
How to blog consistently and stay motivated
To blog consistently is no harder than eating healthy meals consistently or exercising consistently – basically, it’s hard, very hard.
And it’s not gonna happen without fail.
If you’re wondering how to blog consistently in spite of this I have 6 simple steps for you to build a consistent blogging habit:
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To Blog Consistently, First Know yourself
The secret to starting any habit and sticking to it, in the long run, is knowing yourself. I’m a big believer that the secret to consistency is not with someone else’s system or magic pill.
You need to know yourself, and how your brain works in order to create a system that works for you. Think of a time in the past when you created a habit and stuck with it. What did it take?
For example, I remember two habits I built and kept up for decades – running to train for marathons and then later going to the gym. In each case when I think back I realize that I failed multiple times before I decide to just add it to my schedule and do it daily.
I couldn’t stick to 4 days a week (which probably would have made more sense considering I lost way too much weight) but I couldn’t. I have an all-or-nothing approach – and I can only fit things into my schedule if they’re part of my routine.
So think back – how did you build habits in the past?
If you find it hard and don’t know where to start, a personality test might help. I love the Myers-Briggs personality test. (I’m an ENFJ). -
Write about those parts of your business that light you up to blog consistently
A simple secret to staying consistent is to find those things that motivate you naturally – the ones that require no effort. On the contrary, you often have to self-contain to not overdo it. Those parts of your business are the ones you should focus on.
So ask yourself.Which part/topics in your business do you talk too much about – never get tired of
talking about?
That’s what you should be writing about. If you have intrinsic motivation – nothing can
stop you. -
Pick a blog writing schedule that works for you
An important step is to pick a schedule that works for you. I like to dedicate different days to different priorities. It doesn’t mean I do only 1 thing daily – but I only have 1 main thing to deliver daily.
For example, Monday is writing day.
I have tried different schedules and found out that I write better when I haven’t looked at my inbox yet. I plan my week on a Sunday evening and also answer urgent emails, so on Monday morning, I’m free to write without wondering what’s in my inbox.
I also prefer to write weekly. Some people can batch a whole month in a couple of days.
Not me.
And what about you?
Which part of your week is the best day to write for you?
If you don’t know just try different days.
(I used to write on Wednesdays but always felt like I had too much on my mind until I heard Laura Belgray say she writes her emails on Mondays and thought Mondays would work for me too.) -
Have a consistency safety net (the cafe)
Even though you find your swing with a new routine, you will still have off days. Perhaps you had an argument with a loved one the day before, or you’re just feeling a bit off.
I have two ways of making sure I still get my writing done. If I’m feeling restless or bored, I’ll take myself to a cafe. Either my favorite or a new one. Changing my environment and treating myself to a nice lunch puts me in the mood to write.
When my office was noisy and I couldn’t afford to buy lunch every time, I still used to take myself to the local cafe and have a pot of tea. So do it your way but change your environment for some inspiration or a change of scenery.
If I’m feeling tired or under the weather sometimes I choose to do my writing in bed.
This often means I’m still in my PJs at lunchtime because all I’ve done is sit in bed writing until then. Drop the self-judgment and just do what works. Let yourself off the hook as long as you get the writing done.
And if you really can’t be asked just spend the time outlining your next posts with bullet lists and research – it will save you time next time even if you’re not particularly productive today -
Get back on the writing-horse when you fall off
A lot of my new clients treat blogging like dieting. They think that one missed blog post is a big deal and their blog’s success is ruined. But truly in the bigger scheme of things, a cheat meal every now and then and a missed blog post are not going to ruin your blog post ranking or drop your traffic much.
So don’t be so hard on yourself and simply get back on the horse as fast as you can. Sometimes you genuinely need a break, and it’s important to take a day off when you need one. It will make you more creative and productive next time.
Remember if you’re 85% consistent, you’ll get amazing results (this means that if you’re writing 2 articles a week you can miss 16 articles a year and still get great results.)
Want to talk about how you can build habits and systems that will generate consistent leads and clients from your blog? Book your free call here
———————— About the Author: Stephanie Fiteni
Hi, I’m Stephanie, a Content marketing strategist and traffic growth coach, creator of the Profitable Content Marketing Method. I help coaches generate more traffic and clients through their blogs and websites. And automate their social media posting.
My clients get fully booked with just 2 hours of marketing per week.
I have over 15 years of experience creating websites, writing blogs that convert, and ranking blogs on the first page of Google. I’ve also managed the content team in my own agency for over 10 years.
I can teach you how to create content that will convert your visitors into discovery call bookings. Let’s Talk