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I’ve officially reached the one year mark of blogging and honestly, it feels so surreal. I’ve wanted to start a blog so many times over the last ten years, but every time I found a reason not to. When I finally hit publish last year, I promised myself that no matter how many ups and downs came my way, I would give it at least one full year before even thinking about quitting.
Now here I am, twelve months later. It wasn’t always easy, but I’m so glad I kept going.
I know many of the feelings I had this first year are common, doubts, comparison, frustration with low traffic, so I wanted to share them with you in case you’re in a similar season. This post isn’t about numbers, it’s about the things I didn’t let stop me in my first year of blogging.
1. The Doubts: “I Don’t Know Enough”
Blogging has so many moving parts, SEO, design, Pinterest, keywords, and it’s so easy to think, I don’t know enough to start.
But here’s the truth: you’ll never know everything before you begin. The best part of blogging is that you can always update your posts, improve your SEO, and make new pins (and yes, you should!).
When I started, I knew nothing about SEO or Pinterest. Even now, a year later, I feel like I’m still learning daily. But if I had waited until I “knew it all,” I would have never started. Progress comes from posting, not from waiting.
2. The Comparison Trap
It’s easy to look at big bloggers and think, Why should I even try? I’ll never be like them. But here’s the reality, every single one of them started from zero, just like you.
Unless you keep posting, you’ll stay at zero. Your path is your own, and the best thing you can do is stay on it. This post is my way of telling you: keep going.
3. The Tech Struggles
If I’m being honest, this was one of my biggest hurdles. I love to write and share, but the fun part doesn’t come right away. First, you have to deal with hosting, themes, plugins… and that can feel overwhelming.
Three things helped me get through this phase:
- Following a step-by-step guide (like the one I wrote here).
- Purchasing a pre-made theme from Creative Market.
- Hiring a website builder for just a few hours to help me tweak things. That small investment saved me weeks of frustration.
Don’t let the tech side stop you, there’s always help and always a way forward.
4. The Low Traffic Phase
You’ve written the posts, made your site look nice… and then crickets. I’ve been there.
Here’s what I had to remind myself:
- Pinterest pins often take 4–6 weeks before you start seeing traction.
- Consistency matters, posting regularly is what helps your traffic grow.
- Seasonal content may do okay the first year, but then explode the next year.
I can’t tell you how many times a pin I thought was a flop suddenly took off months later. If you give up too soon, you’ll never see those wins.
5. The Time & Energy Struggle
I underestimated how much time blogging takes. Writing posts, brainstorming seasonal content months ahead, creating multiple pins per post, testing keywords… it’s a lot. And doing it as a mom of three little ones meant I had to get creative.
A few things that helped me:
- Using Pinterest’s scheduling tool so my pins went out consistently, even when I was busy.
- Reminding myself that perfection isn’t real. The key is to post, not to wait until it’s “perfect.”
- Taking advantage of the flexibility blogging gives, unlike Instagram, blogging and Pinterest don’t demand instant results. That means I can work during nap times or late nights and still see growth later.
If I’ve learned one thing in my first year, it’s this: consistency beats perfection every time.
My 1-Year Blogging Snapshot
This isn’t for comparison, but to show you what’s possible if you stick with it:
- July 2024 — Signed up with Bluehost and started building my site
- August 2024 — Launched with 8 blog posts
- Aug–Dec 2024 — Posted a couple blogs a week, created 3–5 pins per post, posted daily on Pinterest
- Dec 2024 — Approved for ads with Journey by Mediavine
- Jan–June 2025 — Posted 2–3 blogs a month, continued daily pins
- May 2025 — Landed my first sponsored post
- Aug 2025 — Began revamping old posts for SEO and organization
There were plenty of moments I wanted to quit (building my site in July, seeing low traction in February), but pushing through is what got me here.
Making Money with Your Blog
One of the most exciting milestones in my first year was being approved for ad placement. Ads are shown on your site, and you earn revenue when people visit your blog. For me, this was a huge goal because I want to keep offering free resources to readers while still creating an income.
But ads aren’t the only way to monetize. You can also make money through affiliate links (sharing products you love and earning a small commission if someone purchases) and through brand collaborations once your blog grows. The best part is that affiliate links are something you can start on day one, I even wrote a full post about how to use affiliate links to make money with your blog.
Final Encouragement
If you’re reading this wondering if you should start a blog, do it. The only thing stopping you is you.
The blogging space isn’t too saturated. There is room for your voice, your story, your unique spin. Sometimes I think about where I’d be if I had pushed through 10 years ago… but instead of wishing, I’m grateful I finally did it now.
If you love the idea of blogging, don’t give up. Keep showing up, keep posting, and a year from now you’ll be so glad you did.
Ready to start? Check out my step-by-step guide on how to start your blog.
You can do this! xx, Ciara
