2 Reason People Stop Blogging

Someone asked me recently how often I blog.  I told them it used to be everyday but then it switched to every other day.  I then had to admit that now I just do it whenever I feel like it, which is a few times each month.

This isn’t a bad thing.  I do it for leisure and self reflection and don’t get paid for it. I’m not expected to blog a certain amount by anyone as it’s currently just a hobby.  Its my way of keeping a journal that hopefully helps others.

What I’m noticing though is that I’m not blogging for 2 reasons and I don’t like either one of them. I don’t have time and I don’t know what to write about. 

The truth is we have time for what we make time for.  It’s not that I don’t have time in my day, its that I’m filling that time with something else.  If it’s family then I’ll trade that everyday.  But if it’s something else then I need to reevaluate my schedule.

I don’t know what to write about because I haven’t been learning as much as I have in the past.  I’m slacking on my reading, connecting with people, and learning from social media. 

Obviously, I like it when people read but that’s not why I started blogging.

I started blogging to practice writing so that I could write a book someday.  Well this year is the year.  I have a few book ideas and I’ll narrow it down to one sometime soon.  I’m not expecting a New York Times best seller but rather just want to go through the process and get something out there. 

If you have a productive hobby that you’ve been neglecting, perhaps you need to reevaluate and reprioritize your schedule.  However, if you have an unproductive hobby such as video games or stamp collecting, keep neglecting it and find something productive to do.  J

The Who, What, When, Why, & How of Blogging

I never thought I would be a blogger.  In fact, thought it was pointless and secretly made fun of blogging.  The next thing I know, I have been blogging for 6 months and this is my 70th blog post!  Here is the Who, What, Where, When, & Why of blogging.

WHY blog?  There are countless reasons to blog.  Here is why I do it.  There are lessons that I have learned that have changed me for the better.  By blogging, I can share these lessons with others so that they may be changed for the better as well.  Share the things that make your life better.

WHAT to write about?  Blog about what you know.  Everybody has something they know a lot about and enjoy talking about.  Whatever that is for you, why not take the conversation online?  You don't have to be an expert, just write what you know.  A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer.  It sings because it has a song.  Start singing! 

WHO reads blogs?  Blogs are the new magazines.  Eventually you are going to attract some followers.  Maybe it's friends and family but maybe it spreads to people you've never met.  These people are reading because they not only like what you have to say but enjoy the topic.  I have learned this the hard way by blogging about some random stuff and losing people's interest.  Just stick to what you know.

WHEN to blog?  Often.  If you want people to read your blog then it is helpful to blog regularly.  When I first started, I blogged about every other day.  Due to some writers block and a busy schedule I have been blogging about once a week.  Because of this, my blog traffic has been cut in half.  Learn from my mistakes and blog consistently. 

Tip - Just Write.  There are times when I feel like writing and sometimes I don't.  Sometimes I feel good about a post and sometimes I don't.  The interesting thing is this:  Some of the posts that I feel good about get zero response while the ones I feel bad about get a lot of comments.  The point of this is that you never know who might need to hear what you have to say.  So stop trying to make it perfect and just write!

HOW to advertise?  Share it on Facebook and Twitter.  Over 80% of the people that read my blog do so via Facebook and 10% via Twitter.  Without sharing my blog on Facebook and Twitter I would lose 90% of my readers. Enough said.  However, even if nobody reads your blog, you will be surprised at the benefits you will personally receive by going through the process.


Do you blog?  Why or why not?

Thank You

Writing Thank You cards is a lost art.  Thank you e-mails, texts, facebooks, etc are good, but they don't have the same impact as taking the time to sit down and hand write a card.  Write a thank you card this week to someone.  How about your mom for mothers day!

Thank you for reading my blog!  I would send you a hand written card but I don't know who you are.  I've come to find out this is the strange part about writing a blog; its hard to know what to write about when you don't know who's reading.

As you can see the blog title is "Learning Is A Drug" because I am seriously addicted to learning.  My hope is that you learn something from each post and if you like it, share it with others.  

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog.  Out of curiosity, leave a comment to let me know which blog post is your favorite.