New York City USA
How many bloggers sit on the cyber sidelines for the fear of not being ready to launch?
Others play woefully small; a lack of preparation becomes their favorite excuse.
My blog is a work in progress.
Even though I created it in 2014 I always see it as a progressive deal. I learn. I test. I tweak. I observe. I change things if necessary. I keep things as is if my gut tells me to stay put.
Never let the fear of failure dictate your blogging strategy. Learn on the fly. Change with the times. Be flexible. Peel open your mind.
I hate to break it to you.
But the work never ends unless you quit blogging.
The Work Never Ends
No blogger ever makes it then stops working permanently.
New bloggers err in believing that you reach a certain pinnacle. No blogger ever does.
Forget about the concept of always improving.
No one needs to be better.
But everyone lives in abundance.
No limits to giving exist.
This is why blogging is always a work in progress.
I wrote and published this post after cruising around NYC for 4 hours today. I do not need to give more. But I feel guided to write and publish one more blog post. My intuition nudged me to do it. Being generous feels good. I enjoy helping bloggers. My success organically expands as I give freely.
Ultimately, the work keeps coming. Sometimes it feels boring. Other times I feel inspired. That’s blogging.
Tonight I feel like helping you even if sleepy eyes try to hold me back. Easing through pedestrian traffic for 3 hours on the Brooklyn Bridge and in Little Italy felt a tad bit exhausting. Yet here I am.
The blogging work continues.
But I have good news for you.
The blogging work always creates cumulative success over the long haul.
Treat Your Blog from a Cumulative Perspective
I think of blogging cumulatively.
All content increases permanently over the long haul because posts consistently build upon one another.
On a day to day basis, statistics fluctuate during a 24 hour stretch. Some days register heavy traffic. Other days yo-yo to modest or even mild traffic numbers. But each day adds to the cumulative traffic total from day #1 of any blog.
Build your blog on the same cumulative approach. Resist being shaken out by wild daily fluctuations experienced by every blogger.
Be Calm and Confident
Exude a sense of calm confidence to embody this concept.
Believe in your work. Relax your mind; you will be here for a while.
Do not sacrifice. Leave that bit for struggling bloggers. Fall in love with the work to put sacrifice behind you.
At times blogging feels boring. Yet predominantly this gig feels rewarding.
You never really make it by reaching a specific level so you may as well enjoy the work.
Avoid feeling overwhelmed by work. Ultimately, it keeps going. Either feel at peace with the progress or get stressed out; you choose.
Leave Self-Condemnation Behind
Far and away, condemning myself and my work held me back.
Versus helping people and feeling good about that I critiqued my blog mercilessly at times. Some posts passed the test according to my stringent standards. Other posts seemed average. Other posts sounded awful or downright dreadful.
Instead of honoring my work in progress I held back. Goodness knows how many posts I’d have published if I just helped bloggers instead of judging myself harshly. But regretting the past is another form of self-judgment, isn’t it?
Do the Work But Try Not to Force the Work
Do the blogging work.
Respect the process.
But try not to force the work according to fixed schedules.
Force negates. Nobody sprints through quicksand. No blogger drive quality traffic with the lowest quality work.
Refusing to condemn yourself never means putting on blogging blinders.
Imagine if I published a 300 word blog post today. That’s not a blog post. That’s a tweet. This would be a prime example of forcing the blogging work. Doing substandard work helps no one. Low quality work never helps the blogging bottom line.
Fall in Love with the Process Not the Outcomes
Love the process of creating content.
Psychologically detach from traffic stats and money outcomes.
Letting go does not feel easy. But if it were comfortable to detach then most bloggers would go pro.
Few go full-time. Bloggers want to get something in return for everything created but running a business never works that way.
Love the process to let go of the outcomes.
Concentrate on helping a targeted reader with detailed content. Give your energy to that. Move your energy away from trying to squeeze maximum profits out of your blog. Giving freely and consistently opens the way for consistent receiving but only after you’ve blogged for quite a few years. Overnight success never happens. Every blogger pays their dues for years before going pro.
Appreciate How Far You’ve Come
Nobody read my old blog in the beginning.
But now some of my content ranks on page 1 of Google.
I went from blogging for a chorus of crickets to building a loyal following.
Appreciate your progress. Give yourself credit for grinding it out during lean times. Most bloggers quit because few stand the blogging heat. Easing through difficult emotions is no small task. Thank yourself for doing uncomfortable things. Be grateful for your growth.
Love your blog how it is.
My blog, online course and eBooks may be rough around the edges compared to work published by some established bloggers.
But my voice resonates with no frills bloggers who appreciate a direct style.
I give bloggers permission to sound just like themselves not how people or search engines necessarily want you to sound.
I moved away from the blogging crowd 17 years ago because even back then I got the sneaking suspicion that no one ever really makes it with blogging. No end game exists. Growth is constant. No ceiling exists because the universe is abundant.
Your blog is a work in progress.
Learn.
Apply.
Grow.
Tweak.
Succeed.
The work will always be there.
Relax.
Appreciate how far you’ve come.
