[tentblogger-vimeo 15359520]
Wow. This is the second day in a row where I’m dropping a video post! Perhaps I’m getting lazy.
But here is what is interesting: Yesterday I felt great, I felt like I could blog the world! I published 15 posts and felt like I had a few more in me. Today I feel exactly the opposite, and that’s ok! I’m now comfortable with the challenge of being motivated.
You’ll hear me say this time and time again: If you’re not having fun, don’t do it! Blogging is fun, let’s keep it that way!
This has never been true about you... right?
Have a great day guys!
coffee & shower usually gets me out of my 9am funk. but sometimes a change of scenery… this afternoon i’m heading out to my fav coffee shop in Des Moines to pump out some writing. double small soy latte @marscafe #FTW
shower wins almost every single time.
word!
although there is sometimes a push back against the thing you know you should be doing; the more important – the greater the push back. I think I read something along those lines in Don Miller’s book – a Million Miles in a Thousand years (or was it a Thousand miles?)
anyway, I personally believe that highs and lows in motivation are a course of life; each is inevitable and each follows the other. The trick is to know that you’ll never stay long on either and that you much always prepare/anticipate for the other.
it this serious Tuesday or what?
ha ha ha
that’s a great point phillip.
i live in that tension almost every day. ups and downs and side to side… but i’m comfortable with it now and it doesn’t bother me as much anymore.
love it.
I have anti-blog days all the time…
And it seems that a lot of “experts” online say that inconsistency can kill your blog but I like your point, that writing out of guilt can basically kill good posts.
What do you think about that dichotomy?
that’s great stuff, that’s what that is.
consistency is such an interesting thing. we’ll talk about that more here later, but i think people push that much more than is necessary.
culture and community affect that as well as topics and coverage and content.
there are a lot of good posts that i muddled through and a lot of crappy posts that i spent hours on. it’s weird thing.
I so hear ya, if it’s not fun don’t do it at all. Such an easy reminder, blogging is not about the money or the traffic or the stats. Do it to have fun and share with your visitors!
but for some it is about all the money!
but yes, have fun. always. or stop.
I recently installed the “calendar” plugin on wordpress, and It’s made me quite excited. Now, when I think of an idea to blog about, I write it down in there and put it on a schedule. I’ll be blogging about it tomorrow.
But this has helped me schedule things out about three weeks in advance and has helped me to focus more. I’m really digging it!
I’m a plan-a-holic, so I like the idea of the calendar plugin that will allow me to just jot down ideas and then expand upon them later.
I also don’t blog well when I am in a funk, I do try to look for inspiration in the simplest things though, does not need to be complex.
Tina D.
Tweet Me @ BlogGenie7
http://www.blogging-make-money.com
love that! so tina, did you just start blogging over at blog genie?
really? that’s great! i’ve taken a look at it but haven’t committed myself to it. planning isn’t as great as people make it to be.
i have my own personal way of managing it all. i’ll share it later.
but, each to his own!
Look forward to hearing about your method. Yeah, I’ve just been using it for about a week or so, but it’s been really helping me be more purposeful. Today I plugged into two more ideas for the future!
sweeeeeet!
Boy – the worst time for me to get the creative juices flowing is when there are a ton of projects where I feel really behind on and the weight of that pressure is paralyzing.
So, when I sense myself getting there, I will usually do two things in order: 1) rest – just unplug and do nothing. 2) resolve to get one project done…completely…and off the list (usually the least fun one).
Being able to relieve just a bit of the pressure can usually do it for me and I’m back energized to bring the goodness once again.
totally.
peace | dewde
definitely. in fact, when the pressure is the greatest i literally crawl into bed.
shhhhhhh. don’t tell anyone.
where you buying this beautiful mug?
http://shop.wordpress.net/ … it appears to be down right now though……
I blog for myself and only have a few curious followers – so I am not under any pressure. Quite a different story from those who have the demands of a career and a loyal following. But, I totally agree that if the blogging inspiration isn’t there, don’t force it. It will come.
My blogging ideas seem to come when I hear or read a question from someone: Were your parents strict disciplinarians? Know anyone with an unusual first name? What do you think of freckles? Read any good books lately?
I also follow a couple of blogs and facebook and twitter to see what’s cookin’ on the internet. Those sites will cause a few topics to bubble up. I also am a reader – both e-books and traditional books. Lots to draw on there, ususally.
I don’t own an action figure, but there is one that I covet. It is of Super-Librarian, cape and all. When you push a button in her back she raises her index finger to her mouth in the universal ‘shhhhh!’ gesture. Makes my knees knock!
omg. please get me one.
I read other blogs. Often I get inspired and jazzed when I read what others are blogging about.
definitely. reading is such a huge part of blogging well!
Ohhhh, man. I can so relate to this. I put pressure on myself to blog but, alas, I ignore it and tell myself I’m too busy with more important things to be bothered by it. That doesn’t work…I’m still bothered by it. I want to be more consistent and I need to write profusely when I AM motivated to make up for the days I’m not. Thanks for affirming the idea that I need to do this to have fun…not develop some following that I can “impress” with my “wisdom.”
it’s a good barometer for me personally and an easy question to ask myself.
I actually blog too much because sometimes I sit in front of the computerall day but don’t make a single dime.
But really I know what you mean. Sometimes I just can’t think of anything to write.
I am glad that you are motivated to blog because I enjoy your wisdom.
Love your WP mug btw.
i need a few more.
Also, you have a decent sized following. how did that happen?
My problem isn’t being motivated to blog, it’s finding the time or maybe I should say making the time. I love to blog, interact with others and share ideas. Balancing running a company, being a dad, volunteering, changing the world, etc just seem to get in the way of the blog time.
Working on that.
ah. i’ve decided to do a lot of those things through the blog. sure, i run a few other businesses too.
Blogging is an art. Like any art you have your highs and lows. As a artist or writer(music, book, blog, whatever) you will have periods where you can write all day and then not write anything good for weeks. I hate that!
ups and downs. it is what it is…!
Just started blogging a few months ago with the goal of two posts a week; which I now realize isn’t a wise strategy. But I’ve struggled even with that. And after missing two weeks for legitimate, undeniable, couldn’t-be-avoided (overkill?) reasons, I feel like I am so far into the hole that I can’t see daylight.
Your post is good motivation, even if you weren’t motivated while recording it. Somehow just knowing others are struggling helps. Someone once said, if you find yourself in a hole…stop digging. So I’m handing my shovel over to you. Feel free to knock me over the head with it if I haven’t posted by the end of the week.
kathy,
definitely don’t feel pressured. Who are you really competing with? just yourself!
take the pressure off a bit!
I’m an amateur blogger entertaining the idea of making the big leap to the WordPress self-hosted platform (saw your awesome tutorial for that, thank you) and I have just one question.
Where can I get an killer coffee mug like yours?
http://wpswagstore.com/
they are updating it though… it’s been down for a while.