Feeling constantly overwhelmed by the stress of my engineering work, I knew I had to leave my 9-to-5 job.
I realized I refuse to spend my life as a corporate slave. I want more time with my family; freedom to live on my own terms.
So I quit my job, and blogging—a proven way to make money online—became my main focus for building wealth. I knew it was my path to the life I wanted—working anywhere, anytime!
The tagline from YouTube influencers in money-making niche, “earn money while you sleep,” was so exciting that it made me really obsessed with blogging.
My life as a blogger
Blogging Without Self-Awareness
After three years of blogging, I can say it’s been full of ups and downs.
Although I’ve made money from it, I’ve also faced many setbacks that stressed me out a lot. A few of the mistakes I made? They led me back to square one.
Here are some that I really regret:
- Instead of focusing on my readers, I wrote for search engines. The result? My content was dull and failed to engage my audience. It hurt my website traffic after a rogue Google update.
- I focused more on making money than on creating quality content. Although I earned money quickly, I failed to build a strong brand. The effect is the same as the first one.
- I neglected to build a subscriber list from the start. When the algorithms failed me, I had no backup source for traffic.
I’ve also had important realizations, and here are a couple that really stuck with me.
- Authenticity and uniqueness drive a creator’s success because they set you apart from others. I regret hiding my name and face, thinking people only cared about the value of my content.
- Sharing real-life experiences is just as important as showing expertise. It creates a human connection, and I feel dumb for not realizing that blogging is more than just providing valuable information.
Many times, these mistakes and realizations made me think about my situation, thoughts, and decisions. And over time, they helped me understand the importance of self-awareness.
Questions like “What is wrong with me?” “Why didn’t I see myself making these mistakes?” “What was I thinking?” and “What did I even want to achieve?” began to cross my mind.
These questions didn’t hit me all at once, but they definitely showed that I was charging toward a goal without watching my steps.
So when I hit an obstacle on the way, I stumbled and fell…
I wasn’t fully aware of what I was doing, so when someone pulled the rug from under the site I was working on, it came crashing down…
Unfortunately for me, I only fully understood the importance of self-awareness in building a blog into a real business when I came up with the idea for Explore to Thrive.
While challenges and failures are part of any success story, I wouldn’t have had to start over if I had known myself better and been more aware of what I was doing.
As I write this, I realize I’ve always spent a lot of time trying to find success. However, I know I still have time to try again.
I have one more chance to get it right, and with Explore to Thrive, I’m determined to make it happen. It’s my biggest personal challenge yet.
Self-Awareness Gained From Blogging
On the other hand, taking longer to reach our goals isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Besides recognizing our weaknesses and learning from our mistakes, we can also discover strengths we didn’t know we had or develop a deeper passion for things we care about during our journey.
Those strengths and passions could become our strategic advantage.
In my case, my longer journey gave me the chance to write and explore many topics. It helped me develop a deeper interest in Christianity and Western ideas, which I plan to discuss in future blog posts on Explore to Thrive. Subscribe to my newsletter! 😀
Because of these influences, I believe my blog will have a unique touch.
A quick background:
I started gaining more interest in these topics while writing about historical sites in Europe, like Aigues Mortes and Domme in southern France.
As I researched these small towns and villages, I learned about Louis IX, the Templar Knights, and other figures that I found inspiring as a Catholic.
They made me curious about living a life with purpose, like the code of chivalry that encouraged crusaders to be brave, honorable, and loyal.
And as someone who wants to be a successful business owner, I find the crusaders’ willingness to face hardship, danger, and even death for their cause deeply inspiring.
Building a Blog with Self Awareness
If I could go back to when I started blogging, I would tell my younger self about all the mistakes I made, the lessons I learned, and how important self-awareness is for building a great blog.
Suppose it is possible to send emails to our younger selves, here’s the message I would include to explain the importance of self-awareness.
Letter to My Younger Self
September 1 2024 → January 1 2021
Dear younger self,
Congratulations on having the courage to follow your own path. You must be exhausted from trying to fit into the corporate world for almost five years.
While I can’t say for sure that quitting your job is the best decision you’ve ever made, I believe it’s the right choice because you’re being true to yourself.
Now, I see you’re starting your blogging journey. It’s an amazing opportunity, I must say. But before anything, listen up. I have something important to share, and I need you to take it seriously.
It’s about self-awareness, which I’ve come to realize is very important, especially when you’re starting a project that you want to turn into a career.
Although you have some self-awareness already, it still needs more work. Let’s go over the four aspects where you can improve…
Okay, it’s good: You’re starting a travel blog because you’re traveling and want to visit more places.
Being aware of what you want to write about is one of the most important factors that give your blog direction.
However… Before you start writing blog posts, take some time to understand who you really are and what makes you unique.
Your individuality will make your blog more than just ‘another’ blog— it will help it stand out in a crowded space.
In fact, during the year I wrote this (2024), individuality became more of a requirement for creators who want to succeed.
Especially since the rise of artificial intelligence, I can’t stress enough how important individuality is in blogging.
