from my high paying job.
- Build further passive income streams, examples include investing in dividend stocks, REIT’s which can then support my ongoing expenses. Check out some of my investing tips on the approach I am following.
- Most importantly, Continuing to dream about what I can achieve and how I can build this blog further and to reach a wider audience, building on the 7,000 page views per month. I know this may not seem like much but for me it is massive – like wow, someone other than my Mum reads my blogs, in fact seven thousand people do monthly – and growing!
The power of manifestation actually works!
What I have found is no matter what your passion is, you don’t need perfectionism, take a step in the right direction and get started. As Bilbao Baggins would say, you never know where you might end up.
If you’re interested in starting your own blog, check these guys out at Create and Go.
I have no relationship with them, or any sponsorship – I just genuinely found their site and Youtube channel so informative and it helped me build and grow my blog.
Also, if you have a blog or are thinking of setting one up let me know in the comments or contact me. Happy to share any tips, suggestions on how I’ve got to where I am now.
The internet is big enough for everyone!
To help grow my audience and achieve some of these goals, sign up to my newsletter so I can keep you updated every time I post and hopefully share some valuable advice on investing, career success, blogging which can help you on your own journey.
I keep my my net worth updated here so you can check in on how I am doing so far.
Good luck and catch you soon,
MeTheMillennial
