We made it! First day of Spring and a nor’easter on the way in late March. Every day I keep asking myself if it’s going to be the week that we’re actually going to start transitioning out of winter here in NY ?.

In this month’s installment of Behind the Blog, I’m shifting gears a bit and speaking from a more personal point of view about my blogging takeaways thus far and what I have learned from some incredible women I’ve met along the way.

For many of us one-woman-shows, it’s incredibly easy to get wrapped up in ourselves. If it hasn’t already hit you, blogging is a selfish business, and it takes a healthy dose of mindfulness to realize that your success is not always going to translate to you and you alone. Of course, I would never stand here and tell you that I, myself wasn’t responsible for some of my successes; but what I WILL tell you is that some of my biggest wins to date are thanks to the help of my girlfriends. Here’s what they have taught me… 

1 / Quality over Quantity

In the blogging world, you’re going to form a lot of relationships, but it’s the quality ones that will benefit you the most. I mean, kind of common sense right? As a blogger, it’s easy to get wrapped up in ‘being everyone’s friend’. When it comes to bloggers and even brands, I’ve learned to value my smaller, quality relationships the most.

2 / Give Yourself a Break

I am and will always be my own toughest critic when it comes to my blog. What I’ve learned from my girlfriends though is that there are so many things that are so much more important and pressing going on around me, and that it’s so important to cut yourself some slack. When I’m not feeling it, I’ve learned that it’s okay to give myself a break.

3 / Stop Trying to Please Everyone

Although I wouldn’t consider myself a people-pleaser, I would absolutely say that I work very hard to make sure that the content I’m putting in front of my readers is worth their while. My girlfriends and I are all so vastly different, and it’s only natural that what my demographic may like, Lindsey’s demographic may not. I learned very quickly to stop worrying about creating content for the people I’m never going to please, and to instead focus more on creating content for my already-loyal readers.

4 / There’s Always More to Learn

Always! For lack of a better word, I can be a bit of a know-it-all in my own head. AKA, I rarely find myself in a situation that I think I can’t tackle (I guess that can also be a positive trait though, right?). What I will say though, is that there is so much I would have never figured out on my own if it wasn’t for my friends. Everybody has their strengths, and while you should always be confident in yours, you shouldn’t be afraid to relinquish some control and learn from others either.

5 / The Fine Line Between Healthy & Unhealthy Comparison

There is not one blogger out there who doesn’t compare themselves to others. Whether it’s subconscious or outright, assessing your worth and how it stacks up against everyone else is a natural human response. In some cases, I’d even say that it’s a healthy way to rev up your drive and determination. Comparison, however, can turn unhealthy real quick. There’s a fine line between the two and the second you start to fixate, you have to realign your focus. We will always find qualities that may seem more desirable in others, and therefore there will always be something out there that makes you second guess what you’re doing. However at the end of the day, you’ll always feel best when you let them do them, and let you do you. 

5 / Blogger Friends are Some of the Best Friends

It’s so incredibly important to have and use that support system. If you haven’t yet found your people, you will; and when you do, you’ll know exactly what I mean. 

xx.