Written on May 11th, 2008 at 06:05 pm by Darren Rowse
How do you Stay Motivated as a Blogger?
Here’s another question from webspear for some discussion:
“How do you keep yourself motivated, when your blog is not attracting much traffic.”
Staying motivated is a massive issue for bloggers. Without it a blog really suffers.
How do you keep yourself motivated? Do you have systems or practices that help you? I hope this discussion will be helpful to us all as blogger apathy, burnout or bloggers block is something most of us go through at one time or another!
84 Responses to “How do you Stay Motivated as a Blogger?” - Add Yours
Mert Erkal
May 11th, 2008 6:36 pm
My aim is to quit my full time job and earn my life from blogging. It feels like I am one of the characters in Prison Break TV series. Enough motivation, isn’t it? :)
Abhinav Sonkar
May 11th, 2008 6:51 pm
I write about the thing that I am passionate of and so motivation is never a problem. But yeah, fatigue is a bane of blogging and regular breaks (sometimes even forced!) help me a lot.
Cigar Inspector
May 11th, 2008 6:55 pm
Just compare your traffic stats from a few months ago to your current stats. If you are doing at least some work, there should be some difference between these stats. You’ll see that there is some progress and it will hopefully keep you going :)
Sandy Naidu
May 11th, 2008 6:58 pm
My blog is fairly new…I set it up a while ago but started blogging regularly only for a month…
There are three guidelines that I am following at the moment:
1. Blog as often as I can (currently I am posting once every two days but I aim to increase it to one post a day very soon)
2. Don’t expect to earn anything much from the blog for the next 6 months…
3. Having said that the aim and the goal is to earn money – Otherwise there is no point putting in the hard yards…So I have put adsense and also do affiliate recommendations and I also tweak and alter the adsense by testing (to maximise earning potential).
I think its when you have a figure in mind and if you don’t reach that figure in the initial days you start to freak out and lose motivation….But after about 6 months, I will start having earnings goals…The ultimate aim is to be compensated for the work you put in…But have to keep reminding myself that in the initial days I need to work more than I earn.
Lakers4Life
May 11th, 2008 7:09 pm
I say to myself that I have gotten this far, I make money by doing what I love (writing about sports) and I don’t have to go to a crappy job that I hate for 40 hours a week.
Picturing myself sitting in a cubical is what keeps me motivated!
Charles
May 11th, 2008 7:17 pm
1. keep reading
2. keep thinking
3. keep writing
Carlie
May 11th, 2008 7:18 pm
Push through until I find something that brings my motivation back. I seem to have it in waves. So I just keep on going, knowing that I’ll find the reason again.
Sumesh from Blog Creativity
May 11th, 2008 7:19 pm
Motivation is pretty easy for me – I am passionate about what I write. Rather than depend on revenue or fame for motivation, I simply love what I write, and would do so no matter what happens. I’ve been blogging for nearly 17 months without any real problems, so I should be doing something right ;)
Of course, I do get blogger’s block occasionally, but I tend to take that in stride and ride it out.
Rasmus
May 11th, 2008 7:24 pm
Best tip: Read Other Blogs!
By reading other blogs, you get inspiration. For content, for experiments on your blog, new plugins – everything blog related.
Besides seeing what others like you are writing about, staying up to date on your niche and so on, I think it helps if you can keep yourself interested in the blog as a medium. That includes growing an interest in the possibilities out there, from Adsense and Podcasts to Microblogs and visitor stats. Embrace the technical aspect and that alone will add to your motivation. But simply reading comparative blogs (and blogs that inspire you) is a good start, I’d say…
Mizuu
May 11th, 2008 7:34 pm
My boyfriend always reads my entries. No matter which niche they are from. That keeps me up when I’m down on hit-counter.
I also found it’s great to ask someone for a guestpost and don’t do everything by myself.
MillionDollarJourney
May 11th, 2008 7:44 pm
When I was just starting out, it seemed like I was talking to the wall. However, what kept me going was comparing to my own results instead of comparing to others. In addition, I’m a believer in keeping your eye on the big picture and long term gains.
