TIME TO STOP BLOGGING

 

Blogging has its good points:

It forces you to write regularly and helps you discipline yourself in your craft.

Blogging can also become a dysfunction:

     It can become a people-pleasing addiction that saps you of your creative edge.

     The  writer must beware of and take caution when using this tool for one reason:

          Writing solely for others can cost you your inner
          compass without which you
          find yourself cast adrift on the tides of popular opinion.

Blogging can take a lot of your time and not increase your sales by one book.

     So it’s really important to be clear about what you’re
     trying to accomplish,
     and how much you’re willing to put into it.

Because life is short, and you don’t want to burn time or energy on the wrong thing.

     Isn’t that one of the tenets of most blog discussions?
     One of the most important rules we all agree on,
     now that we’re old enough to know better?

Questions to ask:

     1.) Do you spend hours daily reading and commenting?

     2.) Has blogging become a fun club whose dues are
          never writing your novels?

     3.) When all is said and done, do you read any 
           bloggers who have something to say
           beyond just being clever?

     4.) Are you spending all your time consuming
          versus producing?

          (Avoidance results in zero progress and most
           social media activity is avoidance.
           And if you have no plan,
           maybe you should untether from social media 
           for a while.
           Give yourself a break and experience life.)

     5.) Is there any benefit to just bonding over the
          cyber-waves?

          (Actually there is: oxytocin, a chemical boost that
          can be scientifically measured.)

WHAT TO DO:

     1.) Reflect on why you started?

         Have your goals changed?  Most start a writing blog
         to further their novels.

         You convinced yourself that that the late nights
         and weekends spent writing content,
         fixing that broken logo or researching your niche
         will pay off,  soon you'll be free.

     2.) Consider time cannot be replaced.

          Have you lost count the amount of the times
          you’ve let your spouse and kids down
          because you needed to fix a blog, somehow justifying
          it with these words:

         “When I’m successful I’ll have plenty of time and

           plenty of money

         to do what the family want to do,

         right now I need to put the effort in; I’m investing

         in our future”.

 

     3.) If you have ... STOP AND REFLECT.

 

          Missing out on your kids growing up,

         neglecting your loved ones simply cannot be replaced

         and no matter how successful you become,

         regardless of how much money you earn

         you won’t be able to get these priceless times back.

 

     4.) You need to put effort in if you want to create a successful blog

 

          The trick is to figure out which effort is worth

          making and which isn’t!

 

          The thing to remember:

          You’re blog will be here tomorrow, your family might not!

 

     5.) It’s never too late to put it right:

         

         You’re in the driving seat - only you can decide to

         get organised

         and create a decent work life balance.

 

     6.) Priorities

 

          Family first.  Your job second.  

          Your friends third.  Writing fourth.  Your blog fifth.

 

          The above can change with each person, but you

          get the picture:

          Only you know your life and what is important

          enough to you to sacrifice for.

 

         What about you? Why are you blogging?

         What do you get from it?

         Are you having second thoughts?