I want to share some tips on how to get over blogging boredom. I'll start by first sharing my experience. I consider myself incredibly passionate about blogging. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have spent the last ten years doing it! But even when you are passionate as I am, you can still fall into this trap of getting bored and tired to blog. So let's get started!
It begins...
A long while back, I got bored of 'blogging'.
I've been doing it for over 5 years (10 years at the time of updating this post in December of 2020!) So it's not like I got bored after a few weeks, right?
Anyway, I didn't hit a wall, and I wasn't facing writer's block like many bloggers do. Though that has happened to me a few times in recent years.
I just got so bogged down with work, managing multiple projects, trying to reach deadlines, and everything else in between running my blog, that when it came to the actual blogging part. Or creating content, I simply forgot how to enjoy it.
Yep, it felt as if the fun in blogging had been torn out of me. It happens. We're humans; we all get bored with things from time to time.
I know what you're thinking -
What! blogging is meant to be fun?
In my opinion, yes!
Honestly, I don't care what you may have read or heard elsewhere; you've got to enjoy blogging for it to be rewarding in any way. And when I say rewarding, I don't mean financially; I mean whatever reward you're looking for from blogging.
As I said, I got so bogged down with so much stuff going on in all parts of my online businesses that I forgot how to have fun with blogging.
In addition to being so busy, I seemed to be spending a lot of my time managing things more than ever before.
I would say that I was spending at least two hours every single day doing things like -
The list goes on. And that's not including working on client projects, meeting deadlines, and finding time to learn new things!
We are all busy in different ways; however, some known things can deplete your blog motivation.
Here are some of those things -
These are just some things that can take the fun out of blogging for you, and I'm sure there are many more that I've missed.
So, now let me share with you what I did to make blogging fun again for myself.
Hopefully, if you can relate to this post in any way, you'll find the tips below extremely valuable.
Our circumstances can change in an instant, that's just life, I guess.
We can have all the time in the world one minute, and the next, we're scraping to find the time.
Before our kids came along, my wife and I had all the free time in the world to the things we loved. For me, that was to spend every waking hour God gave to work on my blog and online businesses. However, as I said, life's circumstances can change everything.
I took the time that I had before family commitments literally for granted by not being more organized.
And while family commitments always take top priority, and I wouldn't change my circumstance for anything in this world, I've discovered that becoming more organized is the key.
Our children are now at school full-time, meaning I have more time to dedicate to my blog and businesses. Still, however, being more organized helps me get more done during the hours I have to work on blogging.
Blogging without a goal is mindless and pretty much counter-productive. At least, I think so anyway.
Setting small and SMART goals and making a conscious effort to reach those goals each day is important.
Why so?
Because you're taking those small steps to your ultimate goal in blogging, whatever that might be. You have to remember that. There's no elevator in blogging or online business; you always have to take the stairs.
I set myself just one blogging goal per day. I use my trusty blog planner to help me with this.
With just one goal to aim for each day, I can achieve so much more over a period of a week, instead of just trying to multitask 5 or 6 items every day and achieving none of them.
Also, having something to aim for makes the whole blogging experience so much more fun. You're giving yourself a direction, a target to aim for, and that's so important.
Over time, you will have taken critical steps forward in reaching your ultimate goal.
Nothing will boost your motivation more than investing in some new blogging tools, though you shouldn't always use this tactic.
When I've invested in something new for my blog, whether it's a new plugin or membership, some happy chemical is released in my brain that gets me excited about working on my blog.
You don't have to go out and spend a lot of money; it could be something simple like a new WordPress theme or a new plugin. Or a new piece of hardware or software to enhance your blogging experience.
A while back, I treated myself to a new MacBook Air to replace my tired old Windows computer. To be honest, I didn't just go out and buy it on impulse. It was something I planned to do for a while. This was my first-ever Apple computer purchase, so as you can imagine, I was so amped about writing my first blog post on it.
If you're looking for something new to purchase to make your blogging life easier, check out my tools and resources page.
Blogging isn't just about dishing out good old advice and information to others; it's also about taking a little bit of your own advice and learning from others, too, of course.
You have to keep learning new things yourself along the way. Not just to improve yourself and your skills, but to also help you become a better person of value to your audience.
What I enjoy doing when I'm not blogging is to read a lot of books and eBooks.
I like to read and learn about anything that can help me improve my skills and become a better blogger.
I recently started a couple of new Udemy courses in advanced CSS and Sass, and I'm having a lot of fun.
