2015 was just plain odd. I honestly couldn’t tell you if it was good or bad. It was just weird. From moving back home with my family in hopes to figure out what I’m doing with my life (haven’t made much progress there…oops) to committing to regular posts on the blog, to at times stretching myself so impossibly thin, the past year has been a series of ups and downs. While I still don’t really know what I’m doing (in life or with this darn blog) I do know the past year has been all about taking risks, falling on my face and discovering new interests. See? I told you it was weird. Or maybe I’m just weird. Wait, we already knew that. Moving on.
The blog in 2015 and beyond
Looking back on the past year, it feels like 98% of my time outside of my 9-5 was devoted to this space in some way. If I wasn’t cooking, I was photographing food. If I wasn’t photographing food, I was scribbling down ideas every two seconds. If I wasn’t scribbling down ideas I was on social media, or commenting on other blogs. And if I wasn’t doing any of those other things, I was trying to learn from “big” bloggers and creatives how I could improve and make my content better.
Reflecting on the amount of time, energy, money and stress I spent on this space is equal parts rewarding and frustrating.
This isn’t going to be one of those summary posts where I talk about how much that hard work paid off and how much growth I’ve experienced all topped off with a hint at “big things coming” for 2016. I’m sad, humbled and embarrassed to say that despite my efforts I didn’t experience much tangible growth across the board (in terms of blog stats/readership and social media). To top it all off, I have no idea what 2016 will bring. For now I am just taking things one day at a time.
Oy…this is sounding kind of Debbie Downer which definitely isn’t my intention. Often times we hear about hard situations from people who have gotten to the other side, which still doesn’t feel very relatable when you’re in the thick of things. I wanted to share the (blogging) struggle while it’s actually happening. I just want to keep it real with ya.
Side note: how sweet is that necklace? We all need a reminder to keep it real every once and awhile.
Back to the blog.
I don’t have any grand plans or tricks up my sleeve for 2016. Nor do I have any lofty goals in mind, which is pretty nuts for me to say as I’m usually a very goal-oriented person. Frankly, I got burned out from setting all these goals and expectations for myself that I never seem to reach or accomplish.
Right now the only goal I have for the blog is to make it a space that I am truly proud of. It would be nice to figure out where I am taking it and what I truly want to blog about. That may mean more content beyond recipes, perhaps incorporating video (something I’ve always wanted to do) and even offering services. Or it may mean that I start prioritizing other areas of my life and decide this space isn’t what I want to devote my time to. I literally have no idea. I guess we will see what happens!
Top 10 Posts of 2015
Now for the fun part. I know you want me to stop rambling so let’s round-up the top 10 posts from the past year!
Panera Copycat Quinoa Broth Bowl
Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bowls
Healthy Crockpot White Chicken Chili
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars
The Best Kale Summer Salad (this is my favorite photo on the blog!)
Roasted Root Veggies with Green Goddess Dip
To the handful of you that read the blog, thank you so much for your support. Happy New Year!
Your Turn:
- What are some of your goals for the new year?
- Bloggers: what are some of your blogging goals for 2016?
Just let it happen, one day at a time, because yes, you never know what WILL happen and making plans isn’t worth it! Haha! It will never go as expected, trust me!! But you keep doing you, I personally love your blog and I’m glad I found you this year! <3
thank you so much for your honesty! I’ve definitely felt the same way about blogging this year in terms of dedicated so much time and energy and not always feeling a return! But overall I love this community so much that I’m still excited for what 2016 will bring! Good luck on what’s to come!!
I am continuously surprised by the fact that your blog doesn’t get more traction. I totally get how hard it is to work really hard and not see results, and I hope that this is one of those things that will happen but just takes time. I for one think your pictures are beautiful and have really enjoyed every recipe of yours I’ve tried so far!
Thank you so much for your comment Janelle! I really appreciate all of your support <3
Thank you for being honest. I think no matter the circumstances, there is always someone who is feeling just like you, and will benefit from your candidness. I can totally relate – as I shared in my post yesterday that I gave up blogging for a bit (like, straight up quit and convinced myself that I was donezo). I had people telling me that I was crazy to stop and that I needed to just push through and keep. on. blogging. Just keep going. And I am here to tell you that you have beautiful photos, delicious recipes, I love reading your blog and I really hope you just keep on truckin’, because nothing ever worthwhile comes easy. We all struggle, I have breakdowns where I just bury my head in my hands and sob because I am so frustrated. But I see so much in your future. You got this, Les – cheers to 2016
Thanks so much Christina. Girl, you have no idea how much you inspire me to keep truckin along. I know I am so glad YOU stuck with it!
I love the honesty in this post and I think you are doing great! I follow a bunch of blogs but I often return to yours. Your photos are gorgeous and the foods you post are very inspiring to me. For purely selfish reasons I say, keep up the good work! 🙂 I think you have really got a good thing going here. Don’t worry, things will sort out and if you ever want someone to encourage you – drop me a line. I’d love to share motivation! Best wishes for everything great this year 🙂
Thank you so much Jennifer – I really appreciate it. Happy new year! xo
Les, I love your honesty here. You know I love what you do, your blog, etc. and would definitely not want you to stop! But I can understand the ups and downs. I feel like I am still in the “honeymoon” stage and have all these grand ideas and plans. I am both excited and nervous for what 2016 will bring. Always here for you if you need to vent!! <3 Cheers to you
Ashleyyyyy! I swear you make me tear up every time. You have an incredible blog and I know 2016 will be AMAZING for you! I’m excited to see all of your grand ideas and plans <3
Hey girl, I’m so lucky I found your blog this year. It’s so frustrating feeling like you aren’t where you want to be but I think you’d be surprised by how many people truly love your blog and just want more of YOU. I hit plateaus ALL. THE. TIME. and just get so overwhelmed with where I have to go but it’s a one day at a time game and you have a squad of ladies who are all cheering for you.
