What The Best Bloggers Never Fail To Do

Everyone needs a little down time.

No matter how much you love blogging, you can’t do it 24 hours a day. Trust me on this one.

There is a burnout factor.

Plus, you are probably a wife or a mom or a student or all of the above. There are some things like meals, laundry, house cleaning, yard work, grocery shopping, homework, and showering, to name a few, of which you are also responsible for.

I know, right?

So, what is the secret to becoming a successful blogger? Good habits. The best bloggers know you need to set aside quality personal development time. Without it, your blog will stagnate. And probably so will your life. It is vital to be consistently growing and learning as you walk your own path to success.

Taking time to stretch your brain muscle is imperative if you want to grow a successful blog you love. The best bloggers in the world know this and they never fail to make time for it.

When I talk about personal development I’m not referring to watching reality TV with a pint of ice cream, going to the mall or even taking a run. I’m talking about the time you set aside to learn how to be a better leader, run a business, develop into an entrepreneur, learn a new skill, and think critically about the world around you.

The new skill you learn may not be in your “blog niche.” That’s okay. There are a lot of ways to improve yourself that will help make you a better blogger. For example, you may not blog for profit, but reading a book about running a business will help you think more critically about what you write about, teach you how to prioritize, and open your mind to new possibilities.

It’s all related and it’s all important.

What The Best Bloggers Never Fail To Do ★ There are actions the best bloggers never fail to take. Do you know what they are? Taking time out for personal development is a key factor to blog success. Continuing to grow and learn is imperative if you want to grow a blog you love.

{Updated for 2020}

Personal Development

Personal development time is what it says, personal development.

This is when you take a good look in the mirror and ask the question, “What can I learn to improve me?”

Notice, I didn’t say what can I learn to improve my husband or what can I learn to improve my mother-in-law.

No, it’s what can I learn to improve me?

Sometimes this will be business books. Sometimes this will be spiritual books. Sometimes this will be history books or classic fiction.

At other times it will be a podcast, a video series, a magazine article, or an online course.

You can take a number of steps to learn and grow, the point is, you have to make time to do them. Failing to do so equals failing to grow.

Personal development is consuming materials that will change the way you blog, do business, and serve.

This is important because blogging is an extremely fluid endeavor. It’s in motion, all the time. Changes to the tools you use are happening constantly. There are regular updates to WordPress. The plugins you use and trends in style, color, and layout are constantly evolving. You need to be able to respond to fluidity not as a knee jerk reaction but as a well thought-out plan.

If you have spent time on personal development you will know when to panic and when to make slow methodical adjustments. Your priorities will shift because you are ahead of the game, not running to catch up.

Think of it as a superhighway you are traveling down. You have to know where you are going, how to get there, and take the time needed to assure safe passage.

This is where concrete goals, a plan to achieve them, and focus matter. This is where setting aside time for personal development takes on extreme significance.

When you do the leg work ahead of time sudden changes to the journey will be manageable instead of catastrophic.

So, where do you start?

There are 3 key elements to personal development for blog growth.

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Read

Libraries are filled with books to expand your mind. Find some and start reading. Nothing builds a better brain than reading. Sure, blogs are good, but books are better.

Try this list  from Michael Hyatt to get you started.

Online I like to regularly check the Fast Company website. The Work Life section has some great articles on leadership.

And when I add reading + Fast Company it equals this.

I also recommend these books:

Listen

Podcasts are a great way to multi-task. Listen while you are exercising, commuting, waiting in the school pick-up line. Be better by practicing your listening skills. It will carry over to the rest of your life.

Here’s a pretty good jumping off point if you want to get started with podcasts for personal development.

This one always makes me think.

Act

There is no book or podcast or speaker or course that will automatically infuse you with something to make you better. It takes action. Read, listen, and study. Then put what you’ve learned into practice.

Start small. Take one action and then another. Build on what works for you. Before you know it you’ll be better than you were the day before and you’ll keep getting better and better, as a blogger, as a wife, as a mom, as a leader.

Personal development isn’t optional if you want to improve your blog. It’s mandatory. A little each day will produce huge benefits in all areas of your life.

What are you going to do to today that will help ensure your success tomorrow?

What The Best Bloggers Never Fail To Do ★ There are actions the best bloggers never fail to take. Do you know what they are? Taking time out for personal development is a key factor to blog success. Continuing to grow and learn is imperative if you want to grow a blog you love.

 

 

 

 

Photo by Juja Han on Unsplash

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

 


Comments

9 responses to “What The Best Bloggers Never Fail To Do”

  1. These are important factors, Debi! Ironically, it’s the reading for personal development that has led to some of my favorite posts! 😉

    1. I agree Carol. It’s amazing what happens when you do some outside reading. For me, it always leads to new ideas and areas I want to explore. Got any favorites you want to share Carol?

  2. HeartsHomeward Avatar
    HeartsHomeward

    I loved this post, Debi. I have had three or four “hiatus” times since my blogiversary. I thought it would kill me, but it vitalized me and when I have come back to blogging, I love it more, have more clarity and feel more freedom to go outside some of the blogging “boxes” which had been burning me out. To be honest, my “numbers” did drop when I dropped the frequency of my posts, but from comments on FB and my posts, I know I am touching people and that’s my deeper goal. Numbers are fickle. I always love your wisdom and encouragement. Can’t wait to check out some of the links you mentioned here.

    1. Thank so much my friend. Yes, when you know why you are blogging it really makes a difference. There is a lot to be said for those touch points too. Keep up the good work. You ROCK!

  3. bwsmith Avatar
    bwsmith

    Thanks for this — it’s like a cup of cold water!

    1. I hope that means refreshing and not unwanted. 😉 I appreciate you taking the time to read today. Happy Blogging!

  4. Fully agree Debi. If we can not concentrate on the self development and can not take time out for our own relaxation and re-charge, we are not productive and eventually our blog suffers. AS a father and husband and someone with a busy job as well, I can relate to what you mentioned in this article.

    It is just very easy to burn out and quit.

    Take blogging as a long marathon and not a short sprint. Keep the energies, keep the motivation and inspiration, continue to grow and never stop learning.

    1. Perfect description Ahmad – a marathon. This is so very true. We have to stay healthy and strong to keep going. Time for renewal is an important part of this. Thank you for reading today. I hope your blogging is going well.

  5. I think this is a good reminder. I used to do a lot of personal development during my lunch time at work (TED talks are my favorite!), but when I started blogging I spent my lunch stressing out about social media updates and ideas for future blog posts. Now that I have my feet wet, it’s probably time to get back to the kinds of personal development I was doing before. Thanks for sharing!

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