Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Does Your Blog Own You? 3 Ways to Rethink it & Make it Yours Again

does your blog own you, does blogging consume your life
Lately I have felt like an absolute slave to my blog. Life’s circumstances have been overwhelming (a sick pet,  my wedding is two weeks away, putting in longer hours at the “day job,” etc.), and with all of my energy, time, and resources, I’ve only been able to put in about 1/10th of the work that I usually do toward it. I feel extremely guilty, as well as ensnared, trapped, and as if the site truly owns me.
Why? For one, I’ve set goals and expectations for it and myself that are perhaps on a superhuman level, and unattainable in the first place. I also don’t want to let my readers down, who, in my circumstance, have come to rely on certain types of content live on the site at least every day.  I need to set the reset, and maybe even the HARD reset button on this process, as it has become more draining than enjoyable. For those of you that feel the same way, here are three tidbits of advice that I am executing, that may help you gain a better blog equilibrium as well!
Focus ONLY on What Excites You Most
I have found that when I see the list piling up of “to-dos” as far as articles I have to write, so does the mounting fear, dread, and anxiety that I’m never going to get to it all in the tiny amount of time that I have to squeeze it in.  If, however I start with the item that excites me most, it gives me the drive and fulfillment to feel content with what I just got done. The adage goes that the hardest part about writing is getting started, so if you can start with the aspect you love most, be it outfit pics, product reviews, fashion news, etc, then go for it! It will most likely get your creative juices flowing, and leave you in a much better place mentally.
Be Candid with Your Readers
Sometimes it is a relief to “come clean,” and in this case, let your readers know how much you love and appreciate them, but  will be posting less frequently or need some time to rehash the site. Being upfront and honest about being busy, feeling overwhelmed, or burnt out sooner than later will give you the immediate release from the pressure of feeling compelled to constantly be working on your blog. Plus, everyone is so busy, I’m pretty sure your readers will understand! It’s so much better to let them know, instead of them wondering why you haven’t posted in a long time. Thinking about how you can best utilize your blog and time might be something you want to deliberate for some time, and you may decide to go niche or take it in a whole direction;  it may make your readers feel more involved if you give them a head’s up/sneak peek of what’s to come when you figure it out.
Seek Help
Know some college-age fashionistas? Friends who love to write?  A younger cousin obsessed with fashion? Tap them to write for you once in a while! It will refresh the content on your site to hear from a new voice, and give you some time to really make those posts that you want to work on most robust and memorable. Also tap into your blog network (IFB, ahem!) and see if anyone would be interested in post exchanges – most likely you will get an enthusiastic response.

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