Syed Balkhi
May 11th, 2008 7:53 pm
I stay motivated by seeing progress in my work.
While I don’t have the most amount of users, I still care about the ones that I do have therefore I keep blogging, so I don’t let them down.
while above is just a summary I combined an entire list for you Darren after reading this post I thought It would be a great one to answer
http://www.balkhis.com/for-starters/how-do-you-stay-motivated-as-a-webmaster-orblogger/
Ulla
May 11th, 2008 7:55 pm
Talking to other persons about my blog helps. I directly ask them what they think about the pics and the texts, and I usually get a good feedback. That is a big motivation for me, especially when I get bad results from google analytics (which was the cause just a few seconds ago).
Alex (FirstShowing.net)
May 11th, 2008 7:55 pm
This is a tough question and this might not go for everyone, but what really keeps me motivated is reading comments or e-mails from just that one person who loves the site. If I’m really getting down but one person leaves a comment that mentions how appreciative of your work they are, that’s enough to really bring me back. I know comments don’t always appear when a blog isn’t doing so great, but the fact that one person is reading and one person is affect by what you’ve written is truly motivating. Just realizing how vast the internet is and that someone out there is reading is so great to see.
As a movie blogger, one way I always find motivation is to pop in one of my all-time favorite movies and watch it the full way through. By the end I have a smile on my face and I’m reminded of why I love movies so damn much. That experience never gets old and every time I do that, I’m reminded why I love doing what I’m doing. It’s enough encouragement to keep myself motivated and working towards the next day…
ikd
May 11th, 2008 8:25 pm
I write about things that I like too and have learnt to be patient about my posting being acknowledged (usually I see some traffic to my new posts after 1-2 days). I also keep notes about things I want to write in the future. If that doesn’t work I switch to my flickr album and have a look at pictures I’ve taken.
I.
Gabriella
May 11th, 2008 8:28 pm
I agree with Alex, for me, comments motivate me. They help me remember that not only am I doing this for myself, but I am doing it for them as well.
Because our blog is so niche, it’s difficult at times to get up in the morning and get my burners going. I feel like my thoughts are vacuous, my hands are lead and my heart is empty. But, if I think of what my readers are craving for, suddenly, I’m filled with life again, and motivation to give them information they might nor normally encounter outside of Spain.
Hence, my motivation is community.
hanafi
May 11th, 2008 8:42 pm
I’m still new to blogging,but what keep me motivated are my target to really build my blog,to be a successful blogger and to keep on doing what I really love doing.I agree with Alex and Gabriella.Having positive comments for your article really can be a great motivator even if it was only from one reader,because through this you know that what you wrote manage to get attention from someone rather than no one.
Rudi
May 11th, 2008 8:45 pm
As a LifeWorker = Psychologist I improve my and other people lifes. As a WebWorker I improve my and other people blogs:
“Alles Lebendigen Bestimmung ist Veredelung und Vervollkommnung – und wer kann sagen, wo da die Grenzen sind?” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Means: All living is improvement – and who can say where the borders are?
It’s that easy!
all things bright and beautiful
May 11th, 2008 8:56 pm
I take a week off from posting just let everyone know that I’m off for the week and they’re glad when i return and so am I :-)
Otto
May 11th, 2008 9:04 pm
Keep writing and keep your audience in mind nothing else.
Content Quality + Blogger interaction + SEO + Content Quantity = SUCCESS.
Cater to these and the motivation will eminate from your blogs success….
For those new at it, patience please….
ShinyPlastic
May 11th, 2008 9:07 pm
I stay motivated by knowing I will have to go out and get a “real job” again if I don’t put in 12+hrs a day posting, optimizing, researching, learning from mistakes etc.
I let my gadget blog go “on autopilot” a couple of years back because I lost motivation and decided to focus on other money-making plans. The result of that was the revenue from that site quickly dropped off, I now see the second-tier gadget sites that were comparable to mine 2 years ago making very good money and that is a great incentive to get back up there.
