The Downsides of Blogging Full-Time

The ‘dream job’ is not without its negatives

Working for myself had been one of my goals ever since I graduated from university.

I remember searching for jobs after I graduated and being dismayed at what they entailed and the process involved in acquiring one.

I felt like I was running on a treadmill. I was doing a lot of work, but I was getting nowhere.

This was compounded when I ended up taking a job in a betting shop, which was not something I envisioned doing after spending three years at university!

It was in the moments before I went to this job that I conjured up visions of working for myself.

At that time I had no idea what that would entail, only that I knew this was something that I wanted to do. Working in a job that did not stimulate me was not something I could do long-term.

Fast forward six years and I achieved that goal. When I quit my last job to go full time on my travel blog and writing here on Medium, it was the culmination of a long process.

The only problem was that I was so wrapped up in that process, I had neglected to think about the implications of this next step.

The idea of working for myself seemed like an idyllic existence, but I had no idea about the reality of this scenario.

There was no longer someone telling me what to do. There was no need to get up early in the morning and commute to work. I was my own boss and I could work wherever and whenever I pleased.

This was bliss for the first few weeks, but once the initial euphoria wore off, I was left with the realisation that this was where the hard work would truly begin.

Spending so long desiring this moment but not putting enough thought into what it would be like once I got there, had left me blissfully unaware to the downsides of blogging full-time.

Lack of Human Interaction

In my previous job, working in an office, there was constant human interaction. Even though I despised working there, one of the benefits was talking to people while working.

This has been a theme I have noticed in my previous jobs. I enjoy the banter and chat you get in workplaces.

While I was happy to be leaving the job, I knew I would miss the interaction with my colleagues. I just didn’t realise how much.

I do the majority of my work from home. It can get lonely at times, and I find myself yearning for social interaction. This is one downside I didn’t anticipate.

We crave social interaction as humans and having it taken away from us can leave us feeling miserable. I can go and work in cafes and be around people, but the likelihood of striking up a conversation with someone is still low.

There isn’t much scope for interaction when it comes to blogging unless you go to a co-working space and meet fellow bloggers. The job itself is a lonely pursuit.

You only need your computer to work and you can do that wherever you want. There is no guarantee you will have someone to chat to while you work.

This isn’t a big problem. I still have a circle of friends I can meet up with outside of blogging, but it does make the process of blogging more work-focused. There is less chance of a light moment during the working day to give me some relief from the stresses of the job.

I failed to realise how much of an impact this would have on me. It was always going to be a consequence of blogging full-time, I just didn’t realise how big a consequence it would be.

You Are Your Own Boss

Being my own boss was one of the main motivating factors in becoming self-employed. The ability to make my own path and not have to take orders from someone else was something I had desired for a while.

Working in conventional jobs, you are used to taking orders from those at the top. Once that is removed and you are only accountable to yourself, it is hard to adjust to that shift.

There is no one stopping you from staying in bed if you want to. There is no one saying you can’t take a long break. There is no one to tell you to buck your ideas up. It’s just you and your conscience.

I knew what I was getting myself in for. I knew I would have to take more responsibility to make things happen, but it was still difficult to adjust after years of being used to working for someone else.

My Dad is a self-employed builder, so it helped to have him around, but even that is different. My Dad is accountable to the people he is working for. While he works for himself, he is also working for them. If he does a rubbish job, they won’t hire him again if they want more work done.

With blogging it’s completely different. The platform, your website, they will still be there. You have to work at it, otherwise, you will be back where you started.

Shifting from being a worker to being your own boss is difficult. No one can tell you how to do it, you have to figure it out by yourself.

There’s Never Enough Time

One of the misconceptions about blogging is that most of it is writing. While there is a lot of writing involved, especially here on Medium, there are a lot of other tasks to do too.

For my blog, not only do I have to write, but I have to do marketing, optimise my posts to get them on the first page of Google, play around with the layout of the site and much more.

The writing part is easy. I can sit down and smash out 2,000 words without much difficulty. It’s the other jobs that are technical and tedious that take up the majority of your time.

