
Me on da block in Nicaragua. I have long arms.
Let’s do this.
1: Let Go Your Amateur Life
I got an email from someone a few months back. She explained how she was a former teacher so blogging is SO tough for her.
I agreed with her. Because a former teacher has all the skills to become an awesome teacher yet has zero skills to become a pro blogger. Yep. She made a fabulous point.

You dirty raton.
IF she released her teacher life she would have a chance to become a pro blogger. Her self image would change. She would not see herself as a former teacher, not as much at least, and she’d begin to see herself as a pro blogger. Then she’d begin to do stuff that pro bloggers do, to become pro bloggers, and she’d be well on her way.
Former Security Guard
Once I bought my domain and hosting 7 years ago I took the first step to becoming a pro blogger. I let go Amateur Hour (more on that later) to own my real estate. I slowly let go my amateur life. Meaning, I ceased being a 100%, dyed in the wool, amateur blogger. Hadn’t made a freaking cent blogging at that point yet my decision set a pro precedent. I did what pros do. Owning my online real estate. I was well on my way. I did not seek employment. I’d be a pro. I spent most of my days learning this blogging gig inside out. I’d be a pro. I’d become a pro blogging island hopper too. So I let go my life in NJ to create a life in places like Fiji and Bali and Thailand and Nicaragua.
I let go my old life to adopt my pro (blogging) life.
Tips
I sold everything β or lost it β to prepare myself for my pro blogging, world traveling career. I cut down on TV watching time to make room for blogging study time. I let go my old life to make room for my new life.
Make room for your pro blogging career. Let go your amateur ways. Commit to learning blogging, commit to writing and commit to networking.
Buy this read to release your old life and to make room for your new, pro blogging life.
2: Let Go Amateur Hour
I don’t squat on my cyber real estate. Pros own their real estate. Pro bloggers buy a domain and hosting. Pro bloggers have designers set up snazzy themes. Pro bloggers don’t scrimp with time and money because pro bloggers want to gain credibility.
Amateur Hour Mistakes
- using free hosting sites like blogger or Type Pad or whatever
- Ad Orgy: plastering ads all over your blog, so your content barely squeaks through
- posting 200 or 300 word blog posts once a week or 60 times a day (been there, done that)
3: Clear the Inner World (Don’t You Dare Touch Your Laptop First Thing in the Morning)
This part is so freeing and it sucks so much.
This past week I felt I’d surely die. No, I did not fear being stung by the scorpion which frequented the house here in Granada, Nicaragua. I did not run into any wild men as had happened in Kathmandu, Nepal. No spitting cobra encounters like in Bali.
I feared I’d die because I’d be meditating regularly. I feared death because I breathed deeply and relaxed into my fears. I feared death because I didn’t comment on X number of blogs and didn’t publish my post within a week and insert 1,409 other blogging-business related fears here.
Seriously, these fears grew so overpowering in me and I’d buried them for so long that I felt like a slave to these terrifying, life-or-death, energies. Had to face, embrace and release them for the next stage in my blogging journey.

Colorful vendor umbrellas.
Your Tip
Don’t you dare touch your laptop on waking.
Set aside 20 to 30 minutes to clear your inner world. If you’re hungry to become a pro blogger this is *the* step to start your journey off on the right foot. All else falls into place if you follow this tip daily.
Note; doing the inner clearing is freeing and sometimes it’s as uncomfortable as living in a home in Nicaragua where a loopy, somewhat confused bat with perhaps faulty sonar dive bombs you at face level. Flipping terrifying. Yes that’s happening to Kelli and I these days here in Granada.
Anyway, following this tip frees you like crazy and when you allow long buried emotions to surface, you may experience some super duper intense feelings. Relax. Breathe into them. Breathe out. Relax your body. Feel it. Release it. Next moment. Good, you got through it.
Here’s some good reads to get your blogging mind right.
4: Blog to Free You….and Your Audience
Here’s a little secret; you become a pro blogger by blogging to free yourself and by blogging to free your audience.
Do you feel abused by your boss? Or do you feel like a slave to your 9-5 schedule? Or perhaps you’re sick of being broke? If you answer βyesβ to each question, you’re bound. Blog to free yourself from these binding conditions. Don’t blog for money. Don’t blog for fame. Don’t blog to be loved. Money and fame and people’s whimsical feelings are fleeting. If you blog to free yourself and if you blog to free your audience a neat thing happens: money, fame and love stalk you.
It’s almost like when you surrender into freedom you get all the stuff you tripped over yourself trying to get.
I had a bitchy few weeks with my list. I strayed like a moron from my freeing driver, trying to manipulate numbers like a blogging simpleton. My list subs number floundered. Served me right. Then I bought a pop up form, wrote long form posts and commented extensively on authority, relevant blogs. I felt detached from my list. I added 50 subscribers quickly as of a week ago.
Blog to free yourself.