Set realistic short-term goals for yourself: get X page views from google searches this week, increase return visitors by X%, do X posts a day this week, increase adsense eCPM and CTR by X%, etc
Extrapolate those short term goals out to 12-24 months and see where you can be if you just make yourself do the hard work day in day out.
Full-time blogging isn’t a way to make money without working hard, it is also a job where you don’t have a boss hassling you – it is easy to sit back and be lazy, but you are your own boss and it is up to you to succeed through both smart thinking and hard work.
Daniel Bates
May 11th, 2008 9:07 pm
I wouldn’t say motivation is the problem, I’ve got that most of the time, but I don’t have time. Being pulled in too many directions and no one else seeing the value and future ROI in what I’m doing now eventually lowers your own moral and motivation too. I’m also striving for the day I can give up my day job and be a full time Realtor/blogger and devote the time I’d like to into it.
Ben
May 11th, 2008 9:08 pm
I write a bunch of posts when the mood strikes me and then future post them. This gives me a lot of down time to enjoy life and keep on a blogging schedule. Prevents me from burnout and apathy.
Kissie
May 11th, 2008 9:14 pm
Success stories inspire me a lot. When I lose motivation, I just go through successful blogs, visit problogger, etc, and I’m still full with thirst to blog.
Tim Wilson
May 11th, 2008 9:30 pm
I’ve only been going since March but I guess my whole theory is that I’ve chosen something that’s really important to me and will be important to others. I think something that I see as that important from the start will drive me onwards.
Jason Caluori
May 11th, 2008 9:54 pm
You’re on MSNBC!
Wakish
May 11th, 2008 10:12 pm
I think the most important thing you need to do, quite often, is to re-ask yourself “why I’m blogging?”.
- Wakish -
Mark
May 11th, 2008 10:27 pm
Many of my friends and relatives tell me that they read my blog.My daughter just told me the other day that she likes to read it, But doesn’t like to comment.
Just knowing people are reading it is enough motivation for me.Also taking a day off once in a while helps
sarah
May 11th, 2008 10:32 pm
i do find it hard, when after an initial growth spurt, my traffic seems to have plateaued. but i’ve got a good support system of other blogger friends (especially a close real-life friend who started her blog at the same time i did) that keeps me optimistic!
Philip Southwell
May 11th, 2008 10:45 pm
I’ve only been blogging for a couple of weeks and I’m finding it tough to keep up daily posts so…
@Ben I really like your idea of writing multiple posts when the mood hits to provide some over for the lean times.
Umar in Dubai
May 11th, 2008 10:47 pm
Like many others, I am also trying to convert my blog into an additional source of income (no I don’t plan to quit my job anytime soon). Considering how expensive Dubai is getting with every passing day, the motivation comes from the thought of having to meet ever-growing expenditures.
When the traffic is down I work extra hard to attract some traffic. I leave comments on other blogs, submit my posts on social networks, and do whatever I can to make sure I get traffic.
Barbara Ling
May 11th, 2008 11:35 pm
What motivates me? Gosh, it’s been so many things over the years but now in my vast venerable age, I would say:
Being an example to my kids.
They know I’m available whenever needed due to my work lifestyle; if I had to return to corporateLand, I’d lose that ability.
So I suppose it’s my kids/family that keep me motivated. I even created my own motivator by my desk – it’s my BJJ gi that has all my Mother’s Day gifts clipped to it (you can learn the story behind that at http://tinyurl.com/5gcuw9 ). Every time I get down, I just turn my head to the right and it can’t help but make me smile.
Enjoy,
Barbara
Jeff@MySuperChargedLife
May 11th, 2008 11:47 pm
I find that what steals my motivation the most is comparing my stats to those of other bloggers. It is always possible to find someone that is doing better in a particular area than you are. So, the first thing I do to try to stay motivated is avoid this type of comparison. Second, I reflect often on the progress I’ve made building my site. It is amazing to look back and see how far I’ve come. Third, I remember that what I write does help people. I get comments that confirm this, which means that there are others that are helped as well, but never comment.