Everyone started using AI in every possible way. Suddenly, search engines and other traffic sources were flooded with blogs filled with low-quality AI-generated content.
You’ll be up against a lot of other blogs, so your uniqueness will be your blog’s biggest strength.
Show your face, share your values, let your personality shine, and be proud of who you are! Most of your competition, especially AI, won’t do this, so take advantage of the opportunity.
If the content you write is unique, it grabs people’s attention and builds you a personal brand over time.
Unique content also gives something valuable that others can’t easily copy. It keeps your audience loyal and prevents others from overshadowing you.
Ultimately, being unique gives your blog an edge by making it stand out. This can attract other businesses and brands interested in collaborating or partnering with you for fresh and original ideas.
It helps you build a blog that’s ready for business.
You know, younger self, I still understand how hard it is to write in a language that’s not our native one.
From finding the right translation for rare Tagalog words to figuring out how to phrase things naturally in English, I still struggle with these challenges even after three years of writing in English.
But… I’m impressed with how you managed to write fifty blog posts, each between 2,000 and 5,000 words, in just six months.
That was quick, I suppose!
However, it ended up being counterproductive a year later.
How? Well, think about this: Are you even reading your blog posts before and after you publish them?
By publishing poorly written content and procrastinating on proofreading, you drove people away from your blog.
Not only did you miss the chance to make money from your work when your posts started appearing in search engines, but you also gave search engines the impression that your blog posts weren’t helpful. This happens when users quickly return to the search results page after reading a dull introduction.
If you had been more aware of your impatience, you might be in a different situation two years after starting your blog.
What I mean by impatience is that you recklessly published content, focusing on quick progress in numbers—prioritizing quantity over quality.
There are people to blame for making you think this way:
- the YouTuber selling a $500 blogging course,
- the marketer pretending to be an SEO expert,
- and others who taught you hacks and tricks that worked well at first but eventually failed.
However, blaming others won’t fix the problem.
To get back on track, before you write more content, address your impatience and replace it with a growth mindset. Remember, blogging is a long-term game.
Especially if you want to turn your blog into a business and are only investing your time, you’ll need to put in a lot of effort and time. You’ll have to master writing engaging posts and build connections with other bloggers.
Remember, younger self, patience isn’t just important—it’s vital.
I understand why you want to see progress and start making money right away, younger self.
You just quit your job, you are using your savings, and you fear going broke and having to return to your 9-to-5.
But if you want to make your blog your main source of income, you need to be mindful of your motivation and approach.
Let providing value to your audience be your main motivation for writing your posts, and see earning money as a result that comes next.
Be aware of this: if you prioritize making money over being helpful, your blog will stop being a genuine resource and become just another spammy website.
Remember, a business is all about exchanging value.
- Your blog, as your business, should provide immediate benefits to users from the moment they arrive.
- In return, you could earn income from ads on your blog, generate revenue from sales or services, or build a strong reputation by ensuring users have a positive experience.
Here are my other pieces of advice.
… I just want to share, as a user, profit-first blogs are the last I want to visit.
With so many ads everywhere—on TV, billboards, and more—a blog that only seems interested in showing more ads or getting my credit card information is really off-putting.
I quickly leave any site like that…
Younger self, you wouldn’t want your blog to be treated that way by others, so do the right thing: provide value whenever you can.
Make sure your introduction immediately helps your audience feel understood. Human connection is valuable in itself. Then, in the main content, provide helpful information, teach something, or offer inspiration!
Honestly, I’m guilty of filling my old blog posts with ads and affiliate links, and I feel awful when I think about it. It’s like I turned my blogs into an ugly announcement board instead of a valuable masterpiece known everywhere.
Don’t let short-term gains blind you to the motivation of giving real value.
Growing up in a conservative family and studying in Catholic schools from kindergarten to college, you were nurtured to be a man of Christian values, younger self.
I have no doubt that you’re aware of these values because you’ve always been grateful, answered the call to serve, and carried yourself with quiet dignity…
Because you’re aware of your values, I believe you have an advantage in the blogging industry.
By understanding what you stand for, you create content that reflects who you are. This helps build trust and credibility with your audience, making them more likely to engage with and return to your blog.
Most importantly, clearly defined values can attract brands and partners who share your principles, leading to meaningful collaborations.
Brands seek out blogs with shared values because it ensures their message resonates with the blog’s audience, making their marketing more credible and impactful.
Blogs that display “as seen in” followed by logos of brands they’ve worked with often show that they’ve effectively communicated their core values.
(You should know, younger self, that three years after you started blogging, you’ve grown by understanding even more values like authenticity, transformative growth, and creative innovation!)
Final Thoughts
After writing a letter to my younger self, I realized that it’s probably one of the best ways to do introspection, which, by the way, is a great way to gain deeper self-awareness.
By doing this, I reconnected with my past experiences, reminding myself of the right choices to make in the future and the mistakes to avoid. I actually enjoyed roasting my younger self, though! LOL.
Honestly, I almost gave up on finishing this post a few days ago before I published it. It was really tough to look inward to figure out my weaknesses but I’m glad I managed to work it out in the end.
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