5 Tips for Unmotivated Bloggers
Darren Rowse’s 5 tips to get you motivated about blogging again:
1. You’re not alone - all bloggers go through this.
2. Draw a line in the sand - perhaps its just me but I find that in order to break through these times I need to make a decision to get my blog back on track. Just like our bodies don’t usually just happen to get fit and healthy when they’re out of shape - blogs don’t just fix themselves and get in shape, bloggers do something to get them going again.
3. Set time aside to blog - when I get unmotivated I set myself a schedule. I don’t normally have a tight schedule but when I’m ‘aimless’ I need something to bring me back on track. Set aside specific blogging time each day over the next week. Start with a session immediately after reading this email if you have the time - even if it’s just 15 minutes.
4. Brainstorm Topics and Set an Editorial Calendar - in the first session that you scheduled spend 10 minutes brainstorming topics to write about. Use the Mind Mapping technique that we outline in Day 11 of the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. I find that the hardest thing about being motivated is coming up with topics to write about. Once you’ve brainstormed at least 10 topics set them out into an editorial calendar/schedule for the next week. Bonus Tip: try to choose some topics that you’ll enjoy writing about. Topics that get you excited, that you find inspirational and that will come easy for you. Also don’t choose massive topics - sometimes a short sharp post on a topic you enjoy is all it takes to get your juices flowing again.
5. Tell Someone - don’t just make some plans for your next week of blogging… tell someone about them. Tell another blogger, tell your partner, tell your kids, tell someone on Twitter - tell anyone. The key is to tell someone who you give permission to hound you about it over the next few days - accountability is a great motivator. Bonus Tip that works for me: try to find someone you want to impress or that you feel a little scared by - someone you’ll feel a little ashamed to report back to if you’ve not done what you set out to do. I find that if I tell someone like this that I’m much more likely to take action.
Again - I know the feeling of a lack of emotion, it’s not easy. The key is to set up a structure that will help you get back into the rhythm of blogging. Don’t set yourself unrealistic goals - rather aim to create a few posts in the next week that help you get going again.
Darren Rowse
Community: ProBlogger.com
Twitter: @ProBlogger
