From Chaos to Clarity: How I’m Finding My Groove in Blogging
Maybe I need to be better at outlining or better at organizing keywords.
When I started blogging, I didn’t realize how much of the process would involve learning to organize my thoughts. Maybe I need to be better at outlining. Maybe I need to fine-tune my keyword strategy. The truth is, there are countless things I could be doing better, but for now, it’s all about showing up and trying.
The Reality of “Just Starting”
Let me take you back to a moment that perfectly sums up my blogging experience so far. I opened a draft I’d written the day before, eager to polish and publish it. As I read through my own words, I had a moment of pure bewilderment:
“What in the world am I talking about?”
“What point am I trying to make?”
If you’ve ever revisited something you wrote and felt completely disconnected from it, you know the feeling.
Now, to be fair, I told myself this blog would be a space for “daily life musings.” It’s meant to capture the random, fleeting thoughts that pop into my head and the everyday moments that shape my life. But somewhere along the way, the lack of structure started to feel less freeing and more chaotic.
Moving Toward Intentionality
As I committed to taking blogging “more seriously”, I realized I needed some sort of framework. The goal wasn’t to squash the creativity or spontaneity that drew me to blogging in the first place. Instead, it was to create a loose outline—a guiding thread to ensure my posts had a beginning, middle, and end.
No promises that I won’t still ramble (it’s kind of my thing), but I’m working on jotting down snippets of ideas ahead of time. These snippets give me something to anchor myself to when I revisit drafts later.
Embracing the Basics
For seasoned bloggers, this probably sounds like Blogging 101. There are people who have systems, research strategies, and the ability to seamlessly organize their ideas before they even sit down to write. That’s not me—at least, not yet.
To help myself stay on track, I’ve started using a small but mighty tool: a colored table at the top of my drafts. I create these drafts in Google Docs, and the table includes fields like:
Blog Title: The working title or an idea of what I want the post to be about.
Blog Category: A way to group the post within my broader themes (e.g., home care, lifestyle, or personal musings).
SEO Focus Words: Keywords I want to include to help with search engine optimization.
SEO Title: A shorter, catchy version of the title that aligns with SEO best practices.
Slug: The URL-friendly version of the post title.
Meta Description: A brief, engaging summary of the post that entices readers to click.
Status: This helps me track the progress of each post—whether it’s drafted, posted, or scheduled.
This small addition has been a game-changer in organizing myself. Even if I don’t finish a draft right away, I can come back weeks later and instantly remember what I was trying to achieve with the post. It’s like leaving breadcrumbs for my future self.
Progress Over Perfection
Right now, my mantra is “progress over perfection.” There are days when I feel like I’m fumbling my way through this blogging journey, but isn’t that part of the process? Each small improvement, whether it’s organizing drafts or experimenting with SEO, is a step forward.
I’m learning that blogging isn’t just about writing—it’s about creating systems that make the process sustainable. It’s about showing up consistently, even when you feel unsure, and celebrating the small wins along the way.
What’s Next?
As I continue to refine my approach, I’m exploring other tools and methods to stay organized. Maybe I’ll dive into content calendars or try new ways of brainstorming post ideas. For now, though, I’m focusing on building good habits and finding joy in the process.
To my fellow beginner bloggers: you don’t have to have it all figured out to start. Whether it’s organizing your thoughts, learning SEO, or just showing up to write, remember that every expert was once a beginner. Let’s embrace the messy, imperfect journey together.