I stumbled upon Darren’s blog Problogger years ago and have had a subscription ever since. Problogger is a “Blog that helps bloggers to add income streams to their blogs.” Will you become a pro blogger by reading Darren’s writing? You will never know unless you try!
Darren is not only a blogger but has some great, great eBooks that I highly recommend reading if you are wanting to learn more about blogging. One of my favorites being 31 Days to Building a Better Blog.
I have had some great conversations with Darren on Twitter and Google+. Not only is he amazingly knowledgeable about blogging but about social media and marketing also!
Back in 2002 I stumbled upon an article about ‘Blogging’. I didn’t know it at the time but that moment changed my life. – About Problogger
Recommended Reads
These are currently some of my favorite reads from Darren’s blog.
I will be sharing a new blogger with your next week. But I would love your input in the comments. What bloggers do you look up to and subscribe to? Is there someone you would like me to feature?
What keeps you motivated? How do you add a new habit to your life? Have you tried doing a 30 day challenge?
Hundreds of 30 day challenges exist, from fitness to photography. This says something about human beings doesn’t it? We love challenges! We love trying something new! We need repetition to build good habits!
My First 30 Day Challenge
My first 30 day challenge for myself was to do 30 straight days of exercise. I missed one day but allowed myself to have one day to make it up by doing two exercise sessions. I think that is part of making it through a challenge to not become discouraged when you miss a day. Just keep going.
By the end of the challenge I was finding myself wanting to get out and exercising. Which I have never had this urge in my life. Somehow my body had learned through the 30 days that exercise was good.
How did I do it?
I created a little sheet to mark off each day on my challenge. I made it fun and pretty. And I have it available for you to print off too. I wrote down what my challenge was (exercise) and wrote down my reward: Bundle Monster Nail Art Stamping Plates (affiliate link).
Each day I crossed off a mark and watched as I got closer and closer to my goal. It was fun and exciting to see my progress!
What’s My Next Challenge
Drinking 8 glasses of water every day for 30 days.
I have found that behind exercise and food, water is one of the biggest things that makes a difference in my weight loss. So for my next challenge I’m going to try and drink the recommended 64 ounces of water every day for 30 days.
Challenge Ideas
Drink Water
Exercise
No chocolate
No candy
No snacks after 7pm
Take a walk every evening
Blog everyday
Comment on 5 blogs everyday
Write for 30 minutes everyday
Take a photo a day
Learn a new word everyday
Hug your child everyday
Read your bible daily
No TV
One good deed a day
Clean your house
Cook at home every night
and more…
Now it’s your Turn!
One of the best things you can do when you are doing a 30 day challenge is to find support! Find someone to keep you accountable!
I’m now asking you to join me in a 30 day challenge of your own. Your challenge doesn’t have to be water or even fitness related. You could pick any of the challenges above or just make one that is your own.
If you are interested in joining in on this challenge then comment and tell me about the challenge you are going to do. If I have a few people interested we can talk about how to keep each other accountable and how to keep in touch (twitter, email, facebook, etc).
Last week I started this really fun series, if you missed the first featured blogger you have to check out Amy Lynn Andrews. In this series I’m sharing some of the great blogs and bloggers on the internet that you should really follow. Especially if you are learning and striving to become a blogger. I recommend not only following their blogs but also check out their other networking profiles.
I was already to feature another blogger this week when Nicholas popped up and was chatting with me on twitter about all things potty training. This is a great example of how to endure your readers to you, chat with them about more than you niche, chat with them about the everyday! To show that I appreciated the little chat I put off then scheduled post and bumped him up in my list. Yes Nicholas was already on the list!
Nicholas Cardot is the founder of the great blog Site Sketch 101.
I want to take my years of experience and pour them out so every one of you who has a desire to create amazing, appealing websites or blogs for your church, charity, business or self can get it done. – The Vision and Focus of Site Sketch 101
Nicholas is truly someone I look up to for his inspirational encouragement to bloggers to not let their blogs be mediocre but also to look at them as a piece of art that they are creating. He wants to help you make your blog appealing to your visitors.
Recommended Reads
These are currently some of my favorite reads from Nicholas’ blog.
I will be sharing a new blogger with your next week. But I would love your input in the comments. What bloggers do you look up to and subscribe to? Is there someone you would like me to feature?
