Pieds Poudrés is 2 years old! And like any other toddler, she’s affirming her personality. She’s feisty and throws tantrums. But she’s growing.
I’d like to write about growth.
Late last year, I decided to take my blog a bit more seriously. I kept a close eye on the numbers: followers, interactions, readers, etc. My head was ready to explode. I had been at this for close to 2 years, and I wasn’t anywhere near where I wanted to be. I also became brutally honest with myself: I was slacking.
A procrastinator, always. A bit lazy, at times—I can’t lie about that. But a slacker. By definition, slackers not only don’t make the necessary effort, but they also don’t care. This realization was the slap on the behind that I needed to shake things up. I went in sort of a funk and doubted everything. I knew it was a phase, so I let myself go through all the emotions.
I decided to take concrete actions in showing that blogging about travel is what I want to do. I invested in a camera. The photos I’ve been taking with my phone were OK, but I felt that I needed to step up my game. I also decided to post more regularly both on Instagram and on Facebook.
Immediate results ensued!
My following on social media has increased (albeit moderately). On Facebook, that is thanks to your sharing my posts. On the Gram, that is due to excessive use of hashtags and some dope photos. My readership has reached a consistent level, and I’ve had more discussions about travel with people outside of my circle than before.
I decided to put in more work and to be consistent.
I still don’t publish blog posts as regularly as I would want to. But that’s because I’m being a perfectionist, not because I’m procrastinating. I’ve been a bit more present in the travel groups I belong to on social media. I’ve been busy planning my upcoming trips and researching for content.
I also decided to take a small leap: I bought a domain. (It felt like I was finally putting my money where my mouth is.) This not only gave the blog its own home, but also a sense of realness. This was a long time coming. The nudge came from my being asked to contribute on other platforms. It just didn’t feel right to send them the long URL I used to have.
I’ve learned that to grow I had to make a conscious effort to be better.
The amount of work I do behind the scenes has increased. More often than not, I find myself to be going through photos on my phone when I should be spending quality time with Hubs. But he’s supportive. And somehow gets it. He celebrates my small victories and sometimes make suggestions for posts. And for that, I’m thankful.
I’m also thankful for the people around me who sometimes have more faith in me than I do myself. These sister/brother-friends who tell me that they like my style (this means more than you’d ever know). The ones that are always up for the next adventure. The ones who graciously allow me to share their stories.
Fun fact. About two years ago, I was talking about the creative projects I had in the works with a friend. Said friend looked at me in the eyes and said “you’re full of $#!%%”. Two months later, Pieds Poudrés was up.
I’ve learned that my ability to grow was possible because of the people around me who are setting the bar quite high.
This year will be filled with new adventures. I’ve submitted my vacation request for 2018, and I don’t have a single day left! My next stop is Minneapolis: Prince’s hometown. On my list this summer: France, Spain, Haiti. Also in the plan: a cruise in Asia (Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan). I’ll have tons of stories to share with you.
Feel free to give me a nudge if you think I’ve been silent for too long.
Pieds Poudrés is 2 years old! And like any other toddler, she just needs some TLC.
Thanks again for reading!