How To Fall Back In Love With Your Blog

Do you remember the shampoo commercial where a beautiful woman looked straight at the camera and said, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful?”

Thank you for pointing out how much better you are than me right from the get-go. I so appreciate that.

For some of you that is how your blog feels. Like a small, insignificant piece of real estate on the interwebs overshadowed by bloggers with book deals and millions of comments and Facebook engagement that makes a One Direction concert look like a  total bust.

Arrrrrrgh!

You may have even been tempted to throw in the towel, like, today.

Don’t do it.

Let me help you fall in love with your blog once again.

Let’s get that feeling back you had when you started and everything was new and exciting and the possibilities were limitless.

Let’s do it together. Here’s how to fall back in love with your blog.

Stop comparing yourself to everyone anyone else

You’ve got to get off the comparison train

I know you might be super comfortable in your seat and you’ve already given the conductor your ticket but it’s time to jump off.

I recently watched a video interview with a big-time blogger who has reached the pinnacle of success. She giddily stated that she never did anything to to promote her site, it just blew up and now she travels all over speaking and she writes books and she raises money for charity and yada yada yada.

I so wish I had those few minutes back. If only for the sake of being true to myself and my writing and my audience. For that brief span of time I was riding the comparison train and it was not a good trip.

Do you relate?

You started your blog because you want to share with others about a subject close to your heart, or your experiences, or your knowledge. That is a noble calling right there. Your voice matters, a lot. It’s important for you to keep sharing it. Don’t lose sight of what you’ve been called to do.

The truth is, only you can share your story. Only you can write your words. Do it proudly.

When you are riding the comparison train your focus shifts from those you serve with your writing to yourself. It becomes all about you.  No longer are you serving. Now you are striving and not in a good way.

Hop off the train and start writing for the people you originally set out to help and serve. When you do you’ll start to remember why you love blogging.

Stick to your own game plan

I write about this regularly. Make sure your mission is clear. Who are you helping? Why are you helping them? What will they gain by reading your blog?

Your mission is completely unique to you. Yes, there are other bloggers out there who write similar content but not everyone relates to them. It’s the nuances of tone, of experiences, of style, that draw a reader in. What you have to offer might be exactly what someone else needs to read.

This also means stay on course. You may write about difficult subjects that not everyone wants to face. That’s okay. Don’t try to go off and write about something else entirely because you think it will draw in more readers. Stick to your topics and write about them with everything you’ve got.

This doesn’t mean you can’t branch out, but it does mean you want to avoid going totally off topic. If you write about family and faith, don’t start writing posts about plumbing. Get it?

Go at your own pace

Every day I see new social media posts about a new tool for spreading the word about my posts. I see articles about all the things I am doing wrong. I watch videos that reiterate how behind the times I am because I don’t pay for this service or that app.

Listen, I have an uncle, named Q-Ball, who drives on the freeways of Los Angeles at 55 miles per hour. All. The. Time. He is absolutely the worst person to follow or have follow you because he drives at a snail’s pace.

Most drivers are going 85 mph on the freeway and there’s Q-Ball just puttin’ along at 55. For as frustrating as this is let me point out two things.

1. My Uncle Q-Ball is still alive.

He hasn’t had an accident or a fender bender or even gotten a ticket in decades. He’s found his groove and he’s not afraid to go with it. He may not get there as fast as everyone else, but he gets there alive and in one piece.

(I should point out that he was pulled over once for going too slow and asked by the highway patrolman to exit the freeway if he couldn’t speed it up a little.)

2. He always gets to his destination.

Over the years we’ve all learned that if we have to go very far with Q-Ball driving then we need to leave earlier and allow extra time for getting to our destination. However, we always get there.

Usually, we’ve had a great time talking and laughing and enjoying the ride, so the extra time it takes is a blessing.

My point is, don’t let anyone rush you to some unknown blogging destination. It may seem like everyone else is getting there faster and it may feel like you are the slowest one on the information superhighway but you’re not.

You want to achieve your version of success alive and in one piece. You want to actually get there without crashing and burning along the way.

If you want to fall in love with your blog again don’t compare, stay on mission no matter what others are doing, and go at your own pace.

If you don’t love blogging right now I suspect that one of these areas is tamping down your passion. Take a good look at what you are doing and how you are doing it. Make some adjustments and even some hard choices if necessary.

Remember, your voice matters. Make sure you are using it to benefit others and find a way to love doing it.

Are you ready to fall back in love with your blog?