Let’s Get Personal … Blogging Intentions

Sorry for all the “deep” posts lately, I have some recipes and DIY’s planned for next week, promise!

Today’s post has been bubbling up inside me for a few weeks, I just haven’t had the quiet or the confidence to write it until now. With the year coming to a close, and with all the changes that have happened for this blog in 2014 I’ve been wanting to share some of my challenges with blogging, and my intentions for the coming year.

pink chai living{Some pre-haircut fall photos I forgot to share!}

Sometimes I wonder if these posts are really of any value to you all and hesitate to write them – and that is my biggest challenge. I get wrapped up in the value of the content, the likelihood that it will be shared, the pictures, and a whole bunch of other stuff before I let the words flow through me. The more I’ve thought about this, the more I realize it’s because I didn’t start a blog to write and it was never my intention to be a writer – so now I feel bad writing wordy posts. I’ve set this strange limitation on myself to write about fashion, food, and DIY, and when deviate from that I feel guilty.

This blog had it’s start as a photo heavy daily outfit blog. Then there was the brief period of time when I thought I’d like to run a magazine style blog {big mistake}, and now it’s sort of a ‘anything I feel like writing’ blog with a heavy slant on food & parenting; with an Indian touch of course. That’s my second challenge; accepting that a blog doesn’t have to be defined by pre-determined categories. It’s okay if I feel like writing about a book I read, or a recipe a tried, and then sharing business advice the next day.

raj thandhi{Sometimes it helps to look at yourself with an objective eye!}

This brings me to my first blogging intention for 2015: Pink Chai Living is a personal blog and I will write whatever I feel like writing without trying to fit into a niche or category. When I was a “fashion blogger” I was always worried about writing about my kids because I didn’t want to be seen as a “mommy blogger”. Now I worry about making sure I don’t miss any Indian holidays because I’m a “South Asian lifestyle blogger”. I’ve never been one to be defined by labels or fit in a box, so why pressure myself to now?

My second intention is to blog daily, and let go of perfectionism. For the month of December I’ve been taking part in a daily blogging challenge. While the original intention of the challenge was to build more traffic for the blog, I’ve realized that when I write everyday it becomes easier to do. Of course that means I have to let go of my need to have everything perfect every time!

AZO_1872

The third and final intention I have for my blog in 2015 is the hardest; to compete only with myself, and make no comparisons with other bloggers. This one is going to be tough, because contrary to the paragraph above, I’m not perfect. I spent a lot of time this summer sucked into the comparison trap and I’m so over it. I want to do better in 2015 than I did in 2014, but the only measure for successful growth will by my own metrics, and my own numbers. It’s not my place to judge other people’s content or posts – it’s my job to work on improving my own content. {I totally just heard my mom’s voice in my head when I typed those words!}

Do you write a blog? Do you have any big goals for 2015? I’d love to hear about them! Maybe we can help each other out?

 

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6 Comments

  1. December 20, 2014 / 4:17 pm

    Best of luck with your goals for 2015, Raj. I have big goals for my blog in 2015. I’m moving over to self-hosting and will be committing more time and posting on a consistent basis. And you’re absolutely right about setting a goal for measuring your success by your own definition and not compare to any other blogger. We all have something special to share. There’s room for all of us to be successful and happy. Have a great weekend.

  2. December 21, 2014 / 3:41 pm

    I love that you have made these pseudo-resolutions for yourself for 2015. This is so proactive and such good thinking. I wish you luck in fulfilling your intentions for the new year.

  3. December 23, 2014 / 10:00 am

    I like the word ‘intentions’ – and I share some of yours for my blog as well. Instead of thinking about what to write that people will read, I have started thinking more about simply sharing myself. I think that’s what leads to the desire to write more which starts off another beautiful chain of events! All the best in 2015 – looking forward to continuing to support each other!

  4. Yogesh Sood
    December 30, 2014 / 5:03 am

    Hi,

    I came across your blog today, when looking for some first hand experience of Indian community living in Vancouver area. I really appreciate your efforts to put details in your posts. We are contemplating about moving to Vancouver, as I have good job offer to relocate.

    We are family with toddlers settled in Singapore and really trying to figure out how it is living in Surrey/Vancouver for Indian families.

    Your blog has help us a lot ! specially the one about Surrey !

    Thanks and keep up good writing. People do read your blogs and it makes difference.

    • December 31, 2014 / 8:09 am

      I’m glad you find it helpful Yogesh! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope everything works out for you with the new job!

  5. January 1, 2015 / 5:58 pm

    Glad you wrote this one Raj – it’s been hectic here which is partially why I have been blogging less, but for the most of it its because I feel the weight of other blogs and find it hard to justify adding to the many out there. It’s definitely tough

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