Genesis
May 11th, 2008 11:53 pm
To tell you the truth, comments keep me motivated. It makes me realize that someone is actually reading what I write . . . and finding it useful. That´s a great reason to press on when the going gets tough!
SpaceAgeSage
May 12th, 2008 12:02 am
I remember my blog has already helped others, especially my own family, and that this hard-won insight in my head and heart is of value.
Mary Corbet
May 12th, 2008 12:05 am
Well, since mine’s a hobby blog, I get motivated by regenerating my own interest in my hobby – by starting another project, or troubleshooting another aspect of my hobby… all of which I can then blog about in series. And as I learn or my interest is regenerated in what I’m doing, my enthusiasm grows, and my readers engage. I don’t give up, regardless of whether or not there’s a drop in numbers. Heck, my feedreader dropped by almost 150 over two days this past week. I figured I must be getting boring, so it’s time to launch into a new angle, a new project, some troubleshooting, launch a contest, and so forth.
I think I’ll do all of the above, actually!
“A Hobby Blogger is a Happy Blogger.” (…not always entirely true – but if you tell yourself that enough times, and if you don’t give up… it works!)
Mike King
May 12th, 2008 12:08 am
Just like Genesis, I’m surprised there were not many more saying this, but for me, the biggest thing that motivates me for blogging is comments both on my blog and from friends /colleagues that enjoy my articles. Knowing that I’m making a difference to people is MORE than enough motivation to keep blogging.
Also beating my traffic goals I’ve set is VERY motivating as well.
Tony
May 12th, 2008 12:10 am
I use photography to keep me going, and try to tell the story behind the shot
Shun Jian From RichGrad.com
May 12th, 2008 12:13 am
Hey Darren,
This is one of those things that keeps me motivated:
Cheque from Commission Junction (23 April)
But that aside, I guess what keeps me really motivated is knowing that my Personal Development blog is helping and will continue to help all those people brought to it through the law of attraction…
Although my blog is less than 1 year old, I am fortunate enough to be enjoying a level of success that many aspire towards…
1) Google has just updated my page rank to PR4
2) I get occasional emails from other webmasters interested in advertising on my blog
3) Publishers send physical books and other products via overnight delivery from the US for me to review (I live in Singapore but majority of my traffic comes from the US)… I also get requests to review a variety of digital products
4) I am earning a full-time income online
5) I have been interviewed by other bloggers
Two useful tips I can offer to everyone here are:
1) Don’t wait for traffic to come… You have to go out and get it! For me, I spend 80% of the time on marketing and only 20% of the time on content but I make sure I produce quality content when it matters =)
2) Aim to provide value above all else. When you provide enough value to enough people, you will be greatly rewarded (I learned this from Eben Pagen)
Okok, I said 2 but I’m in a good mood today… some bonus tips…
3) Persevere! Most bloggers started off from nothing… They had to build up their sites, build up their credibility and all of that takes time. If you want to make it online, you need to be able to persevere and have a clear goal in mind… Set daily, weekly monthly and yearly targets for yourself… strive to meet them as best as you can… if you didn’t hit your goals, don’t beat yourself up too much… Do some reflection and ask yourself the right questions (such as “How can I do better next time” & “What can I learn from this?”)
You can check out my post on goal-setting here:
A Millionaire’s 9 Question Guide to Goal Setting
4) Lastly, feel free to check out my honours year thesis on the study of weblogs which will be included in “Economics, Information Systems and Electronic Commerce: Empirical Research” due to be published by end September.
All the best!
Tim H
May 12th, 2008 12:15 am
It’s not a question of motivation, I love my topic. The problem usually comes when the rest of life gets busy, and then I get burnt out, and because I write on a topic that changes weekly (comic books), if I haven’t had time to read the latest issues, I start to fall behind, and then have some troubled getting back into it. So, no motivational issues, just time and getting burnt out.