How Do Ya Do it?
Easy.
Sit in a quiet room with pen and paper. Write down your most free, dream life. For me, it went something like:
- I’ll live in the tropics
- I’ll have mobile sources of income
- you will be able to grate cheese on my abs
β¦.or something like that. Still waiting for the ab dream to come true.
List your most freeing life. Fold up the paper. Carry your Blogging Compass with you to lead you to The Way if you fall astray.
.
5: Blog Your Passion
I love blogging. I love traveling. Have you ever noticed how pros seem to love what they do? Largely? Blog your passion to become a pro. Here’s why; blogging your passion inspires you to improve your skills and to detach from blogging outcomes. Instead of greedily gobbling up leads or scavenging for Adsense revenue or doing 101 other simple-minded things which muck up your creative energies you’ll devote 100% of your blessed energy to creating something:
- awesome
- helpful
- problem solving
- thorough
- entertaining
through each blog post. If I chose to focus my precious energies on some outcome how could I focus enough energy on creating something kick butt, helpful and inspired?
Begging Buddies in Granada
Each day I stroll by a handful of beggars here. Each person extends their hand, asking for a freebie. Or asking for money. Begging buddies here focus most of their energies on getting. Which pretty much keeps them broke. Because you get by giving, and you will get generously by giving it all, following your passion.
Contrast the mendicants with wealthy business people in the area. Kelli and I are living on a well to do street in town. These doctors, lawyers and dentists have posh pads and sweet rides. Doctors, lawyers and dentists gave and give generously of their creative energies to offer something useful to people. Many of these pros are passionate about their giving – their work – so naturally they give freely and they get freaking *paid.*
Your Deal
Blog your passion. If you can talk about some topic all day long shut your yap and blog about it. Your work will carry a certain, irresistible, inspired energy that will draw in swarms of fans. Buying fans. Paying fans. Endorsing fans. Supportive fans. Promoting fans. These minions will build your pro blogging empire one excited reader at a time. All because you blogged your passion.
Note
If you aren’t blogging your passion deep six your blog now. You are wasting your time. Trash that sucker. Because you’ll be a gazillion times more free and prospering by following your joy……because even if you’re profiting handsomely now by blogging on a less than inspired topic you’re in manipulation mode. Manipulating people and circumstances to make some sick scratch is boring. Following your passion to create something freeing and inspired is the real pro blogging path. Take it from a guy who’s lived in Bali and Fiji and Thailand for months at a time.
6: Blog for 1 Reader
My old blog readers felt left out.
Abandoned.
And for good reason.
My old blog readers saw me change topics with the wind. I helped them make money online 1 day. I helped them with my inspirational quotes the following day. I helped them grow their social media followings the next day. I blogged for 37.5 readers β I found a half man somewhere β and damn did I bust my ass to prevent myself from taking on water.
I finally learned my lesson. After being frustrated to tears.
Blog for 1 reader. Tackle 1 topic but more than that, envision yourself having a fireside chat with a single reader. Like Blogging from Paradise meets that Roosevelt President; I’d research to see if it was Teddy or FDR but the internet sucks today.
7: Make as Many Influential Blogging Buddies as Possible
Have you noticed how top bloggers seem to be connected?
Pros make friends in high places to expand their reach and to help an increasingly larger audience.
If you make a bunch of buddies your buddies will promote you, endorse you, buy your products, hire you for your services and will help you to reach a bigger and bigger, targeted, eager audience.
Make friends with blogging high rollers.
How?
- promote influential bloggers; this means tweeting the hell out of them, Facebook Sharing their posts, G Plus sharing their posts, LinkedIn Sharing their posts, Pinning their posts, and sharing their posts on a bunch of other networks
- comment on their blogs
- link to influential bloggers through your blog posts
- email influential bloggers asking them how you can help them
- worship influential bloggers by setting up shrines to them in your living room; make offerings scented with sage
8: Take a PISS
No.
I’m not imitating some of the less than couth locals here in Granada.
Some street corners smell worse than Grand Central Station. Or the Bronx Zoo. These Whiz Kids teach you a smart pro blogging lesson, though: take a PISS.
PISS = Passionate Income Streams Steadily
My Deal
I love to write. So I write. A bunch. I enjoy writing. Not work. Play. So….I played/wrote a bunch, improved my skills and opened income streams to get paid for doing what I love. I am kinda detached from making money through my writing. The writing is the reward. The money from my eBook sales and freelance writing clients is the icing on the cake.
Action Tip
Take a PISS. Open passionate income streams steadily.
Steadily = spend 2 to 4 months establishing 1 income stream. Example; learn the in’s and out’s of freelance writing for 4 months. Get that stream down pat. Then, spend the next 4 months learning how to write and publish eBooks. Of course you’ll only open these streams if you feel passionate about writing.
Go ahead….take one. You won’t get arrested for taking a PISS in public; you will be rewarded. Let fly.