Do You Really Work at Blogging? |

Ryan Biddulph May 24, 2025 blogging tips 🕑 5 minutes read

Nizwa Oman

Bloggers often talk a big game.

But numbers do not lie.

I mean work hours.

More than that, I mean relaxed, calm, confident hours invested towards creating practical content consistently.

For example, spending a good hour to write, edit and publish this post points to one more hour invested in doing the blogging work. Toss in 10,000 plus hours spent/invested in blogging since 2008 and you have a full commitment to this gig.

Blogging gives you what you give blogging. Think of blogging as a mirror. Mental and physical effort combined with time reflect your results back to you consistently.

What Does Blogging Give You?

Blogging gives most bloggers little because most give little to blogging.

Observe your:

organic traffic
blogging income
social media engagement
referral traffic
referral business

What do you see?

How do you feel about what you see?

Look closely at the consistency of your blogging effort.

Do you really work at blogging? I mean…..REALLY? Be honest with yourself. Blogging requires a full time commitment well before you make full time money. Working for free eventually leads to working for pay. Businesses grow in such fashion.

First, bloggers lay the foundation by building content assets consistently. Content assets gradually send organic traffic and blogging income your way. However, working for free tests most; few seem prepared to do so for months. Even fewer want to work for years before generating a full time income through blogging.

Most feel highly uncomfortable with this basic blogging truth. People want something for nothing. Or people want money for all work rendered. You and I typically learn to work jobs for a paycheck. Blogging works quite differently. Similar to any business, first you work for a bit to lay the foundation for your blogging business. Skills, exposure and credibility expand to professional levels, eventually.

How Long Do You Work for to Succeed?

Nobody knows the specific time frame for this building period before steady money flows to you. Rest assured, one blogs for free or some scratch for months to years before going pro. Perhaps you work for free for months before earning your first cent. But you will work for free for years before generating a full time income through blogging. Be realistic. Never raise expectations beyond reasonable levels because doing so leads to delusional pining, guaranteed to derail your blogging campaign.

Ideas to Keep in Mind

nobody knows how long it takes to generate traffic consistently
every blogger walks a different path
every blogger experiences success at a different rate
respect your blogging journey
learn the lessons that you personally need to learn

New bloggers expect this gig to be easy, mostly. Surprise! Blogging is not easy. Blogging becomes easier after you put in 1000’s of hours. Similar to developing any skill, practice, practice, practice, is what it takes. Almost no one understands the work load at the outset. Most suffer a rude awakening as the hours add up. But it is an investment in freedom not a sacrifice pointing to time loss.

Not as Hard as You Think

Blogging is not as hard as people say but this gig requires making a genuine effort during uncomfortable moments. Putting in time and work when you feel tired or agitated makes the difference between amateur bloggers and pro bloggers. Either you work or do not work. Everything depends on you. Sit with this truth for at least a little bit. Be with this fact. Either you really put in an authentic blogging effort or you do not. No middle ground exists because you do or do not. Everything is your choice.

Blogging success unfolds outside of your comfort zone. Commit. Ease into fear. Put in the work. Blogging seems a bit easier after putting in enough work to become skilled, credible and seen. Driving organic traffic and blogging income sure don’t hurt, either.

Be Honest with Yourself

Some claim to really work at blogging but analyzing their claim reveals a half-hearted blogging effort. Giving blogging a whirl for a few months or even for one year is no serious blogging effort. Perhaps you lost a passion for blogging. Feel free to exit stage left. But never claim that blogging does not work if you give it a shot for a few weeks or months. Showing patience plays a key role in becoming a successful blogger. But working while displaying patience plays an even bigger part of becoming a professional blogger.

Anyone can be patient while doing nothing blogging-wise. But few exhibit patience while blogging generously for years. Diligent bloggers really put in an honest blogging effort for a long time. Count this crowd as future winners because blogging gives you whatever you give blogging. Generous workers receive equally generous results after a sustained period of devout blogging effort. Workers sleep soundly. Bloggers who execute a genuine effort for a long time rest easy knowing that success is on the way.

Check Yourself

Check yourself up. See yourself in the light of truth. Look squarely in the mirror. Give yourself the gift of honesty.

I had to double down a few weeks ago; I had not honestly given a true blogging effort for a while because a part of me feared giving freely. I secretly wanted a bit too much in return for my efforts. But seeing myself in the light of truth goaded me to be truly helpful for folks.

I ramped up the good old Blogging From Paradise publishing schedule. I also increased production along social media groups. I currently run or contribute to 24 social media:

groups
communities
profiles
pages

I just hatched a new one a few days ago to ease a bit beyond my comfort zone.

Making this shift occurred when I asked if I was being truly helpful, waiting for a clear answer and proceeding in an honest direction, to be a bit more generous.

Consider doing the same to honestly assess if you really work at blogging.