Carol Clifton
May 12th, 2008 12:21 am
Love this post because I felt I was living in the whirlwind tornado piece or part of the “staying motivated” daily. UGH!
For me, that all changed when I sought out advice from a well respected fellow blogger that told me to “Get Organized”. She recommended that I write myself a sweet little schedule for the following week every Friday afternoon. That structure has changed everything for me.
a husband
May 12th, 2008 12:32 am
Not to be a teacher’s pet here or anything, but this blog totally motivates me. It’s helped me from the very begging be realistic, and to know that my struggles are common, and to know that there are solutions to those problems.
So yeah, ProBlogger keeps me motivated.
Juels
May 12th, 2008 12:41 am
I recently started blogging and my goal isn’t to make money. I blog because I enjoy writing. This is my motivation. Now if I could only have an audience to share it with *sigh*
I want to have something posted every few days at the most, but sometimes it is difficult when I don’t have an audience. I think once I have an audience it will be easier because their comments might just give me something else to write about along with what I already come up with.
John Painz
May 12th, 2008 12:57 am
Hey there, great topic. My main motivation is a personal one. My mom has been putting her heart and soul into her company, Soapier, and so I am trying to help her earn a living.
She’s invested so much time and energy and a serious amount of money that I started my blog and http://soapierblog.blogspot.com to try and raise brand awareness and get some internet traffic. She’s worth it, it’s motivation enough.
Plus, I’m having a blast with my retailhellish blog. Thanks for the topic, and I’ve read some of the other tips and motivations here, all great.
Alex D
May 12th, 2008 1:04 am
My motivation comes from reading other blogs :).
guardian angel
May 12th, 2008 1:22 am
Hi,
First of all, blogging is my passion more than anything else. This is the main reason why I am still alive in blogging. Although I must admit, traffic is my problem but since I really love what I am doing, insecurities are minimal.
Incidentally, I made a similar post last May 1 which will answer your question – How to Fight Insecurities in Blogging, and I am the number one follower of my own tips. Please allow me to summarize them here.
1.0 Rest but not stop. It’s hard to motivate yourself when you’re tired.
2.0 Don’t compare yourself to other bloggers. After all, blogging is race where everybody alive will win.
3.0 Hide your emotions. You cannot motivate yourself if you will show them through your posts.
4.0 Stay focus. Even high profile like Darren will drop dead in blogging if you don’t focus.
5.0 Review yourself. This may be funny but true. if you fail on Plan A, then try Plan B, if you fail again, then try Plan C. I doubt if you still cannot make it before reaching Plan Z.
Hope I did my share well enough.
Thanks.
http://wherebloggersandhumansmeet.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-fight-your-insecurities-in.html
Monica from pharmaknow
May 12th, 2008 1:27 am
Darren, every time someone comment on my blogs and says that information have helped him to have a better health I feel the motivation for posting more.
Muscle Post
May 12th, 2008 2:01 am
You have to be passionate about your topic, for starters. Stick to a schedule and don’t let yourself get burnt out. And always think about the benefits that you and others are deriving from your blog, because your posts are helping other people.
If you are an established blogger, taking a look at your page stats every now and again can be motivating, because it shows you how many people are waiting to read what you have to say. And if your page is monetized, money is always a good motivator as well!
Tarah
May 12th, 2008 2:16 am
I agree with Abhinav that it helps to have a passion for your blog topic because if you are not interested enough with your topic even if your not going through a slow time it will show in your content. Readers can gleen even in the shortest of sentences the writers emotional state. I come from this from another standpoint as well. I am a blogger with a disability and therefore sometimes medical issues get in the way and require me to be inactive. When that happens even if I am unable to write much new content I still leave posts keeping readers on track with my status. The many well wishes I get in return and requests to provide help are very heartwarming often times and seeing how much my writing effects them, even in the smallest way makes me keep going.
