Do you ever feel like you’re in a fog when you try to blog?
- You just don’t feel motivated.
- You’ve used up your mental bandwidth with work, meetings, pressing projects, distractions – creativity drained.
- You sit down at the computer with good intentions, find other things to do, and spend your time commenting on other blogs instead.
- You write. Your thoughts are disjointed. You close your draft for another day, another week, another year… You end up with more Unpublished posts than Published.
Been there. Done that? Then you know about Blog Fog!
I made up that term yesterday to describe my condition. I quickly jotted down this acronym:
F – Frenetic
O – Obstacles
G – Got me down
Blog Fog is a state in which one does not write content worthy of being posted to a blog. It’s the condition in which Frenetic Obstacles Get you down.
When the Blog Fog rolls in, interest and enthusiasm to write meaningful content go away. One lacks the warmth of solar-powered creativity.
This state may be caused by one or more of the following:
- Feelings (emotions/reactions/state of mind);
- Technical issues (computer/software challenges);
- Lack of planning (failure to set measurable goals that have purpose);
- Life (unexpected events).
My Barriers to Blogging
Blog Fog has rolled in recently for this sunny California gal. (One of the things I do not miss about living in Monterey is…the fog!) I love life and try to find the silver lining in all challenges. The past few months have provided a lot of opportunities to seek silver linings. Recent unexpected business changes, packed schedule, and hospitalization of my mother-in-law have provided opportunities to re-evaluate priorities.
It’s time to set boundaries and blow away the barriers to blogging.
Blowing away the Blog Fog
You can blow away the Blog Fog to let the sun shine of clarity fill your mind.
Here are my thoughts about working toward clear skies. I’ll take the following actions, when I…:
- get zapped by negativity in Social Media spaces… Think “Water. Duck. Back.” Disconnect periodically, take time away from SM.
- experience overwhelm from trying to do it all… Stop. Set boundaries. Work strengths, not weaknesses.
- am challenged with my blog theme CSS… Find another theme. Plan a redesign.
- get frustrated with WordPress’s editor… Research, test and find a text editor that is more user-friendly.
- am unsure what I want to say next, not wanting to rinse and repeat latest news or other blog posts… Ask self: “Who is my audience? Who cares? What am I trying to share? How will it add value and help?
- start posts without finishing… Create a content strategy plan, and follow it.
- schedule too much, get enthusiastic about too many ideas, talk too much… Take a step back. Listen. Plan realistically. Count to 10 or let 24 hours pass before committing to anything.
- feel like life’s out of control… Readjust accordingly. Plan for the unexpected and allow down time. Schedule time for rejuvenation.
Clear skies!!! It’s time to let the sun shine on blogging again!
The following quote summarizes one way to blow away the Blog Fog:
Creators start at the end. First they have an idea of what they want to create. Sometimes this idea is general, and sometimes it is specific. Before you can create what you want to create, you must know what you are after, what you want to bring into being.
-Robert Fritz
Read that one more time. “…Know what you are after, what you want to bring into being.”
Tags: Lack of Planning, Life, Motivation, Technical Issues
Thanks for the great post Dana. I also find my self in a “Blog Fog” mainly due to lack of planning. Although I would love to post at my blog everyday, it seems I haven’t either found the time or planned the time to do so. Anyways thanks for your tips above very helpful.
Joining the Trust Guard Team:
Garrett,
Thank you so much for sharing. The planning aspect is tough. Honestly, I do much better at planning and execution for clients. Sometimes, working on my own stuff feels selfish. I think of your site, however, and every post adds value. That’s a great way to plan!
Hi, Dana! I have often felt this way too. Blogging can be very time-consuming. Until my business blog “broke” (long story; it’s being migrated & redesigned as we speak), I had set a schedule to have a new post up every Monday. On one hand, I like being consistent, but on the other, it was added pressure.
Right now, I’m working on several posts so that when my blog is fixed, I will have a few ready to go. I hope to keep up the pace so I’ll always have a few in the wings rather than feeling frantic every Sunday night
Lori, It’s amazing how blogging juices can be zapped, while at other times, words, thoughts and metaphors flow from the end of the fingers. Keep that creativity shining when it hits so you can keep that schedule! That’s a lot of pressure for Sunday nights! But you have the end goal in mind, and that’s the best start!
Imagine you have a good mechanic to fix that blog. My previous blog broke on a hosting server, and they didn’t allow access to the database (or didn’t know about it). All was lost, and it took almost a year to even want to blog again.
Thanks for stopping by. Hearing from you helps keep the blog fog away!
Hi Dana,
That a nice creative term, Blog Fog. It can feel like a sinking ship and sometimes lasts for a few days, which is an awful feeling. I find that it usually happens to me when I am overwhelmed with caregiving and trying to do all of the other things that need to be done. But, there are clear skies after the fog!
Caregiver Burnout – Don’t Let It Happen to You!:
Valerie, Very nice to have you stop by again. Do focus on those clear skies!
I can’t imagine the fog of caregiving and the ever-constant demands. I just noticed on your blog that your family is sharing responsibilities. The act of posting such information helps to clear the blog fog! What a fantastic video! Hope you can find some times of creativity amidst so many demands.
Dana