Can you believe we are only 20 days away from 2010?  This past year has just flown by.  The other day I was reading a guest post over at ProBlogger titled 10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started and it got me thinking.  What do I wish I knew when I first start blogging?  So here are 10 things I wish I knew about when I started blogging in no particular order.

1. Blogging is hard work. – When I first started blogging, I thought it would be easy.  Boy was I wrong.  It is hard work and time consuming.  Brainstorm topic ideas, blog maintenance, finding images to go with posts, writing the posts, using social media to get people to actually read your blog, etc.  It is all hard work but totally worth it.
2. Support is a must. – A couple months ago I found an accountability partner.  I wish I would have done that when I first started.  It has made such a huge impact on my blogging and online businesses.
3. WordPress is the only way to go - I wasted a couple months on Blogger when I first started out.  I honestly do not understand why people use Blogger, especially if they are wanting to make money online.  I just don’t get it.
4. Find Mentors – It took me almost a year before I finally took the plunge and signed up at Mom Masterminds and then eventually over at Lynn Terry’s Elite group.  If I had to start over again, I would sign up for these places immediately.  Kelly and Lynn are great mentors and the support found in the groups are amazing.
5. You have to put God first – I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but when I first blogging God was the farthest thing from my mind.  It took me almost a year before I finally realized my problem and why I floundering – I wasn’t putting God first.  Once I did that everything started falling in place.  Amazing how that works!
6. Article Marketing Rocks – Article marketing is a great way to drive traffic to your site and to establish yourself as an expert.  I wish I would have started this immediately.  I would have been way ahead of the game by now.
7. Work with others – Your relationship with other bloggers play a big role in your blogging experience.  From cross promotion, to helping out when sick, to guest posting.  Other bloggers can be very influential to your blog.
8. Blogging is addicting – Oh goodness, blogging and all the things associated with it can be very addicting to the point that it takes overs your life.  When I first started blogging, I had no idea it would turn out to be such an important part of my life.  I have had to start controlling the amount of time I spend on the computer.  If I don’t I end up on the computer working on sites all day, which isn’t good for me or my kids.
9. Keyword Research – I just now feel like I have a grasp on the whole keyword and SEO thing.  I wish I would have taken the time in the beginning to learn about keyword research and how it can benefit your blog.  Now that I am paying attention to it, I am seeing the benefits in traffic and sales.
10. One project at a time – It’s exciting to start a new project, but I have had to learn the hard way that is important to work on one project at time.  If you get to caught in multiple projects it hard to acutally bring any of those projects to completion and profit.  I love Lynn Terry’s motto – Start to Profit.  Start on one project at a time and work on it until your are making a profit before starting on another project.

What are some things you wish you had known when you first start blogging?