Ubud, Bali
Do you feel hopeless about your blog right now?
Down in the dumps?
Everybody loses the fire sometimes.
Hey, you’re human!
Forgive yourself.
I have been there. I still feel a bit lost sometimes. Other times, I temporarily lose motivation to keep blogging. Either stuff seems not to come together quickly enough or I just tire of this gig. I have blogged for over 14 years. Doing anything for 14 years in a row tests your passion. Humans have moments, as we say.
Today, we’re going to stoke your blogging fire when you feel particularly deflated. I will follow these tips too because honoring simple, practical strategies helps energize me when my blogging motor needs a tune-up for the cyber road.
Imagine taking a railroad spike to a hot air balloon.
Can you hear the WHOOOSSSHHHH?
I’ve felt like that a few times during my blogging career.
But I also know how to face, embrace and release the hopeless feeling.
To energize myself.
Or to stoke my fire.
To get back on blogging course.
Today I want to help you get that FIRE back.
How to Stay Motivated Blogging
Blogging is a massive marathon, not a wild sprint, as Ayush at Bloggers Desire reminds us. He noted this truth through a blog comment recently and lives this core truth through his blog. We experience ups, downs and everything in between. Forcing yourself to blog during down times works not. Pushing yourself through hopeless periods does not work, either. Why? Force negates. Pushing or forcing yourself indicates fear drives you. Fear-based blogging actions delay success because everything is energy.
Feeling hopeless means your energy feels mired in:
- lack
- limitation
- scarcity
- loss
How can you succeed if your energy screams lack, limitation, scarcity and loss? No matter how hard you push or force yourself you feel these energies, see these energies and experiences these energies, again and again. However, if you face, feel and release fears fueling your hopelessness you blog from love, abundance, generosity and trust, the perfect quartet to fuel your long haul blogging journey.
Ready?
Follow these 10 tips to create a white-hot blogging fire when you feel as hopeless as a brownie vendor outside of a Weight Watcher’s convention.
1: Why, Guy?
Or, why, gal?
Why are you blogging?
If you feel hopeless you probably forget WHY you’re blogging.
Tie the reason why to:
- Having fun
- Following your passion
- Freeing yourself
- Inspiring others to free themselves
Dig really, really deep to stoke your blogging fire when times get tough.
I’m writing this post on a peaceful Tuesday morning by the Pacific Ocean in Panama.
I could be outside doing 115 things – or lazing at the beach – but because blogging is so fun and freeing for me, I’m writing the post.
Don’t worry; you will likely see my bum on the beach soon.
The Travel Addicted Unicorn radiates a strong passion for both blogging and traveling. She holds her fun, freeing reason why firmly in consciousness. Follow her lead. Find your fun, freeing reason why to edge through rough blogging patches. Being motivated is always an inner game based on your predominant intent. Get clear on a high energy intent to keep blogging…..no matter what.
2: Read about…The Rest of the Story
Mom and Dad Biddulph told us to shut our yaps when the Paul Harvey show aired during dinner time at home.
This show featured famous people BUT the “minutes long lead in” shared some unknown story – or stories – about the famous person, sometimes detailing some difficult struggle they overcame before becoming famous.
Me chilling in Paphos, Cyprus. But did you know….the rest of the story?
I am hardly famous – in the moment at least – but I have lived a cool life, spending the past 5 and a half years living in Fiji, Bali, Thailand and Costa Rica among other spots.
But what if I told you I was $70,000 in debt, declared bankruptcy and sold almost everything I owned early during my blogging career?
Seeing what other blogger overcame to live their dreams can help you to keep the fire burning when you feel deflated.
Check out:
Learning how folks lived well before stepping into their dreams lets you know; you are not alone. Most bloggers feel alone on their blogging journey. Most bloggers believe that no other blogger faced the same exact obstacles, resistance, heartache and struggle these individuals face. Newsflash; we have all been there in some way, shape or form. Every blogger faces some resistance during their journey. Pros almost always face the most resistance because otherwise, they would not be pros.
Martin Lindeskog has blogged for almost 20 years. Imagine the ups and downs he faced blogging for nearly 2 decades. Look to seasoned veterans like he for an inspirational boost when times get tough. Long haul pros prove you can and will see the blogging journey through.
3: Ramp Up Personal Development Time
Pinpoint your mental block.
Uncover the root of your hopelessness.
Spend 20 to 30 minutes in personal development on waking.
Suggestions:
- Meditate
- Do EFT tapping
- Take a cold shower
- Stretch
- Exercise
Those are my faves.
Choose activities which vibe with you.
Working on your inner world helps you to face, embrace and release lower energies you may have resisted for months or years.
Going within triggers deep fears fueling hopeless feelings creating your despair. I wanted to quit blogging a few times during my 13 year career. But delving within through personal development triggered deep fears of loss I felt and released to keep blogging.
Engaging in a personal development campaign exposes fears that need to go for you to keep blogging. Being motivated means feeling fears appearing to sap motivation. 100% of the time, life is in your mind. Feeling de-motivated means fear dominates some part of your mind. Engaging in daily energy management roots out these fears for you to face, feel and release.
4: Double Down on Learning
Use the 5 Hour Rule followed by many billionaires. Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Oprah adhere to this rule.Gotta be good money, guys.
If you’ve lost hope you’re probably not learning consistently.
Blogging leaders voraciously feast on knowledge relevant to their niche.
Leaders learn, implement, test and tweak their way to stunning success.
These folks gain more excitement and passion for their niche with each tidbit of knowledge they acquire.
Kinda tough to feel hopeless and depleted when you’re excited to learn more about your niche.
