Background by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
In May 2017, I wrote my first articles for this blog. A year later in May 2018, I purchased the domain. In October, I got hosting and started playing around with WordPress. It’s now December… and Eat Sleep Breathe FI is finally live!
Kudos to all the bloggers out there
OMG, I had no idea how much work it would take to set up a blog, or how steep the learning curve would be! I have a newfound respect for all the bloggers who not only have a live, functional blog, but are also posting and engaging regularly. You guys are amazing!
So, what took me so long?
Some of you (ahem, Lily and Pete) know how looong it’s taken me to get here! The reasons why are the same reasons why I’ll be posting weekly(ish). (Unlike most other bloggers*, who somehow manage to post weekly or more!)
*Shout out to GYM at Gen Y Money. She works full-time, has a toddler, is pregnant with #2, AND posts multiple times per week!!! I don’t know how she does it—she’s a Wonder Woman.
In an effort to explain why I’m seemingly lazy and slow with blogging, this is a list of excuses explanations:
Quality before quantity
My goal is to provide my readers with the best-quality content. That means I’ll never post just to post. Sure, it’d help traffic and improve SEO to post more often and stick with a consistent schedule. But I know that won’t fit our lifestyle, nor will it result in the best content.
That’s why I’ll aim to post weekly(ish). That means you’ll get a new post from me about once a week. But other times it’ll be less than that. And I’m pretty sure that’ll be okay as long as I’m always giving you my best!
“Bad” perfection
Another reason why this blog has taken forever to launch is my perfectionism. I wanted:
- 3+ months of posts written, formatted, and in the hopper.
- The perfect layout, colours, design.
- Every bug worked out.
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
-Paula Pant
“Good” perfection
Sometimes, perfectionism can be a good thing! I’m a graphic designer, and part of being a good designer is ensuring your projects not only look good, but communicate well.
With a blog, every element contributes to good communication. So I’ve been working hard to ensure my articles are well-written, easy to read, and easy to navigate.
Reaching these goals, combined with my total lack of experience with web design, took quite some time! But I’m learning to be a satisficer, and for now, Eat Sleep Breathe FI’s good enough.
Life
Blogging’s my newfound passion, but right from the start, my number one blogging rule has been: It has to fit around my life.[efn_note]When I read this post by the Mad Fientist, I thought, “YES!”—it sums up my blogging philosophy perfectly.[/efn_note]
Otherwise, it becomes not-fun and a burden. And I think all of us on the FI path are seeking more fun and less burdens… amirite? 🙂
Kids
Kid 1’s a teenager already, and Kid 2’s a quickly-growing tween. They’ll only be young and wanting to hang out with us for so long, so I treasure all the moments I can have with them now.[efn_note]The Tail End by Tim Urban sums this up poignantly. Read it—you’ll instantly want to spend every spare moment you’ve got with your loved ones.[/efn_note]
That means I’m always available for field trips, classroom volunteering, activities, pro-d days, playdates, homework help, spring break, summer break, winter break, etc.—which leaves not a lot of time for stuff like blogging!
Sleep
I know lots of bloggers are able to accomplish the Herculean task of running a blog by working at the crack of dawn or late at night. But I’m no early bird, and I need my sleep! So… as much as I’d love to, no before or afterhours blogging for me. 🙁
TL;DR
I want to deliver the best possible content to my readers, and won’t compromise on quality. I also aim to live my best life now. As much as I’d love to blog all day, everyday, I choose to prioritize things like family and sleep. And I think you’d agree that those are all good things because I’ll be at my best, so I can give you my best!
Please say hello!
I can’t wait to get to know you as I continue on our FI journey and begin my blogging adventures. Feel free to comment below, or scroll down for more ways to reach me.
Thanks for visiting my little corner of the internet… I hope you’ll stay awhile!
Get to know me and my blog
Now that you know how I got here, you might want to learn a little more about me and Eat Sleep Breathe FI. Here are some links to help you do that:- On my About Me page, you can learn more about me and my family.
- My Backstory will tell you even more about me, and how my husband and I started our money and FI journey. (I also talk about how the idea to start this blog came to be.)
- About This Blog explains how Eat Sleep Breathe FI adds diversity and a new perspective to the already-full FI blog scene.
Support this blog
If you liked this article and want more content like this, please support this blog by sharing it! Not only does it help spread the FIRE, but it lets me know what content you find most useful. (Which encourages me to write more of it!)
You can also support this blog by visiting my recommendations page and purchasing through the links. Note that not every link is an affiliate link—some are just favourite products and services that I want to share. 🙂
As always, however you show your support for this blog—THANK YOU!
6 Comments
Liz@ChiefMomOfficer
January 2, 2019 at 4:52 amGlad to hear you’ve overcome “analysis paralysis” and decided to launch! 😃 Looking forward to seeing more of your posts. I also tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so I empathize.
Chrissy
January 2, 2019 at 10:23 pmHi Liz—I just heard you on the What’s Up Next podcast, so I’m a little star-struck and amazed that you commented on my lil’ ol’ blog! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words. I’ve got lots more content to come!
Ms. Mod
January 16, 2019 at 4:51 pmYou are off to a great start Chrissy! I relate so much with fitting blogging around our life :). It has definitely kept it fun and not a burden for me despite my erratic posting. In fact when life is super busy, I look very much forward to some downtime to write. I am very hopeful that this will be the case for you as well :)!
Looking forward to getting to know you better and following your journey.
Chrissy
January 16, 2019 at 5:59 pmThanks for such a lovely comment Ms Mod. I’m exactly the same as you and can’t wait for some downtime so I can work on the blog! I also look forward to reading your content and getting to know you and your story. 🙂
Court @ Modern Fimily
February 5, 2020 at 12:24 amI still don’t know how you do it Chrissy! Blogging and podcasts + managing the Choose FI Canada page with two kids! And you always have the most positive energy 🙂 I’m so over blogging and social media already, kudos to you for keeping at it – you’re reaching an incredible audience and your content is always top notch!
Chrissy
February 6, 2020 at 10:46 pmAw, shucks Court! You always make my day with your lovely compliments. Honestly, I could say all the same things about you. I’m constantly amazed at how much you do, all while juggling a job and little one.
It’s definitely not easy producing and promoting content! But the connections with readers/listeners and internet friends like you keep me coming back.
As always, your support means so much. Thank you, friend!