Aaron from Webspear
May 12th, 2008 2:29 am
Darren, thank you for posting my question.
Aaron from Webspear
May 12th, 2008 3:07 am
Hi Guys, Its me again.
I thanked Darren for posting the question, but forgot to thank *ALL* of you for your thoughtful responses.
I wanted to summarize the points in this post, but found out that Syed Balkhi has already done that! Good job Syed!
The reason I asked this question is because I believe this is a burning question for many new bloggers. The number of responses to this question also indicates how many people are passionate about keeping themselves motivated.
I think people give up soon sometimes when they feel that they are late in the game. They feel there are so many other blogs doing the same thing like them. They compare their work with the leaders in the field. Looking at the leaders can be inspiring, but it can also put you down because you feel so small compared with these heavyweights.
Recently I wrote an article at my blog that echoed these sentiments. Please check it out.
http://www.webspear.com/fundamentals/your-new-website-is-not-bad-as-you-think/
Once a gain I thank you for your comments.
Cindy Sue Causey
May 12th, 2008 3:51 am
Motivation for these Fingertips comes in the form of #1) waking up in the Life-worn Shoes granted me these days to #2) find an inbox endlessly overflowing with brand new instances of Disability and Human Rights violations far too often highlighting Human Life loss due to a pervasive, archaic societal view of our most vulnerable populations..
Never, ever doubt that a writer with a blog using just the right tools *can* change the status quo because all it takes is a traffic count of *ONE*, albeit the right one, for a “party” to get the message your Heart sends..
Chevy Chasing off my soapbox now.. :wink:
Cyber hugs from Talking Rock..
Manou
May 12th, 2008 4:42 am
Well I have just started blogging for less than a month so lack of motivation is not something that I have experience yet and hope that I will not. I am passionate about what I write so hopefully that will keep me motivated. My goal for the next coming months is to write write and write good articles that my readers hopefully enjoy.
In case lack of motivation happens…well I’ll go back to square one. That is I’ll go back and read the answers to these questions I wrote down when I started the blog:
1) What am I going to do with this blog?
2) Who am I doing this for?
3) Why I am doing this?
ian
May 12th, 2008 5:10 am
Worst case, I find something that’s happened during the day that made me grind my teeth. Then I try to come up with a smart funny way to discuss it.
Brad V.
May 12th, 2008 5:50 am
Sometimes it still bothers me when there’s a lull in my blog traffic. But usually it picks back up again after a few days. It just takes patience. It also helps that I love blogging and am passionate about the topic I blog about (writing and literature). That’s probably the most important thing is loving the subject you blog about.
sdenterprise
May 12th, 2008 6:16 am
I get motivation from somewhere, I set myself goals and work towards them, I try and make them fun and of real interest to me… otherwise I find it hard to keep on going.
I am following a dream, that one day I will achieve my great goals that I have set out for myself… these are the main motivating factors in my blogging day.
lex g
May 12th, 2008 6:21 am
I don’t try to get motivated … I either am or not .. .when I’m not, then I don’t write … regardless of the consequences for the blog …
Lex
Rob Brydon
May 12th, 2008 6:31 am
You have to want to do it even if you don’t make money. It takes years to build up enough readership to supplement a pay check. For me, it’s about getting the truth out there. Not just hoping someone will click on my RSS feed.
Gackt
May 12th, 2008 6:49 am
You’re my idol.
Boris
May 12th, 2008 7:24 am
I just check my traffic stats. My blog is only 1 and a half months old, and getting around 270 UV daily. So I just think about how I want those stats to grow even more since they have shown so much potential already, and so I keep blogging.
MissEm
May 12th, 2008 8:45 am
Motivation and staying motivated can be a struggle sometimes, especially when times are tough and giving in seems like an attractive option.
I see many comments here stating that people are passionate about what they do so it’s easy to stay motivated. But what happens when you are starting to feel unmotivated about the subject you are passionate about? It will happen at some stage and you need to have a plan to get you through that time.
