7 Minutes Means 15000 Hours
Look up.
Do you see the views?
My prior post generated 75 views in 7 minutes but *as the world judges it*.
The 7 minute window is an illusion. Bullshit. Not true.
Blogging for 15,000 hours over the past 18 years of my life:
- cultivated invaluable blogging experience
- taught me the right blog post titles to choose
- guided me on how to write, edit and publish blog posts
- generated substantial blogging exposure (for Blogging From Paradise Dot Com since its inception in 2014)
- earned credibility
- built a loyal tribe who amplified my reach through 70,000 plus backlinks, RSS feed drips and manual social shares on X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blue Sky
- put Blogging From Paradise Dot Com all over the freaking place in the blogging tips niche for heavily targeted human beings, bots, crawlers, spammers, scammers and everyone/everything in between to see
Yes; I have blogged for at least 15,000 hours during the 18 years prior. During manic episodes I worked for 12-16 hours daily. I have worked daily for most of the prior 18 years. 6,570 days. Even if I blogged for only 5 hours daily that’d be 32,000 hours. I am being conservative. But in the same breath, I screwed up during the 15,000 hours quite often. I made mistakes. I curtailed growth. I experienced some success plus some failure.
The 15,000 hour experience number is the only reason why Blogging From Paradise Dot Com generated 75 views in 7 minutes. 15,000 hours is the real number. Sorry. Hate to break it to you. 7 minutes is an illusion. It is not *really* true. This is why the blogging world struggles, fails then quits. Almost every blogger wants to know how to get 75 views in 7 minutes. NO ONE *genuinely* wants to blog for 15,000 hours to build something:
- lasting
- sustainable
- exponential in growth terms
- offering bloggers freedom from time and location
A decent chunk of the views came before I promoted the post.
How?
The moment I tap the “publish” button my new blog post beams out to Feedly, other RSS feeds, various social media and LinkedIn.
How did I reach the point of beaming a new post into a world eager to view the post?
I invested 15,000 hours doing a chunk of smart stuff to reach that point. I also screwed up. Hey; it happens.
Why Is This Illusion Difficult to See Through?
Everyone wants something for nothing.
Even wise people want something for nothing sometimes. The getting mechanism hardwires itself into the unconscious mind.
I guarantee you this: that 15,000 hours number scared the shit out of some bloggers who instantly bounced from my blog today.
“I ain’t got time for that!”
Then you ain’t got time to nab 75 views in minutes after publishing a new post.
Blogging is a leisurely marathon not a frenzied sprint.
Wise bloggers ask this question:
“How much detailed, targeted content did this guy publish onsite and off-site to where his new posts get gobbled up within minutes? What does he do for outreach? Inquiring minds want to know?”
I published thousands of blog posts. I then deleted hundreds. I then published hundreds of blog posts. I then deleted none. Step forward. Step backward. Or did I? Holding your blogging vision cultivates constant growth. Even the appearance of loss stimulates gain. Deleting low quality blog posts boosts organic traffic. Who lost, in reality? No one. I did not. Nor did bloggers hungry for smart blogging tips. More of these individuals found my blog after I deleted hundreds of low quality blog posts. I nabbed more traffic, too.
Blogging From Paradise Dot Com experienced fascinating iterations. I looked at my blog. I noticed errors. I corrected errors.
The number of detailed, practical blog posts fluctuated.
15,000 blogging work-hours did not. The number keeps rising.
The Movie Effect
Imagine watching an inspirational movie.
Some icon lives for 2 hours on the screen in your mind.
30 years passes during a 10 minute movie stretch.
Picture how much the savant practiced during those 30 years. Imagine the successful individual mastering their craft over 20,000 hours.
But you cannot emotionally understand 20,000 hours because 10 minutes of a movie flew by your mind.
Do you understand why most bloggers struggle?
Do you get why most humans predominantly struggle from cradle to grave?
We are all conditioned to live in lala land. Dream-ville. Fantasy land.
You think in terms of minutes. But as hours pass you want to quit. Weeks pass. One person visits your blog daily. Screw the work. Quit. Months pass. Ten blog views daily. Why would you work on your blog for 15,000 hours? You already worked on your blog for 200 hours yet only get ten views daily? Why piss away 15,000 hours? How will things ever improve? You will not succeed. You already figured it out.
The inner dialog above assails every blogger reading this post at some time but usually unconsciously. Sometimes you and I allow these nasty thoughts to bubble up into the conscious mind. But most of us don’t. Being unaware of our mind, we typically project frustrations onto:
- bloggers in our niche
- readers
- social media
- our email list
or any easy target.
Frustrated, almost every one quits.
A bold few choose to look within the mind not without at the world.
The brave few become stupendously successful.
Try it.
You’ll love it.
Trust experienced bloggers.
Follow genuine bloggers.
Learn how to think like a successful blogger from those who walk their blogging talk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does it Take to Become a Pro Blogger?
Nobody knows because endless personalized characteristics factor into the equation.
Pros toss out ballpark figures like 2-4 years. But estimates like these lack clarity.
How often did you work? Did you put in 5,000 hours? What specific blogging strategies did you follow? For how long did you follow these tactics? How did you feel while you blogged?
The process makes one dizzy.
As a rough rule of thumb, following an intelligent blogging strategy confidently for 1000’s of work-hours over many years (3-5 likely) lays a professional blogging foundation.
But these numbers are a shot in the dark. Sorry. You will thank me for being honest later.
What Does it Take to Become a Pro Blogger?
Learn how to succeed from professional bloggers.
Pick one niche.
Publish detailed content solving common niche problems.
Create content off-site and engage in blogger outreach to bridge the gap between your blog and the outside world.
Monetize through multiple income channels.
Develop emotional intelligence.
What Are Some Common Beginner Blogger Mistakes?
Beginner bloggers:
- chase money
- chase readers
- try to get something for nothing
- set impossibly unrealistic goals bound by delusional time frames
- cover multiple niches
- blog about whatever’s on their mind
- buy cheap hosting
- try to learn everything there is to know about blogging through free blog posts versus investing in premium courses, eBooks and coaching
- resist engaging in genuine blogger outreach
- surround themselves with struggling bloggers to remain comfortable
- attack genuine readers who offer helpful feedback versus learning from wise followers
- treat blogging like an after thought; “something to do”…..when they get around to it
- worship Google – not their blog – as the source of traffic
- think that the money is in the list when it is in the blog that they own, publish content to, customize, brand and monetize
- wing it to see what works based on their own inexperience
For a detailed look at common beginner blogger mistakes, check out my eBook.
Conclusion
Beware falling prey to the Movie Effect.
Remember why you blog. Hold that reason near and dear to your heart.
Frame work as an investment in freedom.
Follow the fundamentals of creating and connecting.
Position yourself to go pro.
Adopt the proper blogging mindset.
Call to Action
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