Optimising images isn’t much fun. Creating tables and buttons to go into your posts is laborious, as is creating affiliate links within your posts.

There are so many little tasks that get overlooked, but when you add them all together they add up to a lot of work. I have had days where I thought I would get a post published, only to find myself still working on it hours later.

There is no end to the work that needs doing, and for the sake of your sanity, you have to take a break every now and again.

I appreciate this is the same for most jobs. I remember working in construction and feeling the same way, that all these little jobs were adding up and slowing down our progress. The only difference was that I would leave the site at 6 pm and forget about it until the next day.

When you're blogging full-time, these little things eat away at you and you find it hard to switch off once you’re done working. I can lay awake in my bed at night mulling over what I need to tomorrow, instead of relaxing.

Working for yourself you have all the time in the world, but even that isn’t enough sometimes!

Lack of Motivation

I feel embarrassed to write this down because motivation shouldn’t be an issue when I wanted to be in this position for ages.

But an issue it is!

As much as I am grateful for being able to do something that I enjoy for a living, there are days when I just can’t be bothered. The thought of writing more posts, or playing around with something on the site makes me feel sick.

While I feel ashamed about this at times, there is no getting away from the fact that I am only human. I am bound to have days when I have no motivation to do anything.

I had enough of these days in previous jobs, so it would only be reasonable to assume I would have them while blogging too, even if I enjoy what I’m doing now.

This is where working for yourself and not having anyone around to hold you to account comes into play. If you were working a conventional job, your boss or co-workers would be able to pick you up, if you’re blogging that option is off the table.

Unless you go to a co-working space or you live with other bloggers, you’re going to stew in your negative thoughts and cave into the desire to be lazy.

Sometimes, this isn’t a bad thing. A day off can allow you to recharge your batteries and regain the focus and desire you need. When I find myself feeling this way I go off and do something else.

Be it a walk or going to the gym, getting active makes me feel better and allows me to return to my work refreshed and re-motivated.

Unstable Income

This is one of the worst aspects of blogging full-time and the one that scared me the most when I took the plunge to go it alone.

I had a track record of consistent pay from Medium and my blog behind me when I left, but I was apprehensive nonetheless. Going from a steady income to not knowing what you are going to be earning from month to month is an uncomfortable feeling.

This is a good motivator. It has made me more driven and determined to become successful, but it’s stressful nonetheless. The months where do you well, only make you nervous when the next month comes around.

Thoughts race through your head about whether it was a one-off or not. Will I earn as much as I did last month? What happens if my income tanks?

In a stable job, you are only a few paycheques from being homeless, that is even more apparent when you are blogging, especially in the initial stages.

While this is a downside, there is an upside to this. Having an income that varies from month to month has encouraged me to become more frugal and take greater responsibility for my finances.

I no longer waste money on things I do not need and I have become more interested in getting my money to work for me, instead of killing myself to earn more.

It was terrifying leaving behind a stable income every month, a fear I still have with me, but this was a downside I had anticipated. Hopefully, it’s a downside that becomes an upside in the long run!

Grateful

This post may sound like I am whinging and being entitled when I am incredibly lucky to be able to work for myself. That is certainly true, but it would be wrong of me to paint a rosy picture of blogging full-time because that isn’t the case.

It’s a lot of hard work and there are days when you just want to go to bed and curl up in a ball. It’s a job a lot of people would love to do, but there are downsides no matter how good it appears from the outside.

Even with the downsides I still love what I do. Yes, it can be lonely at times, and it can be scary being accountable only to yourself, but it’s worth it.

The thought of going back to an office and working in that environment fills me with dread. Being able to work on something I love is a dream come true, despite the drawbacks.

You have to take the good with the bad in life and blogging is no different. While this post is negative it is realistic. Blogging full-time is a struggle, but the struggle is what makes life worthwhile.

If you’re thinking about blogging full-time I would consider these downsides before doing so. It’s not for everyone and you will have to work your arse off to make it work. But if you do, you open yourself up to a world of opportunity.

Even with the downsides, that is something worth doing.

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by +413,678 people.

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