You should definitely find time to learn something new that will help you with your blog and apply it to your daily blogging routine.
Some of the courses I've taken on Udemy include - website design, writing, graphic design, coding, and more.
Blogging can be a lonely old venture at the best of times, especially when you're just starting out and no one really knows who you are.
Sure, you're building an audience and engaging with a few of them on your blog and social media. But, sometimes it pays to reach out to one or two of your readers in your community.
Better still, why not get in touch with another blogger in your niche?
Building online relationships are critical in blogging, and this can definitely help put a lot of fun back into doing the blogging thing.
There are some great ways to connect with other bloggers and build those relationships. Here are a few ideas -
I like to write 2 or 3 blog posts per month, and I usually stick to that frequency. Sometimes I may do as many as 6 posts per month if I have more time.
Sticking to a regular publishing frequency can make blogging a lot more fun because you're always in the frame of mind for creating content.
If you only post once a month, you could struggle with keeping up your motivation to blog. Again, I'm talking completely from personal experience here.
If you blog too frequently, for example, every day, you may struggle to keep it fun, especially if you already find it difficult to find new topics to write about.
The benefit of writing a few good power posts each month is that you can promote them properly because, as you know, blog post promotion takes a lot of time and effort.
It's so easy to procrastinate over your content writing and style. I used to be really critical about my own style. Now, I just write and let things flow. If readers dig it, that's cool. If they don't, then I'm OK with that too.
The thing is, you can quite easily edit your post a gazillion times and still feel as if something is missing or it doesn't read quite right.
You can spend too much time dwelling on whether others will like your post or not, and that can take the fun right out of blogging altogether.
I've learned to simplify my blog writing and develop a style of my own, and not to overcomplicate things too much either.
The best way to do that, I've found, is to just write the way you would talk to someone, anyone, naturally.
Think of how you talk to your friends, family members, then write the same way, it's that simple. Just be you, don't try and be someone you're not. Worst, don't try be like someone else.
If you've seen any of my YouTube videos, you'll hear the way I sound when I speak, which is the same way I write my blog posts. The same can be said about my podcasts.
Just let it flow man.
I love my office space, really I do.
I love working at my desk; I love all the things I have in my office and the fact that it's the most comfortable and relaxing place for me to work on my blog and online business.
If you want to see me working in my office, check out my Instagram here.
But, sometimes I just have to escape.
Blogging or writing blog posts in the same environment, day in and day out, can become a bit boring, I think.
Nothing is inspiring about staring at a blank wall space every time you've got to write.
So, grab your laptop and escape your office or desk space.
Head down to your local park to write in the great outdoors. Unless, of course, if it's blowing a blizzard outside and the safest place is your home! In which case, stay where you are.
Or, if you need WiFi and coffee to be productive, head down to your local coffee shop.
If you have some noise-canceling headphones, bring that with you, along with your iPod or Smartphone. I find with my headphones on, I'm less likely to be distracted by someone in the coffee shop.
I'm not against creating content for search engines. After all, search engine traffic is critical for the growth of your blog.
At first, it might be OK to primarily write for search engines. At least to build up your traffic. But eventually, it becomes more about creating content for your readers, and that, to me, is a lot more fun.
The more in-tuned you become with your blog readers, the smarter you will be at catering for them.
While I'm a strong believer that you should write for your readers, I also believe that, from time to time, you should create content that you enjoy creating and want to share.
Why?
Because when you share something that has meaning to you, your readers will appreciate that. And that will make you fall in love with blogging all over again.
What I enjoy creating is MVP type posts (Massive Value Posts). I absolutely love getting lost in creating those types of long-form, content-rich blog articles for my blog.
Let's not forget the purpose of blogging, and that purpose is to share your thoughts, insights, and perspectives on a topic you're passionate about. All while trying to provide some form of value and education for your readers.
So peeps, if you're struggling to make blogging fun, I hope that sharing the things that I've done here will help you immensely.
I hope this post has inspired you in a small way, if nothing else, to do something different that will make you fond of blogging again.
If you'd like to share your thoughts and experiences with me, please don't hesitate to leave me a message here.
- Fabrizio Van Marciano
PS. On a final note, I'd like to recommend a fantastic book which I read some time ago called 31 Days To Find Your Blogging Mojo by Bryan Allain. This book is truly amazing. The author shares his own dilemma while sharing some valuable tips and advice for getting your juices flowing to blog again. Well worth the read if you ever get the chance and the time. You can find this book here on Amazon.
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