Part 1 of the Work Smarter Series
So, you want to start a blog! Congratulations. You have just made a life changing decision and it will change your life forever. Before you take the big leap you need to put pen to paper and ask yourself some questions. Be honest. Make sure you feel GOOD about your answers. And keep in the back of your mind you can always go in a different direction. Doing so though can cause you time, money or frustration or, bring you greater joy, purpose and inspiration.
Today I am simply going to ask you to consider a few ideas. What comes to mind immediately, then again as a second consideration, and finally tomorrow when you have more time to think and sleep on your answer. Be honest with yourself, write your answers down, all three of them. No one will see them and no one can say if they are right or wrong. These are for YOU only.
1. What do you have to offer? Do you like to teach? Cook? Name your Passion below.
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
2. What aspects do you want to control? Completely control? Own it all? Customize any part?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
3. How much do you know about the Internet? Your subject(s)? How much are you willing to learn? Are there any areas you DON’T want to be a part of?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
4. Are you willing to spend the time it takes to achieve your daily/weekly/monthly/ goals? Can you put your Blog away to take time for yourself, your family, and the unexpected?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
5. Let’s talk finances. Earning: Do you have a budget in mind? Do you want to earn $$ selling? Teaching?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
6. Finances again. Spending: Are there costs involved as far as materials? Gadgets? Phone? Computer? Postage? Education? Conferences? Programs? Technology? Office supplies? Travel? Do you have a budget in mind?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
7. Impact on you and your family. What choices will you make in completing your goals. What are the positive effects and adverse effects? Are you prepared to compromise?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
8. What part of your goals need to be met for you to feel successful?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
9. How much time do you want to operate your blog? 3 months? Forever? Does it matter?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
10. Has this checklist brought up any ideas or questions you hadn’t thought of? Add them to the bottom! Crystal of Sosomom.com offered a great question. Do you have an idea of ‘who’ your reader is? Are you writing for them, or for you?
A. First thought:
B. In an hour:
C. Tomorrow:
Please fill out this checklist. It can be of benefit whether you have never blogged before or are in a rut, or have been blogging for years. This is a free downloadable .doc so please share, save, and make as many copies as you need!
The next part of this series we will be dealing with why these questions were chosen and decide what your answers disclose about you and your blog!
Marilyn, owner
https://www.marilynstreats.com
Please download this checklist!
You can find Part 1-4 at the links below.
Part 1 of the 4 Part Series. Questions All Bloggers Need To Ask
Part 2 of the 4 Part Series. Your Niche
Part 3 of the 4 Part Series. Setting Sail
Part 4 of the 4 Part Series. The Bottom Line
See other articles in my Work Smarter category. Are You Bewitched by SEO?, Questions All Bloggers Need to Ask, and Why Choose Linkup Parties?
I am Marilyn Lesniak. Writer, Photographer and Chief Bottle Washer behind the scenes at Marilyn's Treats. Follow me to my kitchen. 
Amazing resource for new bloggers and experienced bloggers alike! Thank you for sharing at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty
Thank you Lori! Have a good week.
Great, thought provoking questions. I would dare say that very few of us even knew enough initially to ask these questions! They work for people just considering a blog and for those that have had a blog for awhile. Thanks for sharing them at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty!
Thanks Teresa. I find myself referring to this list as blogging and tech keeps changing so fast. Our direction changes so often, doesn’t it? Good Luck with your journey. Have a great week.
A very useful resource for bloggers Marilyn. Thanks for sharing at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty.
Thanks Sue. I bet you are getting tired of seeing this each year! ? I wish you a wonderful week!
Great checklist and I think as all bloggers we should do this – even if we have been at it a while 🙂
Thanks Amber. I totally agree. So much changes over time.
I would have loved this check list before I started blogging!! Great post!
Thank you Sam. I revisit this list every year when my hosting come due. Have a blessed week!
All good questions for a blogger (or prospective blogger) to ask him or herself. I like the idea of renewing your commitment to blogging annually and re-asking these questions. My blog-iversary is coming up in October, so now is the perfect time for me to look at doing this. Thanks for linking up at #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty.
