It’s Not Too Late: Don’t Give Up On Your Blog!

Don’t give up….just keep on going….the magic will happen!

Have you heard that before?  Are you rolling your eyes because you are absolutely exhausted and the thought of writing one more blog post is enough to send you over the edge?

Well, I am going to say it again….Don’t give up!  Humor me here and keep on reading for a bit!

I recently interviewed Brittany Bullen from Mummy Blogger Academy and in that interview she spoke of never giving up when things get tough in blogging.  This comment in her interview sparked a lot more comments about being patient and persistence, about how this is also one of the hardest things to keep motivated with.

It’s easy to say “I will be patient” and “I will keep on going”, but the reality can often be quite different.

It is easy to read these blog posts about how people have kept on going through the struggles, but when you are in them, it can sometimes seem that there is no way out.

Also during that time, you repeatedly see new blog posts being published and people actively engaging on social media and you can feel like that bit of internet space that you fought so hard for is slowly slipping away.

Is this something you can relate to?

Why am I saying this today?

Well, after my last few weeks it is something that has been very close to my heart and despite what you sometimes see ‘on the screen’, I think it is important to know remember that we are all human and we are all going to have those times of struggle.

In fact, you may not be the only one that is struggling.  That post you just saw published and that social media interaction you just viewed could also have been undertaken by someone feeling exactly the same way that you are right now.

So, what happened for me last week?  Blogging Tips 101 published not 3, but 2 posts…GASP!

Why?

I ran out of steam that’s why!

I know how important it is to be present in the online community, and be active in groups and on social media, but I just literally did not have the time.

My daughter turned 3 last Tuesday and my husband and I both took the day off work (day jobs), but also made a commitment to not check our phones, emails….anything!  This was 100% focus time to our daughter.  We then had her party on Sunday which whilst was incredibly exciting, was a LOT of work!

As you know, I also run a party website, so I was designing printables to sell at a later date, coordinating the decorating and cooking (I do not cook, so this was a stress in itself!).

Whilst this was going on, we have just started a new business.  A coffee business, because everyone loves coffee right?  We have attended some training and we are really pumped about it….but that time and time to manage extra child care arrangements had to come from somewhere!

On top of everything, my work place (day job) is going through a major restructure.  We are all having to reapply for our jobs, and attend restructure meetings which means we have to work longer hours to get the rest of the work done.  ARGHHH….

I started getting a bit flustered trying to keep up the pace, which only lead to stress….too many 2am bed times, needing to be up by 7 and generally starting to feel a shadow of my former blogging self.

So what did I do?

I accepted that I was being absent, and accepted that the blogging world would go on without me, and realized that NO, my hard work and efforts to date would not be totally wasted, I would simply take a break.

Are my communities still here?  Yes

Have I still been receiving comments on the blog, even though I have not been able to personally return the kindness to comment on theirs?  Yes

Have bloggers such as Nisha Pandy over at SEO Techy World,  Rohit Virtuo at Yeah Blogging and Marc Andrew at Profit Blitz still been asking to feature me on their sites?  Yes

Have all my efforts to date been completely wasted?  No!

I can appreciate that this is a very long way of saying “Don’t give up”, but personal experiences can really help to make this real, rather than just reading words on a screen.

When things get difficult (which they will), take a step back and look at what the important things are.  Are you able to cut back on a post or two a week until you can get on top of things?

What do you think is better….cutting back for a short period of time or stopping altogether because it all got too much?

Let’s opt for the first option shall we?

A few weeks ago I spoke of your blogging “Why”.  This is the reason that will keep things moving for you and when you feel like giving up, focus instead on that WHY.

This is the reason why it is so important to be 100% focused and committed to your blogging why, because when you feel that you have nothing more left to give, you will opt for a ‘break’ or ‘slowing things down’ rather than giving up the ghost altogether.

Do you think that wanting to share information and wanting to connect with new people is enough to stop you giving up when things come crashing down?  I highly doubt it.  That intense why and burning desire inside you will help you to push through those boundaries and come out the other end.

So what are you going to do?

If you feel at burnout, or just simply struggling, take a step back to refresh.  The important thing here however is not to feel guilty about it.  If you feel guilty then you are just going to spend more time stressing about it and as a result wont have a break at all.

It is far better to take a break, recharge those batteries and come back when you are ready.  Keep your blog ticking over with a post here and there, and check in on your communities where you can.  If you are going to be taking an extended break, let people know and keep them updated with your progress.  People will relate because you know why??? They are people too and most likely have been exactly where you are now!

Your Turn:

If you would like some support and coaching to help you through the blogging hurdles, then I encourage you to sign up for our 12 module learn how to blog program.

Have you ever felt that you wanted to give up on blogging?

Have you ever slowed down on your blog to give yourself a breather and recoup?

I would love to hear your experiences, so please share below.

Photo Credit: Ray Smith, Flickr