Friday Five - things I've learned from one year of blogging

Wow, this week has flown by and I can't believe it's already Friday!  Not that I'm not happy about that, I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend.  And of course, time for another Friday Five post to join the link up with Cynthia, Mar and Courtney as well as a ton of other great bloggers.

The theme this week is 5 things about you.  But I've also realized that I've been blogging for a little more than a year!  My first post was January 3, 2014.  So I figured this might be a good time to look back and think about 5 things I've learned this year since beginning to blog.

1.  Consistency is key - both in blogging and running.  I really do feel better about both when I do them regularly.

2.  Community is vital - Again, I think this can apply to both running and blogging for me.  The thing that keeps my consistent and coming back to writing my blog and reading other blogs is the interaction I have with other bloggers.  And the best way I've found to grow my blog is to remain engaged with other bloggers, participating in link-ups, posting on their blogs and replying to comments on my blog.  The best part, it's fun!  And I've even had a couple opportunities to meet other bloggers in person, which I hope to do again this year.

3.  The internet is a great research tool - There is so much information available and all types of great ideas for writing prompts when I have writer's block.  I never used twitter before I began blogging but it's bee a great resource to find useful information, some of which can spur the idea for a post.

4.  But like all tools, it has to be used carefully - the other side of the internet is that it can be easy to get lost in all the information and other blogs.  I try to stay genuine in my posts and remember the purpose of my blog but sometimes I can get caught up in what everyone else is doing online.  If it doesn't match up with my reasons for blogging, I don't need to do it even if it seems like everyone else is.

5.  I have a lot to learn still - It turns out that one year is not that long a time and I still have a lot left to learn!  Which is a good thing.  I'm sure that will keep blogging interesting.  I've definitely got to get better about being organized, scheduling posts in advance, using things like pinterest and creating images.  All things I hope to work on in this second year of blogging.

And just to end on a fun note, here is a selfie of me and Shelby.  She might look annoyed but she's enjoying herself, really :)