I reevaluate every year when my hosting renews. It makes me recommit to my goals. And times I have decided to abandon my routine for something more realistic. Thanks for the kind words! Have a great day.
What a great way to gain a wonderful new perspective on our blogs and on our goals, Marilyn! This is such a useful, helpful post! Thank you for sharing, and for being a part of Hearth and Soul.
Thakn you for the kind words April. I hopes it helps someone. Have a great week!
This is a great checklist for new bloggers, yes you are right, they should think and answer these questions before they want to start a blog because it is not an easy job.
Thanks for sharing this lovely post with Fiesta Friday.
I am glad you liked it Sadhna. I wasnt sure it would be accepted by the rules. Thanks for allowing it! Have a great day.
Hi Marilyn,
I liked your question and answer format which made this fun.
Janice
Thank you Janice. I appreciate your inout. You are the expert!! Have a good week!
Great questions and I can only imagine what my answers would have been when I started seven years ago.
I am sure they have continually changed. Mine have. I revisit this every year and am totally surprised at some of my answers. Have a good week!
Thank you Marilyn for linking up at the #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty. I shared your post on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitter.
I appreciate the shares! Have a great week.
How I wish I had this list of questions way when I started by blog, because it’s waaayyyyy harder than I ever thought it would be
It sure is!! And with all the info that is outdated or specific to something you may not have, it is a disaster!! Bottom line, is trust yourself. Unless of course you are trying to make money, then GOOD LUCK!!! Have a good week.
You’ve certainly provided lots of important questions for new bloggers to ask themselves. I just blog for fun – a hobby you might say and I truly enjoy cooking/baking and sharing what I’ve made/learned. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with Fiesta Friday – have a great weekend!
Thank you Judith. I am also a hobby blogger. Keeps me busy since retirement! Have a good week.
I wish I had this when I started blogging. Great information. I came from #prettypintasticparty. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for dropping by to read the first post. I hope you come back each of the next three Fridays for the rest! Have a good week.
I signed up do hopefully it will email them to me.
It should. The email just went out. If you don’t get it, the part 2 is here:
https://www.marilynstreats.com/questions-all-bloggers-need-to-ask-part-2-your-niche/#.WanL_NEpChA
Love the idea of answering in different time frames Marilyn. Some good tips here and always useful for bloggers. Thanks for linking up and sharing at #BloggersPitStop this week.
Glad you liked it Sue! Have a good week.
These are great questions, Marilyn. Sometimes when you read the “start a blog in 15 minutes or less” posts, you don’t quite get the picture of the commitment and work having a blog requires. All worth it though :).
#wearepinnable link party
I also am fond of “how I made $10,000 my first month of blogging.” Those two discourage many bloggers and can create enough grief to get them to quit. Have a good day!
What a great checklist for budding bloggers! There’s so much more that goes behind every single blog and social media post than it seems. The fact that you recommend taking time between responses is a great way to really flesh out your ideas. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
Thank you Leslie for boosting my confidence! I bet you have your blogging habits weel thought out and are doing well. I revisit this list every year when I renew my hosting and domain. Have a great day!!
I’ve just started (5 months) blogging and I LOVE the questions. I am going to sit down with my husband and go through each one. We are still finding our way in all of this but know we have been called to share what we have learned. Thank you for posting. I found you through Trekking Thru and will return!
Welcome to Blogging Cheryl! I am also glad you found me. I will be posting the other 3 parts of this series over the next few Fridays. If you want a jump on it, the links for each part are at the bottom of this post. Please come back and give me your thoughts on how these questions affect you and your blog!! Have a blessed week.
What a great post!! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thanks Jess. Have a great day!
So many great questions here. I’m going to have to print this, take some time, and honestly answer these questions. I know there are many areas I didn’t consider when I started blogging, and I need to think about those as I move forward.
It is good to revisit these questions also as you move along your journey. The goal you had in the beginning may change as well as the elements you need to consider. I hope you find your way. Have a blesses day.
Love this list! I think some of the most important questions are about the sacrifice blogging takes and whether we’re able to unplug when we should.
Thank you Laura. I hope it helps some people realize what is involved as well as all the benefits blogging has. Have a great day!