It can become a constant battle between you and the little voice inside your head that tells you you’re ready to take the foot off the accelerator and apply the brakes.
I’m a recently retired rowing athlete. I’m very passionate about rowing, yet I have had many moments where I’ve needed to search for something within to get me through.
These moments come when I am exhausted from training, when I don’t get the right sleep, when my diet is not 100%, when I’m sick, or I don’t see my training reflect in the results on the water. It feels like no matter what you do, nothing is working, you can’t be bothered doing the training and you teeter on the edge of giving up.
When this happens I take a moment to work out what is bothering me and use positive affirmations to spark myself up again. Instead of the little voice saying “My body is tired”, I say to myself “With every workout my body is getting stronger”.
You could do the same with blogging. Work out what is leading you to to feel unmotivated and create positive affirmations that you can repeat to yourself. Write them on post-it’s and stick them to the side of your monitor.
I once heard a quote that I loved and I’ve repeated it to myself many times : “Successful people keep moving”.
Even if you are uninspired, keep moving and eventually you will have the “Ah-Ha” moment that propells you to the next level. And it’s a nice feeling when it happens.
chase
May 12th, 2008 11:50 am
For me, learning new information and sharing that information to others is what drives me! So reading through blogs RSS feeds that I am subscribed too in my Google Reader is a great source of inspiration for me. Because I learn something new every time I do it!
Rob
May 12th, 2008 12:13 pm
One thing that keeps me motivated is that my blog isn’t really about me – it’s about my readers. Sure, the subject matter is often based on what’s happening in my family’s life, but the humor that springs from it is meant to give a laugh to those who read my posts. Just knowing there are people reading and laughing at what I post is reason enough for me to keep trying to lift spirits and burdens.
yeah
May 12th, 2008 12:35 pm
By coming here
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map
May 12th, 2008 12:48 pm
While I am passionate about the topics I write, I do understand for myself that I am not at a high everyday. What I like to do, during times of lower motivation, is to take a break to center myself. It can be anything – meditation, playing with my kids, taking a walk, etc.
When I hit my desk again, I find myself feeling driven and often, more energized than before!
Evelyn
BuSy
May 12th, 2008 12:58 pm
It is a very tough job to continue blog writing and updating the site regularly unless you are a full-time blogger. Read the post “Hold Tight, It Will Only Get Easier” from DailyBlogTips.com and see the most important message for newbies.
Nishadha
May 12th, 2008 2:27 pm
I guess it all comes down to enjoying what you are doing. If you like blogging you wouldn’t need any extra motivation.
caTcode
May 12th, 2008 4:46 pm
Just create an entry that you love about. make a general topic for your blog, so you can write any think there. keep blog walking to get a new spirit..!! :)
AirDiogo
May 12th, 2008 7:50 pm
My may motivation comes from the feedback i get. Even if my blog keeps getting low traffic i get, from time to times, some great feedback. That really motivates me because shows that people not only read what i do but also enjoy it.
However most of the feedback isn’t in my blog (in the form of comments), but in other places i visit. I sometimes think that this its putting me back in traffic.
AirDiogo
May 12th, 2008 7:51 pm
My main motivation comes from the feedback i get. Even if my blog keeps getting low traffic i get, from time to times, some great feedback. That really motivates me because shows that people not only read what i do but also enjoy it.
However most of the feedback isn’t in my blog (in the form of comments), but in other places i visit. I sometimes think that this its putting me back in traffic.
Steve
May 12th, 2008 8:39 pm
As is often said, the key to this is blogging for enjoyment first. If you enjoy doing it and love talking about a subject that fascinates you then it doesnt matter if no one is reading initially. Having run a number of sites over the years this idea has always worked for me. And now I even run a blog which has no intention of making big bucks.
I always love the saying, make your hobby your job and never work again.
I already did that in my day job, running sites is now just another hobby and if something comes of it then great, if not then I still have enjoyed the experience. Win win!
