Not going to lie, I’m kind of nervous to share this with you. Not because I think you’ll judge me or anything dramatic (we’re all friends here), but man, putting it out into the world that I’m going to blog DAILY… well, that’s kind of nuts (and a little bit intimidating if I’m being honest with myself).
As someone who reads quite a bit about “blogging best practices”, attempting to blog daily goes against every fibre of my being (there I go, being dramatic again).
You’re supposed to create quality over quantity. You’re supposed to put hours in perfecting your blog posts before putting them out in the world. You’re supposed to write on super specific niche topics that can rank on Google and help very specific people with very specific problems/questions.
I know all this, and yet, this bores me to tears (there, I said).
I never signed up to be an internet marketer.
And I’m sure as hell no social media influencer (I’m legit probably the last person in the world who wants to be on camera everyday).
Don’t get me wrong, though, I find the world of internet marketing and social media fascinating, BUT at the end of the day, I’m a writer, and well, I haven’t exactly been true to that.
Okay, so why am I doing it then? Why am I committing myself to sitting down, everyday, and hitting that big scary publish button.
Because I’m crazy?
Nope.
Well…maybe a little.
But, really, it boils down to this: I’m doing it because I’m tired of forcing myself to mould this blog into what it’s supposed to be.
I’m tired of other so-called “experts” giving me anxiety about how I should/should not operate my own blog.
Because, here’s the deal (and this is probably the most important part of this whole post): a blog isn’t one specific thing for everyone.
A blog can be super niche specific.
A blog can be a tool to drive sales for your products/services.
A blog can be a place to share outfits, recipes, home decor, or your favorite lipstick.
A blog can be something you do totally for fun whenever the inspiration hits.
And, for a writer, a blog absolutely can be a place to publish thoughts, share stories, and connect with people.
Pick your poison. The ball is totally in your court.
If you’re interested, here are the four biggest reasons I’ve decided to commit myself to blogging EVERYDAY for the next 30 days
And yes, I picked an end date, because I want to give this my full effort, and I know myself well enough to know I need some type of specific goal with an end date to really make it work.
Not to mention, 30 sounds good and it happened to fall right on December 24th, and I think we all know the chances of me hopping on my computer on Christmas Day are slim to none.
Okay enough rambles, here we go…
1) I’m blogging daily because I need to challenge myself
Have you ever felt stuck in your life? Like you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, and ticking all the right boxes, but something just feels off?
If you’re a human being with a beating heart, I’m going to make the assumption that, yeah, you’ve felt this way.
For the past week or so, this has been me to the extreme: questioning whether I’m using my time to the best of my ability, wondering if I’m doing enough to drive myself forward, stressing over my goals and aspirations.
I knew I needed to do something different, but the more I tried to figure out what my “do something different” challenge would be, the more I stressed out.
Should I write a book? (a little too ambitious).
Should I start another blog (what? why?).
Should I switch up my topics so that I have a more defined reader? (um maybe?).
Should I try doing the whole social media influencer thing (fat chance, Andrea).
Should I pack up my life, hit the road, and try making it as the next Katy Perry? (ok, this was never an actual option, and I’m not sure why I picked Katy Perry, but there you go).
Or hey, maybe I should I just stop complaining and be grateful for what I already have going on? (well, perhaps, but this didn’t actually solve my problem).
The idea for daily blogging just kind of popped in my head, and almost immediately, I was like, yes!, this is what I should do.
Perhaps it’s selfish, and I’m not really sure me blogging everyday will help anyone or my bank account, but pushing myself to do something everyday, even when I don’t want to, is something that I NEED in my life right now.
And hey, pushing myself to blog everyday sounded much more enjoyable than pushing myself to workout everyday, so there’s that little win to take into account.
2) I’m blogging daily because I want to write more freely/be more authentic
Ugh, gag me, I hate the word authentic, so please forgive me for using it. It’s just the only word that fits what I want to convey here.
I kind of already alluded to this, but I’m tired of trying to mould my blog into what it’s supposed to be.
I’m tired of writing for SEO, and trying to pick the perfect topic that’s going to perform well on Pinterest.
There’s nothing wrong with either of those things, and I know they’ll still be an element of them in my posts (I’m not an idiot. I still want people to read my blog, and I recognize that I can’t just write about anything and everything).
BUT
…and this is a big but coming at ‘ya.
When I’m just writing for pageviews, it takes the passion out of it.
It starts to feel like work, and, while I don’t expect blogging daily to be all fun and games, by any means (refer to Point #1), I do suspect that there’s going to be a feeling of reward if I can write from a place of passion/inspiration rather than just chasing pageviews.
In other words, if my blog becomes more authentic, so do I, and that doesn’t sound like a terrible thing right now.
3) I’m blogging daily because I want to be a better writer/find my voice
As mentioned, I’m not an internet marketer, or a social media influencer.
I’m a writer.
And selfishly, I want to be a better writer, and I know that means I have to write more.
And no, not for clients, and not because I need the money.
But just because I need to get the thoughts out of my head, and down onto paper (or onto the screen, whatevs).
Sure, I could do that in a journal, or without publishing my thoughts on the internet, but again, it’s that accountability and challenge that I know will drive me forward with this.
I don’t suspect that everything I write everyday will be the greatest piece of writing you’ve ever come across. In fact, I suspect a lot of it will be pretty mediocre, but again, I’m not blogging everyday because I’m chasing the pageviews. I’m blogging everyday because I’m a writer who needs to write. Plain and simple.
Plus hey, if blogging (a.k.a. writing) everyday helps me with becoming a better writer, that’s certainly not a waste of my time.
4) I’m blogging daily because I think people want this kind of content
The last 3 points have been a lot about me, me, me.
I’m blogging everyday because I need the challenge. I’m blogging everyday because I want to be more authentic. I’m blogging everyday because I want to be a better writer.
Yeah, yeah, Andrea, we get it, this blogging daily thing is all about you…
But wait.
I actually think there’s more to it than that.
Sure, at the end of the day, the daily blogging thing boils down to me, but don’t get it twisted, I have you in mind, too.
How? Because I think the world of blogging is bound to eventually go back to its traditional routes of people blogging more from a place of passion and inspiration rather than as a business concept.
What I mean by that is that I think, when it comes to blogs and blogging, readers are looking for something a little more real.
Less “hey, buy these vitamins because they’ll make your hair grow like a weed” and more “let me share my story about this thing that happened to me, so it can help you.”
I mean, don’t get me wrong, there will always be a place in blogging for selling (I’m not hating on that, by any means), but I also think it’s possible that maybe you’re craving something a little deeper.
Who knows if I’m really the person to give you that deeper content, but hey, I’ll try like hell to be.
Oh boy, there we go, I wrote it. I wrote the first post in a series of (hopefully) 30.
And wow, not going to lie, it feels nice to finish something and not already be thinking about how I’m going to promote it.
Like I said, I don’t suspect this daily blogging journey will be all rainbows and butterflies, but hey, if I can get one rainbow and a couple butterflies out of it, I can live with that.
If you have thoughts on daily blogging, or just want to tell me I’m totally crazy for embarking on this little challenge of mine, feel free to leave me a comment down below. Would love to hear your thoughts!
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