I think it’s pretty safe to say that most, if not ALL bloggers have gone through periods of time where their blog motivation falls flat.
Let’s face it: blogging is hard, especially when you’re struggling to gain readers and earn an income.
How can you keep your blog motivation strong when you’re feeling demotivated? Remembering why you started your blog in the first place, setting realistic goals and showing up as often as possible to do even just a little bit of work on your blog are among some of the top ways to stay motivated.
Check out these tips that will help you stay on track throughout your blogging journey:
Tip 1: Remember your “why”
So, why did you start your blog in the first place? Do you want to…
- Generate income?
- Quit your job and become your own boss?
- Become a digital nomad?
- Become financially-free?
- Interact with like-minded people?
- Teach, help and inspire your readers?
I know it may seem difficult to continue when you’ve lost all your motivation… Putting in so much effort and not receiving anything back is tough. But you won’t get where you want to be if you quit! Remember why you started your blog and get excited about achieving your ultimate goal!
Tip 2: Set realistic goals
Setting realistic goals will make things much easier on yourself. If you set unrealistic goals, you can easily become demotivated when you don’t achieve them. They may even seem too overwhelming to attempt at all!
It’s okay to have big goals, just be sure to take a step back and decide whether or not you can really achieve what you have in mind with the deadlines you’ve given yourself.
If you think your goals are too unrealistic, break them down into smaller, easier goals. You’ll get where you want to be in no time!
Tip 3: Make sure you’re writing about something you enjoy
Unless you’re planning on purchasing your blog posts from other writers or you happen to have very strong willpower… Make sure you’re writing about stuff that you actually enjoy!
Of course, things can’t always be completely your own way. When it comes to making money with your blog, the most important factor in your blog posts is that you’re giving the reader information that will help THEM.
So you do have to cater your content to your readers. But doing that is a million times easier if you actually enjoy the topic that you’re writing about.
Tip 4: Get inspired by successful bloggers
Visit your favorite blogs and read their stories. You’ll find that just about all of them started from the very bottom before getting to where they are today. If they can do it, then so can you!
If you want some quick inspiration, check out my blog post on 10 super successful blogs. All of the blogs in that list started at level 0 until eventually turning into thriving businesses that earn crazy money. One of those blogs earned over $300,000 in a single month! Talk about inspiring, right?
Tip 5: Do the fun stuff
What is it about blogging that you love the most? Here are a few tasks other than writing blog posts that you may enjoy:
- Editing photos
- Brainstorming ideas
- Doing research
- Writing drafts
- Promoting your content
- Connecting with readers and bloggers
Take a break from your difficult tasks and do the stuff you find the most fun for a while. Doing so will remind you why you love blogging in the first place and help you stay on track.
Tip 6: Look at past blog posts that you’re proud of
Looking at blog posts that you’re proud of will remind you of the great things that can come from your time and effort.
Personally, I think this is one of the best ways to rekindle your blogging motivation. What’s more motivational than being inspired by your very own work?
Be proud of what you’ve done and know that you’re capable of doing excellent work when you set your mind to it!
RELATED: Having a hard time writing blog posts? Check out my post on how to write for yourself while writing for your readers to make help writing a little easier.
Tip 7: Show up every day
Think about it this way: blogging is like exercise. The longer of a break you take, the harder it’ll be to get back into it.
Trust me on this, I’ve gone through weeks and weeks of trying to pump myself up to start blogging after taking too long of a break! Keep your motivation flowing by showing up to your blog every day and putting in even just a little bit of work.
Tip 8: Set up a work timer
Working under a time limit followed by a break will help take away the fear that you’ll be working with no end. The timer will also create a sense of urgency for you to get a decent amount of work done before it goes off.
DeskTime, a productivity tracking app, did a study which showed that the most productive employees worked for 52 minutes followed by a 17 minute break. The reason why the 52:17 ratio worked so well was because the 52 minutes acted as a “quick sprint” of dedicated work, while the 17 minute break helped reset the worker and prepare them for another “sprint”.
52:17 isn’t the only effective work-break ratio. The Pomodoro technique is a popular option in which you work for 25 minutes straight followed by a 5 minute break. You can also come up with your own work-break ratio that works best for you.
Tip 9: Write out your wildest dreams
It may sound silly, but writing out your wildest dreams and goals for your blog will get you excited about the possibilities.
Don’t hold back with this. Do you want to earn 5 or even 6 figures from your blog every month? Write it down! No dream is too big.
This can really help motivate you to keep going. After all, you’ll never know if you can get where you want to be if you don’t try.
Final thoughts & a little blogger pep talk
If you read through all these tips, then you’re probably having a difficult time with your blog at the moment. Let me tell you; I know how you feel. Blogging isn’t as easy as it looks!
You’ve probably heard this before: Most businesses (yes, blogging is a business!) FAIL. Why? Because people quit before they reach success. Often times, people give up when success is right around the corner and they don’t even realize it.
So, remember this when you’re feeling demotivated: Only those who quit won’t make it, and only those who keep going can make it.
So keep going! You can do it!
Need more help? Click here to check out my blog post on how to get back into blogging after a hiatus.