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As of today, it's been precisely one week since I started this blog. I'm greener than green.

Maybe you've been on the fence about starting a blog (like I was for YEARS). Maybe you're pondering whether anybody will read what you have to say. Maybe you're thinking, "What DO I have to say?" Maybe you're wondering how in the heck you'll actually get people to look at the things you may or may not have to say....

Aaaaaaaand down the crazy overthinking rabbit hole we go. Been there. 7 days ago, to be exact.

And today - 7 days later - I'm here. Here is not THAT different from there. I'm still me. I'm still overthinking. Except that today there exists a blog. There exists actual organic traffic coming to the blog...which means multiple folks' eyeballs have seen what I have to say without me paying for advertising. There exist actual streams set up that could one day monetize the blog. (You never know! It could happen!)

If you've been scouring the internet (like I was 7 days ago) hoping to high heaven someone out there will just tell you how in the heck you can start a blog without them first trying to immediately sell you a course, then I have a gift for you.

I'm going to tell you exactly how I did it. Right here. Without trying to sell you a course.

Buckle up, buttercup!

Step 1: A Decision to Fail Fast

Ok, so. I'm a perfectionist. That's why I spun my wheels for years before ripping the dang band-aid off this thing.

But then 7 days ago I did something just a tiny bit different. I decided, "I'm going to make a really terrible blog. This puppy is not going to be a masterpiece. No matter how bad it is, I'm going to do it anyway."

Just like that, the pressure was off. After all, my bar was now to create something...that wasn't good at all. How do you not hit that mark?

(As it turns out, I'm actually really proud of what I've made in a week, but this was my Jedi mind trick for getting myself off my behind to just do the damn thing. Feel free to borrow this Jedi mind trick for yourself. It's strangely powerful.)

Step 2: An Assist From My Robo Best Friend (aka AI)

The next thing I did was start watching videos with a few key questions in mind. Where would I build my website? How could I do it as quickly as possible? How could I set it up to one day possibly bring in an income? Which website hosting options and website builders were actually inexpensive, effective, and user friendly?

Cue...another winding rabbit path.

I eventually landed on the Hostinger website hosting platform, because I saw it had the COOLEST FEATURE I'D EVER SEEN.

Hostinger has an AI (artificial intelligence) website builder. You choose a plan (mine was less than $100 for the year), sign up, and then choose the AI Website Creation tool. You choose the type of website you'd like to build, give a 2-3 sentence description of what you're planning to do with your site/blog, and then the freaking magic of technology creates you a website in less than 10 minutes.

Seriously, don't let the term "AI" intimidate you. We're talking about a few button clicks and just adjusting what the computer creates for you.

Step 3: Making it Pretty with Canva

If you haven't already used Canva, you've got to try it. It's free, you can make graphics for your website and social media platforms, and it's extremely user friendly. My favorite tips for Canva are:

• Get in there and get going. Poking around will allow you the best opportunity for learning. Change colors! Change out graphics and fonts! Upload your own photos and pull them in!

• Choose colors that you love for your brand and save them in your Brand Kit Color Palette (can be found where you click to change text color - you can save up to 3 colors on the free version!). Incorporate these colors (or at least one!) consistently in every graphic you make. Consistency creates trust in your brand.

• Search "templates" and be specific about what you're looking for (i.e. "website home page graphics" or "pinterest template for blog welcome post").

Step 4: Speaking of Pinterest...

One week ago, I wasn't aware of this, BUT I've since learned that Pinterest is one of the best platforms for promoting blogs organically, because it's essentially a really beautiful, massive search engine. (Organic promotion = you don't have to pay for advertising in order for people to see your stuff.) Here's what you'll want to do:

• Set up a business account; they're free and they allow you to add the link to your website.

• Include what you provide or write about as part of your Pinterest name - check out my Pinterest profile as an example!

• Use Canva to create images for Pinterest pins. Upload 5-20 pins for each blog post you publish. Be sure to add tagged topics at the bottom (you can include up to 10)!

Step 5: Set Up Some Potential Revenue Streams

Since last week, I've learned that most bloggers and online business whizzes set up multiple streams of revenue. Examples include:

• Starting YouTube channels (which you can monetize after a certain number of views and followers)

• Selling digital products

• Selling online courses

• Including affiliate links in your blog posts, website, and social media posts

• Including paid ads on your blog

I personally have signed up through a few affiliate marketing sites, my favorite so far being Amazon Associates because it's so easy to use! I also plan to build some online courses (and possibly digital products such as business guides and e-books, etc.) to offer for sale.

That's All For Now...

I'll definitely share more as I learn more, but that's all I've got for you at the moment. TAKE SOME ACTION today, and happy Jedi mind-tricking to you! You've got this!