Read voraciously. Learn diligently. Be a sponge to knowledge related to your blogging niche. I regularly follow Pro Blogger for the latest blogging tips. Reading regularly influences me to share what I learned through my reading. Sharing what I learned goads me to keep blogging because every share is a blog post, guest post or video I publish to Blogging From Paradise.
Learning how to blog the right way gives you confidence in working proven blogging strategies. Blogging with confidence goads you to keep blogging. If you know it works, and pros prove it works, you will keep doing it through thick, thin and everything in between. Learn. Follow pros. Read. Watch. Study. Keep blogging.
5: Pay People to Handle Dirty (or Less Desirable Work)
Hire people to handle work you’d rather not handle.
Pay people to handle grunt work.
Pay people to capitalize on their expertise.
Hire people to do what you cannot do.
By freeing up your schedule you will feel:
- Refreshed
- Energized
- Focused
- Driven
- Relaxed
- Productive
- Effective
Avoid burn out.
Raise your energy by focusing on what you most love doing.
Outsource the rest.
Get comfortable with the idea of investing money to:
- free yourself from some tasks
- leverage your presence
- energize yourself for a long haul blogging journey
Some bloggers feel hopeless because they waste hours, days or weeks of energy trying to do work best outsourced to skilled pros who could easily do the work in minutes or hours. Think like an entrepreneur not an employee. Invest money in an outsourcing campaign to remain energized for a long blogging journey.
Blogging is a mini lifetime for pros who see the journey through. Pay people to handle various jobs during this long period of time in order to keep blogging, to maintain your energy and to remain sane through the process. More than a few skilled bloggers quit during my 14 year career. Burnout claimed most of these folks. Some bloggers lost passion. Others chased stats. But a few genuine talents burned out and quit because they tried to do it all on their own.
6: Use Tools to Leverage Your Presence
You have 24 hours to work with today.
Pay for premium tools – or use freebies – to get the fire back.
Like tip #5, if you devote virtually all of your time and energy to what you most love doing you will be refreshed, energized, focused and full of hope, vim and vigor.
I use Tweet Deck as my prime tool these days.
Among other tools.
Many bloggers lose their fire because they’re overworked, doing things that tools can do (physical apps, not idiots).
Stoke your desire fire.
Outsource basic processes to bots.
Tools are not for lazy entrepreneurs but leveraging entrepreneurs.
Tools are not for lazy entrepreneurs but leveraging entrepreneurs.Click To Tweet
Some bloggers want tools to do all blogging work for them. Wise bloggers use tools to leverage their presence while working diligently.
Follow the lead of networking dynamo Sue-Ann Bubacz. Whatever Twitter tool you use…….you need to use often! Sue-Ann is a shining example of someone who really works to build genuine friendships and business. Tools save your time and energy but you need to work the tools to actually succeed.
7: Take a Vacay
Take a blogging vacay.
For a day.
Kelli and I in Savusavu, Fiji. One of the most beautiful places on earth.
For 2 days.
Or for the week.
Or maybe a 2 week blogging vacay is in order.
Pull back to raise your energy.
When you assess the situation from a higher level of consciousness you’ll see above hopelessness.
You’ll also build a Balrog-like (LOTR reference) fire in your belly that can’t be diminished, even if Mr. Freeze, Aquaman and Merman did their best to quench the roaring flames.
Take a break. Breaks help you rest….or else you break. Blogging is not some mad dash of 18 hour days worked like a beast. Burnout follows humans who turn their life into endless toil. Boundless energy, creative ideas and freedom meet bloggers who break often.
8: Follow Energetic Dynamos
The energetic dynamos can pick you up when the going gets tough.
Fan your flames by aligning with the brightest lights.
Feed off of their empire.
Feast on their essence.
Energize yourself by tapping into the unbounded energy emitted by these inspired folks.
Following top entrepreneurs motivates you to step above, around or through all obstacles bound to arise on this journey. I recall a top entrepreneur sharing how most millionaires fail at 10-20 businesses before hitting it big. You do not need to fail at 20 businesses before succeeding but knowing how even seasoned pros fail inspires you to keep blogging through thick and thin.
9: Help People
Help people to move your attention from feeling hopeless to giving hope.
Ask people what they need help with through:
- Your blog
- Your email newsletter
Share helpful, thorough responses to solve OPP: Other People’s Problems.
Move your focus from your problems to providing service.
Serving others dissolves your struggles, cutting off your hopelessness at its legs.
James McAllister has been helping his readers for years. Heck; he began building businesses when he was 11. James became successful by being helpful for a long time. Look to bloggers like him for a nudge to write your next helpful blog post, building your motivation momentum in the process.
Help people to shift the focus from your problems to other people’s problems. In one moment, a blogging problem of yours seems to hold you back. But the next moment reveals how getting out of your head into another blogger’s issues in order to help solve their problems feels good, energizing and keeps you moving forward. Helpful bloggers blast through imagined roadblocks through the power of love. Shift from your fears to loving and serving others. Remain motivated for the long blogging journey.
10: Spend More Time in Nature
All the hacks, tips, tricks and techniques on earth pale in comparison to nature.
Nature is limitless.
Nature is perfection.
Hug a tree. Seriously. Do it. Commune with life.
Walk barefoot on the grass.
Take a hike through the woods.
Just breathing in and out slowly, and deeply, in your yard or in a park or anywhere in nature automatically centers you.
Hopelessness is of the mind.
When you dissolve into nature your mind games vanish. So does that mental state known as “hopelessness.”
Even better?
Nature invigorates you.
Daily double!
Sign Up for My Blogging Audio Course
If you’re struggling with your blog you need to stoke your blogging fire until it burns into a white hot desire.
I’ve created an audio course to do just that.
Sign up for training here:
11 Fundamentals of Successful Blogging (Plus a Bonus Audio Course)
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