Georgie! I’M so lucky to have connected with you – no joke, you have totally changed my perspective and mindset when it comes to blogging (in a good way). I appreciate you more than you know!
Although I may not be in the exact same boat you’re in, I know how it feels to not see a lot of improvements in stats, etc. or to not really be aware of what direction you want the blog to go in. May I say, though, that I LOVE your blog. The things you put out are great – the content is stuff I look forward to reading, the photography is ON POINT and an inspiration for me, and I’m still excited to keep reading this year 🙂
Thank you SO much Jess, I really appreciate all of your support. And may I say, I love Hello to Fit. You’re a major fitness inspiration for me, and your photos have been INCREDIBLE.
Thanks for keeping it real – it’s so easy to get caught up in always having to appear perfect or successful in some way. I find it crazy that you aren’t seeing the numbers you want. Your recipes and photography are both so beautiful! You’ll get the hang of it, I’m sure. Stick with it and ooooh videos videos videos! Do it! It always is such a great way to “get to know” the face behind the delicious food pictures.
To a successful 2016 for you, I’ll be rooting for you!
<3 Beth
http://thespicegirlblog.com
Thank you so much Beth! I’m hoping I can get my life together enough to figure out video – it is intimidating! I appreciate all of the love and support, and I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings for you as well! xoxo
Though you may feel like your blog hasn’t made a huge impact this year, you’d be surprised at the amount of talent everyone sees from it! You are truly inspiring and your blog is awesome! You should totally be proud of your blog because it’s truly unique and something that many people enjoy!
Gahhhh, thanks so much Rachel! Most of the time I feel like a hamster on a wheel, but your support means the world! xoxo
Also, can I just say how AWESOME Athletic Avocado is? The fact that the two of you are in college blows my mind!
All of those recipes look so darn delicious. I’m off to meander through your blog. Also, thank you for your raw, honest truth. I know it’s not always easy, but I appreciate it. <3
Thank you so much Julia! <3
Les, your honesty is so refreshing and I’m glad to have come across your blog in 2015 (And not because of the green goddess….the drink. the DRINK).
I think it’s natural to hit plateaus or feel like your hitting a wall- I often have those days and sometimes want to throw my macbook on the floor or call my DSLR a shit…ake mushroom salad. But I step back and realise it’s not all roses, violets, unicorns and purple sprinkles (pink ones are ugly).
Your photography is beyond amazing and I literally eat my screen when I see them. I will follow along in 2016 regardless of whichever direction you take 🙂
Thank you so much Arman. Your blog is one of my favorites not only for your yummy recipes and AMAZING photos, but because of how much YOU shine through. I totally feel like I know you (only in a slightly creepy way). I appreciate your support! xo
Thanks for being so real and honest! I hear ya, I love blogging… but sometimes it can feel like a real struggle if it doesn’t grow. Your blog is BEAUTIFUL and you should be really proud of it! I love it so much 🙂 Also, all of these recipes look amazing! You should be so proud of yourself!!
Thank you so much Cailee! I’m so glad we have recently connected – and I promise I haven’t forgotten about your questions! I’ll be getting back to you soon 🙂
Your honesty is refreshing, girl. It’s hard when you put in so much effort and things just don’t quite turn out as you’d have hoped. It’s also frustrating when everyone seems to be churning out new content all the time but you’re just not feelin’ it. I’m just so glad that we happened to talk to each other in that nectarcollective chat and that I got to meet you because of it!
PS I think you should totally start making videos because I’m a YouTube addict, and it would be awesome to see more healthy lifestyle gurus on that side of the internet! And your beautiful face would just make it 10x better haha!
It makes me feel so much better that you can relate to feeling frustrating at times, because your blog is AMAZING. Seriously – you always put out what I need to hear exactly when I need to hear it. I’m so excited to see what 2016 brings for you, especially with school!
And thank you so much! I have been a YouTube addict forever too! Hopefully I can figure out how to make it happen!
Les!!! Was just creepin’ (….always) and realized I missed this post. First of all, I feel you. Seriously, I do. From 2014-2015 I barely saw any growth at all and it was super frustrating. My advice, as corny as it sounds, is to just blog for you. Blog about what YOU want to blog about and let passion drive you. You might not know what it is you want to focus on (or if you only want one focus), but it’ll come to you. Sounds weird, but it will. Thank you for being so real and cheers to 2016 and the unknown adventures that are in store!
The fact that you used the term creepin just made my day….because that’s all I say and do. Thank you so much for your advice, it’s definitely what I needed to hear – I def. let what I loved about blogging get lost…plus rule #1 of blogging is to write a blog I would want to read. Thanks for the reminder! <3