Vanessa
May 12th, 2008 8:44 pm
Reading blogs like these, being patient, constantly learning; remembering that I’m in this for the long haul even if it means mixing things up, doing thing differently: that it’s not just about embarking on a short term- get -rich -quick -win- a- lottery -scheme!
OldSailor
May 12th, 2008 10:03 pm
For the same input, some plants grow faster and yield fruits. Some grow slowly to yield fruits. All plants are not alike. Same way all blogs are also not alike. I consider my blog as a plant. Longer the time it takes to grow, it is going to remain stronger.This is how I motivate myself.
T-Rex
May 13th, 2008 1:28 am
My Mom used to say with a sigh, “There are some days!” They were days when she was “down”. I didn’t know it then – as a child — but I have learned that there are those kinds of days for all of us. You don’t feel up to par – or worse – you’re really “down in the dumps” and don’t feel like working at all.
By nature, she was very contented with life, even in the hard times. But when those “days” came along, she just kept on going. There was work to be done, and she did it. In response to my occasional “belly-aching” she would say, “Just DO IT! The quicker you start, the sooner it will be done, and then you can enjoy the results.” She developed a work ethic in us that remains after 80+ years.
The same goes for working on starting my blog. Nothing works perfectly all the time. Their will be times of discouragement, lack of motivation, even despair as to whether anything is working for you. “Just DO IT.” I’ve developed a mindset that no matter what comes, no matter what obstacles there are, “Just DO IT.”
jeff
May 13th, 2008 2:55 am
Here is what I do:
1. Remind myself why your doing this (blogging) daily.
2. Have goal for the number of entries you are going to add a month/week (Mine is 1 per week)
3. Have a specific earnings goal and deadline for that goal.
browniee
May 13th, 2008 9:53 pm
writing a blog is really inspirational, one has to have a flair for writing, because blogging entails writing , and i know i have developed the passion to write more effectively.
Yudhi
May 14th, 2008 5:27 am
What I do is:
- Stay watching the traffic for keep my spirit to write interesting articles
- Searching some new on the net and “offline life”
- Must have target which wish to be reached every day
Reginald
May 14th, 2008 6:01 am
Cigar Inspector is right, and there are also some free software out there that can give you your stats on a regular basis in a concise report.
SystemsThinker
May 14th, 2008 10:19 pm
It seems to me the absolute key is picking the right subject for your blog that ties into your deepest values. Something that you’re passionate about. Blogging is really about sharing information. Ask the question “Why do I care if others receive this information?” I think the better you can answer that question, the more motivated you’ll be. And when you burn out, if your answer is honest and true to who you are, that ultimate goal for which you’re sharing the information in the first place will remotivate you.
Rob Gibbs
May 16th, 2008 2:54 am
I developed my blogging routine based on the book “Clear Blogging by David Walsh. If you ask a group of people what section of the newspaper they read, they have a favorite. Walsh asserts that people like that in your blogging too. I write (at least) 3 “collumns” a week for sure and I try to do them on the same day every week. I write other stuff too as it comes to me, but these things are constant.
The other thing that does for you is gives you a structrure so you aren’t left with the inevitable question “what do I write about” (at least not as often!)
Thanks! Love this blog…great job guys…
Rob
Googol Rider
June 30th, 2008 9:14 pm
I am really new to blogging, but i love to write about my niche. Its been a month since i have started blogging, i do post regularly. I also read stuff on motivation, i think it helps me a lot.
Reginald
July 11th, 2008 8:37 am
Googol Rider,
Just remember to stay consistent and keep your posts regular.
Joe Caterisano
August 16th, 2008 1:06 pm
I look at Darrens stats. This might sound discouraging, but I know I’ll be there some day so it motivates me.
Arindam
April 3rd, 2009 10:30 pm
P.s. Don’t know if the thread / post is dead.
Is it me or is it the recession? Visits are plummeting to the earth’s core. Losing 50% visitors as well as $$ week on week. Anyone with a similar problem? I hope its the recession.
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