Staying Motivated
January 28th, 2005I’m often asked how I stay motivated to blog every day (well, almost every day). I tell them that if you have a passion for something, then the motivation will just come naturally. I also mention that reading what other people write often helps. For example, I have been a fan of ProBlogger lately. Darren provides tips on earning income from blogging, but also has good skills as a writer and passes them on. He also links to some great stuff.
Today was no exception. He mentions a piece called Staying Motivated, by Susannah Gardner. In it, she gives advice on how to keep blogging, even if you feel overwhelmed. I like these three:
“*Set up goals and rewards. Decide how often you absolutely have to post, and then decide on a way to reward yourself once you’ve accomplished that over a certain period of time. (And don’t reward yourself with days off from posting!)
*Ask your readers for feedback on what they want to hear about.
*Set up set times to blog and then stick with your schedule. If you have time reserved in your calendar each day for blogging, chances are you’ll more easily be able to get your posting done. If you are trying to fit blogging in around everything else, it’ll be harder!”
The first one hits home for me. Since taking my new position, I have less time to read my aggregator and post to my blog (commuting to NYC from Suffolk County can be long and tiring), not to mention more consulting projects. In my case, time management is key. I never waste a single minute of my evening after Hallie is put to bed and my wife nods off. I basically have 3 hours to work (9PM to Midnight these days) and many many projects to complete. But I blog. And it’s worth it, because I’m passionate about it.
