This last week I have had a wobble when it comes to my blog. I have sat and asked myself why I have put so much time and effort into my blog. It is in the name… The Reluctant Blogger after all. I guess the reason for this blog post today is I want to ask you guys. Why are you still blogging?
This last week I have been on annual leave from work. After working all through COVID and having furloughed staff underneath me, I needed this break. Almost every day this past week, I have crawled out of bed at 6am. Sat at my desk and planned blog posts and wrote content. Obviously, if you are a fellow blogger, you will know the work that goes in behind the scenes. That is what I have been trying to catch up on this week.
Normally, when it is my average working week, I will fit in all of the blog work around my normal 9 to 5 job and it can be back-breaking at times. I write for my blog and upload posts because I love reviewing items, helping people out, and having an outlet where I can write my thoughts and have a discussion. But, I do have to wonder how this is benefitting me at the moment.
I did used to have a blog previously which I had for many years and I loved writing for it. One day I was pretty overwhelmed, and I just deleted it completely on a whim. Even though it was what I needed to do at the time, I did feel like I was missing something in my life and before I knew it, I was starting up another one and starting from scratch. It has been a fight to get it back to where it is today, but I feel like I have gone full circle again and I am right back to where I started, at questioning why I do this and if I should delete it again.
The thing for me is that, I don’t have that much free time anymore. The return that I get from my blog is minimal for the amount of effort that I put in. I know that it is not all about return. If it is good for your mental wellbeing and it gives you something to do, but I work hard in my life to see something for it and with my blog, the amount that I get from AdSense is barely enough to justify what I am spending on items to review, I then have to do my tax returns and it is just a whole effort.
I guess that with this blog post I just wanted to know what you guys think. Why do you have your blog? How long do you see yourself blogging for? Have you ever thought about closing it all down and recouping your free time again?