Have you ever noticed that the less you do something, the less you want to do something? I noticed this the other day when I’d missed a workout at the gym. My brain started to talk me out of going for my next scheduled workout. Luckily my commitment to wellness prevailed and of course I felt amazing as soon as I got into the flow of my workout.

It’s the same with blogging. I’ve been blogging since 2004, and helping other people with their blogging and online writing since 2005. Yet lately I haven’t been feeling as enthusiastic about my blogging. Why? I’ve been missing the essential anchor of any blogging plan: a clear business goal.

I’ve been trying a few different things to launch and promote my new Content Mastery Formula program, and I’m not quite sure where to go next. This lack of clarity is leading to a lack of blogging momentum. Put them together, and I’m starting to feel some serious self-doubt.

I know that I’m not the only person in this situation, so I wanted to share some of the ways I’m approaching this situation and how you might as well, so we can all learn together as we proceed.

What’s most important is that we keep blogging, even through this time of uncertainty. I don’t want to stop blogging completely, or go into hiding. That’s important both for my business – my professional credibility – and also for myself. If I were to just disappear and say, “Well, when I get the rest of this sorted out I’ll jump right back into blogging,” I have a feeling it may not go as smoothly as that.

Here is what I’ve been telling myself through this time, and what I offer to anyone else in this situation:

1. Be gentle – Now is not the time to put pressure on yourself or hold yourself to a ridiculously unrealistic standard. If you’ve been blogging weekly, pare back to two or three times a month. If you’ve been blogging monthly, do try to keep that up, both for your own sense of momentum and also just so people keep you on their minds and in their hearts. That way they’re not completely surprised to hear from you after several weeks or months. But the trick is to write shorter posts and/or invite a guest expert to write or be interviewed about something they enjoy talking about, that will also be beneficial to your readers. Or experiment with other ways of producing content, like these Facebook Live videos I’ve been doing. A change in format may just be the boost your blogging needs.
2. Stick with the basics – Go back and cover topics that have gotten a good response before. Find a new slant or simply update the information with the additional experience you’ve amassed since you wrote the original. Don’t worry that you’ve already covered this – people either haven’t seen it, or they’ve seen it and loved it and will appreciate the reminder. If you’ve explained something hundreds of times, that just means hundreds of people have asked you about it, and that hundreds more are probably wondering the same thing. By focusing on the things you know inside and out, you’ll keep up your confidence and remind yourself and your audience of your core areas of expertise.
3. Be sincere – Don’t make false promises or pledges about how or when you’re going to “come back” or how much content you’re going to produce by a certain time. It’s up to you how much to share when you’re right in the middle of your process. Authenticity, honesty and transparency are precious (I’ve seen many business owners do this beautifully and naturally, including author and writing coach Debbie Weil who sent out an update about her personal situation right while I was preparing my notes for my FB Live presentation!), but you don’t need to let people backstage if that doesn’t feel right for you. It also depends on what type of business you have. If you’re a business coach, it may be very appropriate for you to talk about your process, because you help people with the inner workings of their own businesses. In my business and perhaps in your wellness business, this is not what we normally talk about with our clients, so stay broad and don’t get into too much detail. You can always tell the story later, once you know how it ends.
4. Seek clarity about your business – but don’t rush – Of course, we all get into states where we are feeling unsure about our business and where we’re going next, and of course we want to seek that clarity. But what I’m finding for myself is that I can’t rush this process. Let the clarity come in its own time, because I know it will, I trust that it will, and I trust it will for you as well. What feels most important is to keep seeking that clarity and stay open to receive – that might be an idea coming from someone you never expected, or other sources that have absolutely nothing to do with your business. It could be about seeking out specific counsel with people about your business, or it could just be sitting in quiet time to seek your own inner wisdom about what feels like the next right step for you.
5. Go back to the blog planning drawing board – when you’re ready – The good thing about my four-step wellness blogging plan is that you can use it over and over again as often as you need to. So when you do get that clarity about what you’re going to do in your business, then you can go back and start again with a new plan that matches your blogging goals with your business goals. You want to be writing about the things that your ideal clients want to learn about, and things that support what you’re trying to build and grow in your business. In the meantime, think about having a temporary blogging plan, even week by week if that’s what you can manage. I’m not writing posts according to the plan I created at the beginning of the year, but I trust that when I’m feeling that forward momentum again and a stronger sense of direction, I’ll go back and create another plan that will take me forward.

When you’re feeling confused about your business, it’s only natural for your blogging to stall. But there are ways to stay visible and keep offering value to your ideal clients, all while giving yourself the gentle space and self-care you need to find your footing again.

P.S. Want to watch the Facebook Live video where I discuss this topic in a bit more detail? Here’s your link.

I’m grateful to have a lot going on in my business and life these days. Yet it can be overwhelming, and sometimes I’m not sure what to do with these competing commitments.

It’s tough to acknowledge when I’m in a blogging slump, since I’m the one who’s supposed to have this blogging thing down. And I know better than to spend too much time taking you too far behind the curtain of my blogging habits. That’s not why you’re here. On the other hand, you need to know I’m not perfect at this – none of us can be.

So let’s look at three habits we can all use to get more blogging done:

1. Prioritize

Several times this week I decided to take my own advice and put my blog writing time ahead of my client work. It felt incredible to let that momentum and accomplishment propel me through the rest of my day.

By giving my blog writing the best part of my day, I’m showing myself, the universe, and my readers that this blog is a priority for me. Now this doesn’t mean I don’t do anything else during this energetic prime time, but by blogging first I’m taking a stand for myself and for the readers I’ll help with my blog posts.

I often use a Pomodoro timer for these sessions. That means I work for 25 minutes and then stop for a 5-minute break. This is partly so I don’t get carried away and run out of prime time for other important tasks, and partly to force myself to stick with the writing process, even if I feel stuck or want to procrastinate.

Here’s what Marie Forleo says about doing your creative work at the beginning of your day.

2. Calendarize

I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again – what gets scheduled, gets done. When I’m super-busy like I am now, I tell myself I don’t have time to plan my time. Yet it always backfires on me because it’s the planning that helps me get things done.

It’s the structure that gives me freedom to adhere to my calendar and trust that things will be taken care of, knowing I can always adjust my plan if I need to.

If blogging is on my calendar at the start of every work day, I don’t schedule meetings for that time, and I don’t count on that time for client or project work. Of course I can make exceptions, but when a blogging session is on my calendar I’m far more likely to reschedule it than let it fall through the cracks.

3. Systematize

When I feel intimidated by a big pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen, or unloading a week’s worth of groceries from the car, I often tell myself to just turn on my auto-pilot.

Just put one foot in the front of the other and start. One dish at a time, they will all get clean. One bag at a time, they will all get into the house and be put away.

Whenever I have a system or routine built around something, I can use this tactic. My muscle memories and habits take over, and the task is done before I know it. When it comes to blogging, I have a 7-step blog writing system in place, which means I can always turn on the auto-pilot and know which specific actions to take.

One word at a time, a blog post gets written.

Want to learn my 7-step blog writing system? Join my next free live online training, Write More, Earn Less With Blog Posts That Are Easy to Write and Irresistible to the Perfect Clients for Your Health and Wellness Business.