Excellent checklist for all bloggers but I think it is very important for new blogger or those thinking about starting a blog. I know several women who want to earn money today online and think blogging is instant cash flow. They don’t feel passionate about the blogging itself and I think your checklist will point them more in the right direction.
Hank you Leanna. I see a lot of those one click to a blog… everything I wish I knew… Best of the plugins… all try to give one step to a blog but there is much more than that. And there is no one way to go. Have a ghreat week!
All great questions and ones I never even THOUGHT to ask before I started a blog!
I know. With the coming of https and all that is involved I have so many people asking about what they should do. I though it was time to resurrect this!! Thx Cathy. Hope you are safe! Have a blessed week!
Marilyn, great perspective and thought~provoking post. Great ideas for new and veteran bloggers. Thanks for sharing on Happiness is Homemade.
Thank you for the kind thoughts Carol!! Enjoy your week.
I think this is the first non-recipe post I’ve read from you! And I love it! So helpful!
Thank you Michele. I am a webmaster so I used to write one techy a week. But most things are server/blog specific. Also tech ideas, SEO procedures and even plugins change so often I found I was spending more time updating instead of having more fun! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I get very nervous deviating from recipes because so many bloggers are at different levels of “need to know”. Recipes are safe! Have a blessed day!
This is a very thought provoking post. I did have mentors that really helped but some things you have to learn by experience. But truthfully I do love blogging and having a creative outlet along with meeting such great people.
I agree Debra. I decided to republish this because I am going over my own goals right now. With the big google changes happening Oct 1 it is causing many folks to reevaluate. Have a nlessed week!
Good post for thinking things through! 🙂
Thank you so much. Have a blessed week!
Great post! Pinned and tweeted. We truly appreciate you taking the time to be a part of our party. Please stop by and party with us again. The party starts Monday at 7 pm and ends on Friday at 7 pm. Happy Sunday! Lou Lou Girls
Thanks Kim! I’ll be at your party tommorrow.
This is a great checklist and something I wish I had done before I started blogging. I’m definitely going to take the time to go through this and see what improvements I can be making to my blog. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Kiana! I hope it gives you direction and a boost to your blog!
Some great questions here! Will be keeping this checklist for when I review things for next year. #SHINE Blog Hop
Thanks Karen! I hope it helps you as you take stock of your goals.
Love this Marilyn. What a great checklist! Thanks for joining our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party! xx
Thanks Lucy! I really m glad to be able to share.
I’m always learning from you, Marilyn.
Thanks a lot for sharing such a great walkthrough on #tiptuesday .
Thanks so much Debbie! I am glad to share as I learn, too.
Shared! Thanks for sharing with us at #JoyHopeLive!
Thanks Mary! Have a great week.
Hi Marilyn, this is a great post and I love check lists. I can pin it and print it fro future reference.
Thanks for sharing on the #OMHGWW this week along with Baking in Batches and Pumpkin Smoothie recipe. Hope you have a beautiful weekend!
Karren
I love lists too, Karren! Thanks so much for commenting. Good to see yu gain and have a great day!
This is a great list. I love number 8. Considering what we feel we need to feel successful is a very important question and we could surprise ourselves by the answer. Thank you. Kirsten
Hi Kristen, welcome! I totally agree with you. Most bloggers I think are just worried if anyone will read their work. Past that, then can I make money to offset the cost? But to actually define their goals and feel they have attained them is something we don’t consider enough. You can’t see your destination without knowing where you are going!
These are great questions to ask ourselves periodically… regardless of how long we’ve been blogging for.
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely day.
xoxo
Hi Jennifer! Good to see you. I just recently went through this process myself and decided to create a list for anyone to use. I was amazed to go from 90% satisified with my blogging life to actually turning it upside down! I now sleep better, have more time to get things done and am much more satisfied with my blog. I do recommend this process to everyone.
This is such a great article! Definitely important! 🙂
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thanks so much Jess! Have a great week.
This is an excellent check list for all bloggers. I jumped into blogging after having done very little research (my mistake # 1). There are any number of things I would have done differently if I had taken the time to go through a list like this one. And it’s a very useful tool no matter how far along in blogging someone might be. Thanks for providing it and thank you for sharing it at Snickerdoodle Sunday. Pinned and Tweeted.
