How to Stay Motivated to Blog

So…yeah. This is my first blog post in two and a half weeks. Helloooo there!

What better topic to tackle then, than motivation. Specifically, how to stay motivated when it comes to blogging.

How I Do It

My key to keeping my motivation when it comes to creating content for this blog is that I don’t have a key.

I mean, I do. But I don’t. Meaning, yes I always have an open mind when it comes to post topics, and yes it’s ingrained into the background of my everyday thoughts, and yes I do whatever it takes to record a post topic the moment it pops into my head. However, I don’t push it.

On Not Pushing It

I tweeted yesterday that if you have to sit down in front of Twitter.com and “think” of something to tweet, you’re doing it wrong. You’re pushing it. You’re manufacturing it. Blogging, for most of us, is the result of a passion. And you can’t force passion.

There’s a fine line between forcing passion, yet still building your blog and providing content and expanding your business behind the blog by continuing to do it even when you don’t feel like it. Yes, keep your business going (if you have turned the passion of your blog into a business), but shy away from forcing it.

So when my passion shifts focus outside of my blog for a period of time? I let it.

Take Advantage of the High-Passion Moments

Focus intently on creating habits to keep your blog in the back of your mind at all times. Look at your every day experiences in a new light; how could they be valuable to your audience? Record them immediately for later use. Record them so you don’t forget them later, and so you can promptly forget them in the now. This is the efficient, business part.

The business part wouldn’t exist without the passion part, though.

When your passion is overflowing, add the business piece and record those topics like you’ve never recorded topics before. Write out full posts until your heart’s content.

When the passion wanes, don’t force it for business’ sake. If you have to choose, pick quality over quantity. Both are preferable, but quality wins by a hair.

Let what’s important take the lead. When you’re letting the passion drive you, manufactured motivation takes a back seat, you see?

The Short Version

How do you stay motivated to blog? Find your line between passion and business, and go with the flow. The motivation will come along with the rest.

(Thank you, James H, for suggesting I finally record how I “stay motivated.”)

Agree? Disagree? Let me hear it in the comments.

Tagged as: blogging, business, motivation