I’m excited about this new series on Pepper Scraps. I want to share with you some of my favorite bloggers. Over the years of blogging I have met some amazing people and have found some outstanding blogs to read.
If you are striving to learn more about blogging then I want to share with you some of the best bloggers to start following. I recommend not only following their blogs but also check out their other networking profiles.
I’ve been reading Amy’s blog Blogging with Amy for over a year now. I love her voice and the simple way she explains everything.
This is a great place to visit if you want to learn more about blogging and the technical side of blogging.
One of the features I love on her site, especially for beginners, is that she shares a lot of her tips on video. If you are a visual person you will want to make sure and subscribe to her blog and Youtube channel!
The goal of BloggingWithAmy.com: To cover every major aspect of building a successful, smooth-running, money-making, self-hosted WordPress(.org) blog from the ground up. A step-by-step guide for beginners, a fill-in-the-gaps guide for pros. – About Blogging with Amy
You may be surprised to be finding me recommending a blog that is within my own niche of helping beginners improve their blogs. But I believe that to help you become the best blogger possible you should have multiple resources for information and tips.
Recommended Reads
These are currently some of my favorite reads from Amy’s blog.
I will be sharing a new blogger with your next week. But I would love your input in the comments. What bloggers do you look up to and subscribe to? Is there someone you would like me to feature?
I’ve talked to a few friends and acquaintances this past week about how the internet seems quiet. Less conversations on twitter, fewer updates on Facebook, and blogs are updating slower. Google+ even seems quieter.
This has even effected me as I posted this on my wall the other day to let my followers know I was still there:
Awe my poor social networks you have been deprived of my love, but what to expect when there is a day full of sun beckoning me outside. Especially with a week with the hubby at home. Filled our week with so much fun, I’ll be sharing the hundreds of photos soon, then maybe you will feel less neglected.
This is not just a summer effect. Sometimes when you start working too hard you may run into blogger burnout.
What do you do when this starts effecting your blog? How do you get yourself going again? How do you get out of the blogging blahs?
Take a Blogging Vacation
It’s okay if you need to step back from your blog and take a break. I don’t recommend just abandoning your blog with no word to your readers. Maybe write a short note to them about needing a break. What would be best is to take a break but still have some posts coming up on your blog. But how do you do this?
Try to post just once a week, maybe even write these 4 posts in one sitting. Schedule these posts out for the month and step away from the computer for the month.
[box type=”tick” style=”rounded” border=”full”]Quick Tip: Next time you really feeling the blogging groove, write 4 extra posts and save them for a rainy blog day. Try and make sure that you have 5-10 extra posts saved as drafts for days you don’t feel like posting, emergencies, or for blogging vacations[/box]
Another option is to do a quick call for guest bloggers to come in to fill the gap. You can still slow down your posting schedule, but have it set up so that others are doing the writing for you. This will fill in the gap at your blog.
Write on Paper
Sometimes blogging blues really are your brain giving you a clue you need a break from the computer.
We sit in front of it all day and it starts feeling like a chore. This is the time to pull out an old journal and start writing on paper.
Start small just doodle for a while or just start writing a list of headlines and blog post ideas. Don’t write full posts right away just little short jots.
[box type=”tick” style=”rounded” border=”full”]Quick Tip: Make sure and take this time you are away from your blog and go outside. The great outdoors will revive you and fill you with inspiration. Take a walk to a small park and just sit down and write.[/box]
The next step is to start making some list posts. Just write the idea and then the list not all the context just the basic list. Make a few of these post. The idea is to take slow baby steps back to blogging.
Before you know it you may be itching to get back to the computer.
Revisit Old Posts
Look back through your blog and read some of your old posts. You may find yourself inspired. This is a great way of reminding yourself why you are blogging and why you love blogging so much.
You might find that you have a post that you want to write more about or break it up and write a more detailed post on each major point of the post.
[box type=”tick” style=”rounded” border=”full”]Quick Tip: Find an old post that you loved. Write a few sentences about why you loved the post and repost the original content. This is a quick and easy way to get content up for your readers. You may be surprised at how many people may have missed it. Or if they did read it before they may talk about how the post effected them.[/box]
Challenge Yourself
Sometimes with blogging blues, just like weight loss, running and pain, you just have to work through it. You have to push yourself to keep writing.
