Seven Ways to Find Blogging Motivation

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Have you ever wanted to start a blog?  It seems like anyone on the internet these days has at least considered the idea at some point.  Many people even attempt.  And then within months, weeks or even days, they fall into a black hole and stop writing all together.  Unless you have a real passion for your topic, or writing in general, it can be tough to get enough momentum going to keep your blog current.  I will admit, I too have fallen victim to this in the past, and who knows, maybe even will with this one, but I wanted to share these tools I have found for initial blog motivation, as it is something I am currently experiencing.

1)      Make it a Habit.  Someone once told me, you need to do something 27 times to make it a habit.  This seems like a reasonable number to me.  Write 27 posts in 27 days without fail, and I bet you will find it much easier to keep going.  The more content you have, the easier it will be to find things to write about.  Seems kind of counter-intuitive doesn’t it?  But when you have a base with things to build off, ideas seem to come more easily.

2)      Forget all the details.  Over the past few months I have made all sorts of excuses as to why I can’t start my blog right now.  I don’t have a good enough domain, I don’t have a clear subject, I don’t have time.  All those things are completely secondary to what blogging should be about.  Just write.  If you truly enjoy it, you will make time.  If you don’t, then maybe you should think about a different hobby!  Over time, the more you write, the clearer your ideas will become, thus clarifying what your niche will be.  Even if you don’t have a site set up yet, grab a word-processor or hell, even a pad of paper and just start writing.  Once you start, all the rest will fall into place over time.

3)      Read other blogs.  I don’t know what it is, but the more time I spend reading other people’s blogs, the more motivated I become to work on my own.  Take things you like about other blogs and implement them in to yours.  Sometimes a few new ideas are all it takes to get things going again.  One really good blog for doing this is Courtney Tuttle’s.  She has numerous articles about building better blogs, that you are sure to find some motivation in there somewhere.

 4)      Consider the benefits, and WRITE THEM DOWN.  Sometimes you just need to see things on paper to find your motivation.  Chances are, when you are done writing that first post, you are going to be much more excited about writing the second one, and more so for the third and so on…Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to blog, so figure out what yours are and frequently refer to them whenever you feel the need.  It will also help you keep focused on your overall goals for the blog.

5)      Write to your favorite blogger.  Send an email to your favorite blog writer, or frequently comment on their posts.  If you have some basic questions, or if something is holding you back, a few words of encouragement from someone you admire could greatly help.  For instance, with me, I was having trouble finding motivation to start.  All of the things mentioned in this post have held me back.  To combat this I wrote a letter to Chris Guillebeau of the Art of Non-Conformity.  A few words of advice from him, and I was really able to get past the hurdles that had been holding me back.  If you haven’t been to his blog before, I would highly recommend it.

6)      Get a new tool.  This kind of runs contrary to number two, but it has also proven effective for me.  There are so many plugins and tools available on the web to help bloggers, maybe you just need something new to spark your interest.  Maybe you download Evernote, and within a week you have a stockpile of interesting things you have found that you want to write about.  Perhaps you try a new SEO tool and increase the traffic to your blog.  The visitor boost could be just what you need to get you moving again.

7) Go back to the beginning.  If you are in the process of trying to start a blog, check out your favorite sites and see what they did in the beginning.  Everyone has a different way of starting a blog.  Some set goals, some talk about themselves, others just jump right in.  Take a look at a variety of different blogs and find something that works for you.  If you already have an established blog, then go back to the beginning of yours.  Maybe you just need to refocus your attention on the goals you set when you first began.

 As you can see, there are plenty of ways to get your creative juices flowing when it comes to blogging.  Sometimes you just need to try a different approach, or look at things from a different perspective.  Hopefully these tips will get you back on the right track!

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