Thank you so much Beverly! I did much the same thing, but for the firs year refused to listen to that inner voice. Rather than feel I wasted time though, I think it pointed me in a solid direction.
i had no idea how much work it would be to get my blog out there and read. I think another question is how many followers will it take to make you feel like it is worth the time to write it. Is it just for you or do you need a lot of people to read it?
Very good question Crystal. It is so important to write to the “person” you envision as your reader! I am making a point to add that to the list! Thx! Have a great week.
These questions really make a person think that is for sure.
Thanks Gail! I know they changed my whole way of looking at my blog.
Hi Marilyn, This is a great list. I am working through out a lot of these in my blog evolution. Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday link party. Please join us again next week and invite your friends to come along.
Thank you Quinn! I just love your party and wouldn’t miss it!
Marilyn, these are great questions, I didn’t ask any of them when I began blogging, I took a course from ByRegina.com and was led to questions like these, it changed how I blogged, what I blogged about, my theme, my tagline, everything! I wish I would have known more when I started, it took 3 years of blogging in the dark for me to get it right. These are great questions and I’m excited to read through the whys! Thanks.
Thanks Nikki! I know! I have changed everything also. I feel badly roaming so far from food, but I am happier and so much more engaged now! The next part is coming soon. I got derailed a bit with life!.
Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop.
You are welcome Betty! Thank you for the invitation. I love your party.
Good things to think about for sure!
Thanks Hil! Welcome to my blog. I hope this checklist gives you some great insight and helps ypu always find your way!
Incredible post, Marilyn!
I do need to make time to reanswer such questions.
I think it’s important to keep evaluating our progress from time to time.
Thanks for sharing it on #tiptuesday.
Thanks Debbie! Just going throufh my own progress evluations I realized just how far I have come, and then where I now want to go. It saved me from a total burnout! I am so glad to share!
What a great resource! If I wasn’t so busy blogging, I might take the time to figure some of this out 🙂
Thanks Julie! I know exactly what you mean. Hopefully you will get a bit of time (bored) and take a peek. These made me change my efforts and actually gave me free time! If you can believe that. Happy Blogging.
I love this checklist. I’m still new-ish to blogging, and it wasn’t until I was in the very thick of it that I actually started realizing what the purpose it for it. Now, that I’ve figured that out, I’m slowly starting to build on that momentum. Thank you for such thoughtful questions. I will definitely be back for the next session of your series. You have me intrigued! Thanks so much for sharing this on Shine blog hop!
Welcome to blogging Maria! It took me just 2 short years to figure out the consequences of all my decisions when it came to blogging. (LOL). I hope that I can save some folks time, money and aggravation to get their own foundation set up the best way for their goals. I will definitely be posting to the Shine Blog when I have more in this series ready to go. I aim on posting once a week to put out the six parts. Thanks for commenting!
I love this new aspect of your blogging Marilyn! So helpful and supportive to other bloggers. We are all learning and this post has such thought provoking questions to help us clarify our direction. Love it! Thanks for sharing at #AnythingGoes
Thanks so much Sue! I have so much to say, I feel like I keep jumping around and not finishing a subject. But, I m having fun and if anyone gets saved some time or grief then I am happy!
This is a great checklist for new (and not so new) bloggers to think about. It’s funny how you don’t always think a blog all the way through until you’ve started it, but I love this list.
Thanks Louisa that is so true. And since I had no clue I “updated” my way of doing things so many times after learning about soc media, hosted/self hosted and seo! Maybe the list will save someone ome grief down the line!
Hi, I found you on the #WAYWOW linkup and I just love this checklist! I haven’t been blogging very long and I think it’s really helpful to take a closer look at these questions. I started my checklist and will update it in an hour and tomorrow. 🙂 Thanks so much!
Thanks Gina! I hope it comes in handy. When I get burnt out, ready to makexa big change in direction, or just think about an investment in my blog I refer to this list. Hope it gives you some insight!
Great, and thought-provoking questions, Marilyn!
Thanks Terri! I just recently went through all this myself when renewing my commitment to another year of blogging. I learned so much from it and actually revamped my whole blog, niche, and purpose.