I’ve had this site www.timgardner.info for almost 4 years. Its had numerous iterations, mostly aesthetical or functional tweaks (perfectionism is a ridiculous boondoggler). Its had themes, plugins and widgets thrown at it. Its been 404 idol, broken for extended periods because fix >.< ??? (thanks for the awesome support BlueHost 🙂 I’ve even spent time hacking away at some of the code with amateuristic enthusiasm. But the one thing that’s always been wrong with this website is that it has always lacked content. Sure I’ve written some things and posted them, back in the day. But I deleted that because…? So now 5 compelling reasons why I left this site mostly a dormant blank canvas for the last 43 months…
1. whats the point
So what is your why? I set this site up 4 years ago with the intention I’d write about and share travel adventures (I’d swapped Australia for Asia for 2 years 2010 – 2012). The writing didn’t happen. I convinced myself I was too busy traveling to write anything or I made up some other BS indolent justification. See I’ve always enjoyed writing, should do it more often. But when you lack a clear purpose, your motivation will continually get more and more retarded. This time, my reasons for blogging now are numerous;
- The older I get the more I struggle to recall my cool stories. I want to write them down before I forget them forever.
- I want to build a community outside of my Facebook page.
- I firmly believe that consistently blogging will bring more opportunities my way.
- Sean Ogle inspired me to do it.
2. don’t know how to
You don’t know how to blog? That’s rubbish. It’s 2014. Blogging is super simple to do these days and there are numerous blogging platforms to use. WordPress is the most popular. 18.9% of all websites on the entire internet are powered by WordPress. It offers the most flexibility and functionality (this website uses WordPress with hosting by BlueHost 🙂 Blogger is the second most popular blogging platform. It’s a solid Google product and is harmonious with the the Google ecosystem. Tumblr is the third most used blogging platform. It’s the easiest to use and is best if you like to add lots of multimedia. I use a Tumblr because it integrates with my Instagram and then I use a plugin that automatically uploads my Instagram photos to the left hand column of this website. There are other smaller and more niche blogging platforms available but it is best to stick with what’s used the most when you’re starting out.
You can also do a blog post direct from your smartphone by using the WordPress Mobile App
www.timgardner.info WordPress App
WordPress for Android & Wordpress for iOS
3. nothing interesting to share
Yep. That’s probably true. You have absolutely nothing interesting to write about. And that’s probably what you’re thinking when you’re first starting out. So what can you do about it? Start with writing about some broad generic topic, like traveling, and then go from there. Don’t worry too much about not having a definitive topic to write about. If you’re consistently writing, your blog will evolve over time and you can narrow down your niche. And here’s a hot tip – get into the habit of writing your ideas down before you forget them, Evernote is great for this. Or if you’re old fashioned, get a piece of paper and a pencil and WRITE your IDEAS down!
4. observational paralysis
This is the number 1 reason why I never got around to consistently blogging. I was paralyzed by a covert and nonsensical fear. It was lodged deep in the back of my mind. This fear is not uncommon to the wannabe blogger or any other doer of creative things. It is the fear of observational paralysis. It’s when you stare at your incomplete masterpiece (the words, sentence structure and literal flow etc) for so long to get your work absolutely perfect that you never end up completing anything because perfectionism. There’s that old saying, “You’re your own worst critic”. Well it’s true. Your audience will never care much about what you’ve created as much as you do. The only way to get over this fear is for you to just bloody get on with it and don’t worry about the consequences. Being consistent will make up for your ridiculous self doubting of your obvious talent.
5. who really cares anyway
You do. You care. Because you’re number 1! That’s why it’s imperative that you keep your focus on your why. At the end of day, nothing really matters unless you make it matter. Just maintain that consistency. And eventually somebody will come along and care about what you’re doing and that’ll give you the spark you need to maintain your momentum and reach your goals. So, for now, just keep going and write away!
Can you think of any more reasons why you haven’t been blogging when you really wanted to?
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