I love my blog. It’s exciting to get to share experiences and ideas with people, and to spark up conversations that may never have occurred without my blog post being out there in the first place.
Blogging, though, is a bit of a commitment. Once you start to blog regularly, it can feel like you’re running cross-country: Sometimes you’re strong in your stride and the blog posts practically write themselves, and other times each step you take–and word you write–is a massive achievement.
When that publish date looms and you just don’t want to write anything, what’s a regular blogger to do? (Assuming that you’ve been here a while and all your backup posts are gone, of course!)
Here are 10 things to do (in no particular order) when you just can’t bring yourself to blog today, but you know you need to:
1. Post a picture and say a few words about it.
Here’s a drawing of a quote from one of my personal heroes, Diana Vreeland:
Having grown up on Star Trek reruns, and seeing what our world has accomplished today, I absolutely believe that our imaginations are our reality: what we imagine, we create!
2. Whip up a video of you sharing a particularly pithy insight and post that.
Sometimes it’s easier to speak to the camera than it is to actually sit down and write a blog post. In those instances, why not let the camera do the heavy lifting for you?
Here’s a video with a little Good Enough reminder just for you!
3. Pick a prompt from the can.
Sometimes the resistance to sit down and blog is simply from not knowing what to write about next. I like to pit ideas for blog posts into a can, and when I’m not sure what to write about next, I simply pick one and draft the post up. The prompt gets me started, and even if I don’t publish it that particular round, the draft gives me something to refine for a future date’s post.
4. Pass the pen.
If you’re wanting a little new blood or fresh thinking, invite a guest blogger to post or even interview someone and shape that into a blog post with your own additional insights and commentary reflecting on what they shared with you.
For example, check out this Good Enough drawing post that grew out of me videoing my business coach showing me how her grandmother taught her how to draw a pig.
5. Pick another topic.
This week I thought I would post about a whiteboard animation issue, but just wasn’t “feeling” the topic for writing purposes. So I gave myself permission to write about something else, without specifying what that “something else” had to be. That’s when I had the thought, “yeah, you could write about 10 things to do when you don’t want to blog and you have a looming deadline!” So here we are: instant blog post that still delivers something helpful to the reader. (I hope!)
6. Identify 52 things you believe.
This works really well, especially for seeding your can of blog post ideas! Here’s how it works: sit yourself down with a pad of paper and think about the beliefs you hold. To pull an Oprah, we’re going for the “this I know for sure” types of beliefs. If you blog for your business, look at your beliefs around business. If you blog for moms, look at your beliefs around motherhood and family. Write them all out, and keep going until you’ve got 52. Cut them up into individual pieces and drop them in your writing prompt jar. You now have a blog post topic for each week of the year!
7. Declare a blog holiday.
When I think I can’t take a break from my blog, I remember Jon Stewart.
He tapes The Daily Show every day of the week…except for when he goes on vacation. Then the show play reruns. When Jon returns from his break, the comic journalist is revived and ready to go again.
As bloggers, we need a vacation, too, to keep our minds fresh and our edges sharp. So schedule periodic breaks from blogging and share a post or two from the vault or your perennial favorites list.
8. Hold a contest.
Propose a topic and ask folks to enter by contributing to the conversation in the comments section. Everyone who contributes gets entered to win a fabulous prize! Perhaps it’s a copy of your book, or even a free seat in an upcoming event or training!
(Hey, let’s do this! [highlights color=”ffea00″]Leave a comment with “p.s. pick me!” on this blog post and be entered to win a free ticket for my 4-part webinar series on how to train to be a whiteboard animation ninja![/highlights] Contest runs from July 3rd through 4th, 2014, and I’ll pick one winner at random on July 5th. First prize is a free ticket, and runners-up will receive an exclusive discount code for the webinar!)
9. Create a “10 Things” list.
Why not share 10 things from your perspective instead of focusing on a traditional blog post? Hmm…this sounds strangely familiar right now. Oh yes, that’s what I did for this blog post! ;^)
10. Don’t “blog.”
Marketing expert Rebecca Tall Brown is a firm believer that we’ll do something if we think it will be fun. I didn’t like to hold workshops, for example. Brown said “fine! What do you love to do?” “Parties and fun gatherings,” I said. So my workshops became Stick Figure Strategist Parties, and they’ve been a solid hit, something I look forward to hosting for my groovy party peeps (aka workshop participants). So if the thought of blogging makes you die a slow death, then ask yourself: what would be fun for you to do instead? Perhaps you’ll discover that your blog doesn’t want to be a “blog:” it wants to be it’s own kind of party!
So the next time you’re feeling stuck or don’t think you can bust out a blog post in time for publication, pick one of the above ideas and go for it! Who knows, you may write something worth sharing with 17 minutes to spare before deadline! ;^)
I cannot wait to see what you draw forth,
p.s. pick me!
Congrats, Piotr, you’ve been picked! :^D