I have the SOL challenge before, only one in 2016, but I really enjoyed it. I was actually recommended the experience through a good friend of mine who was my boss as we were planning my writing class when we worked together in Albania. I didn’t do it since then because……well life. So here we are 4 years later and she suggested it again and I was excited. Now, I am just frustrated because I can’t find the old blog I used before. Ok no problem, new life new blog. But I don’t remember setting up my old blog being just a testament to patience. I actually had a different idea for my first SOL blog post for March, but here we are. I can’t seem to figure out how to edit the custom made themes so I am using a blank one. So let’s add a photo because this blog will become a blog about my life as a teacher, as a mother, and as a traveler. But now my airdrop apparently won’t work so I can’t do that either. Why does the simplest task have to cause so much frustration. Maybe I am just frustrated because I fell asleep putting my sweet girl to bed and now I am up in the middle of the night doing this and finishing work tasks. Hopefully the day will restore my calmness. I am signing off for now, let’s see how the posting goes tomorrow.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.