[box type=”tick” style=”rounded” border=”full”]Quick Tip: Challenges are a great time to find a blogging buddy and have someone to help encourage you and cheer you on. Blogging buddies are a great also because you don’t want to let them down.[/box]
If you don’t want to do 30 days straight find a few memes that you want to join. The Daily Meme has some good lists or just do a call out to your blogging friends for some of their favorites. You may be surprised at the number of them out there!
If you don’t find a challenge that you like or a meme on a subject you want to post on then make your own! Start inviting your friends to join you. If you have others relying on you to get your post up you will make the extra effort to get it up.
Find 10 new blogs to read
If you are just feeling uninspired and don’t know what to write about. Take a day to just blog hop. Find at least 10 new blogs you love to read and spend some time on them. Read them everyday for a week and take the extra time to comment on their post.
[box type=”tick” style=”rounded” border=”full”]Quick Tip: Not sure where to start to find some new blogs to read? Check out #commenthour.Every week 25 blogs are featured in a one hour twitter chat. You can also sign up to get your blog featured. [/box]
What you may find is that they are talking about something you want to talk about on your blog. If you find yourself writing a super long comment turn around and make it a blog post as a reply to their post. Make sure and give credit back to them for inspiration and quote them if you can.
You may find that you find a new blogging buddy or at least find a new zeal for blogging.
Conclusion
No matter what you do take the time sit back and look at your blog. Remember why you loved blogging in the first place. Everybody runs into these road blocks in the creative community, the best thing is to relax and wait for the next wave of inspiration to hit.
Have you experienced blogging burnout? Have you found it hard to keep up with your blogging schedule this summer? How did you overcome this challenges?
I ran into the Target pharmacy to pick up the prescription I had called in hoping to just run in and out. I watched as an older lady talked to an older gentleman pharmacist waiting for my turn. The woman opened up the bottle and poured its contents into her hand making sure they gave her the right pills.
She threw the bottle down on the counter and the gentleman stepped away. A problem was brewing, I thought to myself and sighed as a second person lined up behind me.
The gentleman asked me my name and I happily gave it to him, maybe it was going to be quicker than I thought.
One of the young pharmasists came down and started ringing up the the older lady.
“She will ring you up in just a second,” the gentleman said. I realised he either didn’t know how or wasn’t allowed to use the cash register. I gave him a smile, I’m happy to be patient, it was nice of him to grab my bag for me.
He piles up the bags of the customers lined up behind me.
My attention is back to the older lady. She grabs out a sack of potatoes from her half full cart, “Can you ring up the rest of this too?”
Seriously? I think as I survey her cart half filled with everything from produce to a bra.
“I would normally but since we have a line I really can’t.” The young girl replied.
“Well I expect you to at least ring this up.” I’m not sure if she was speaking of her prescription or another pharmacy item, but she threw it at the girl.
At that point I made a decision, I wanted make sure that the girl knew that I appreciated her refusing to ring the lady up. I didn’t want her to have her last experience with her good customer service decision to be the negative reaction of that woman.
As the girl typed in my order I stated, “I wanted to thank you for refusing to ring her up.”
“What?” She was obviously caught off guard by my statement and I repeated myself. We smiled at each other and she said, “I just find that rude to even ask.”
What’s your point?
So what is my point behind this story? Sometimes you need to stop and thank someone. What they may have done may have been small or simple to do. Yet if you take the time and reward their good deed with a simple thank you, you may make their day. You may make a lasting impression. They may be more likely to do the right thing again.
Blogging Society
Has this been lost in the blogging world? Has technology and busy-ness stopped us from taking the time to stop and thank others?
Sure you can tweet a “TY”, but what impression can you make with someone if you stop and write a blog post thankimg them. Try this and see what happens. Take the time and encourage someone straight from your blog. I think you will not only create an impression on them, not only will you create an advocate for your blog, but you may even make a friend.
My Thank You’s
I’m dedicating this post to Lynda from Daily Window and Kim from Through the Lens of Kimberly Gauthier. Both of these ladies have been great online friends and have been a great encouragement to me as I grow my blog. These ladies are wonderful and I hope you will take some time and visit them.
(affiliate link).
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