Dear younger me,

Stop overreacting, high school isn’t actually that big. Instead of a single hall you will have two, and believe it or not, you will have to move to a different classroom for every class. Life will change; it’s a major step for you. Trust me I know your struggle with change because I’m you. People you were once close to will suddenly drift away until they are no longer a part of your life. Don’t be afraid to lose them, but also don’t be afraid to remember them for all they did for you. Pursue what interests you; play sports, join clubs, enjoy life while its still simple enough that you can enjoy it without stressing about other things. Remember those who have helped you along your way, and those who are still aiding you on your path. Never hesitate to say something if you feel it’s important. I know for a fact you’ve made that mistake to many times. When the going gets rough, don’t hesitate to ask for help, to pray for help. Life is not easy, and it will only continue to get harder, but I can assure you it will be a lot easier with the right people beside you.

Sincerely,

The new and improved you

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.