Update October 2017
When this post was first published 5 years ago the blogosphere was a different place and this blog had a different focus than it does now.
This particular post linked to about 9 different bloggers because they had posts which I thought were educational, informative and or entertaining.
I thought those would be of interest to the readers here, help provide stickiness and maybe lead to those other bloggers either linking back and or becoming readers.
Anyhoo, most of those bloggers have shut down their blogs and moved on to other things so I pulled the links.
Not to mention the focus here has become far more personal. I still write about business and social media but with far less frequency.
If you want to know more about that stick around and I’ll share more information in a future post.
*****
I hadn’t intended to comment or blog about whether The level playing field has turned into a content arms race because my focus has been elsewhere.
The goal had been to write about other things and to focus on other areas and not just because I want to be remembered.
I could be writing a book now or following up on my letter to Richard Branson.
Instead I fear I have ignored the message of The Substitute Paper Boy & Boring Blogs and come up with something less than I am capable of.
What This Post is About
This post is about what happens when you spend too much time thinking about writing and not enough about doing it. It is what happens when you worry about whether your blog is growing and if your are writing about the “right content.”
I am irked by it because I know better. The biggest challenge most bloggers face is time and the face they see each day in the mirror.
One of the most heavily trafficked posts here is Some Styles Are Eternal- Long Live The ’80s. It may not sound like a post about business and blogging but it is. If I had thought about it I could have taken that particular post and turned it into a series.
It is what smart bloggers and business people do. They look at what works for them and capitalize upon it.
Tricks, Traffic and Triumph
If you remember reading Writer’s Block Is A Myth- Lord Wilner’s Castle you’ll recall reading about how I never worry about writer’s block. That hasn’t changed. I don’t worry about it, but I do concern myself with producing good content and growing the blog in a timely fashion.
What I am trying to do with this post is meet all of those needs by doing several things at once. There are two different kinds links contained within this post:
- Internal links.
- External links.
The external links are to posts other bloggers have written that caught my eye. I want to share them with you because I think they add value and because I hope those I link to will choose to come visit and that is where the internal links come into play.
If this works the way I want it to they will do more than point, click and surf their way in and out of here. They’ll take a few moments to look around and ideally decide this is a place to hang out.
It Might Not Work
It might not work. There are no guarantees, but one of the things I like best about the blogosphere is how it lends itself to experimentation.
This is a dynamic environment where there are rapid changes and it is important to be willing to test out new opportunities and to take a chance.
Sometimes things happen and we get so caught up in what is going on around us that we lose perspective. I know, that is usually tied into a story about how we should be grateful for what we have because someone just suffered a terrible loss, but it doesn’t have to be limited to those situations.
There is a reason and need to take a moment for perspective during the non emergency times too.
This may not be the perfect post or what I would consider my best, but I would rather produce content that is good than not produce anything at all. Sometimes the chase for perfection is far more limiting than it should be.
And with that I am going to climb back out of my foxhole and resume working.
Would love to hear/read your comments.
Hi Josh,
On this page you’re linking to slymarketing.com which used to be owned by Jens-Petter Berget.
slymarketing.com used to be a legit website but it has recently changed ownership and is now a spam domain – the article you’re linking to doesn’t even exist.
I just thought I would let you know – please check for yourself.
Many thanks,
Fred
Thank you.
My pleasure.
I’ve followed you on Twitter. Perhaps we could collaborate sometime.
Thanks,
Fred
Hi Josh
I am an over-thinker when it comes to writing. There’s so many things I could write about but I often back myself into a corner because I want things to work and be consistent and cohesive.
I just started writing down lists of what I want to achieve in a day but with the kids around I know I’m not going to meet it. I’m not hassled by that though, I just need to work smartly and work out what I can actually get done and do it!
I hope the people you linked to come along, visit and make return visits as I really enjoy it here!
Hi Tim,
I am quite pleased to have met you and am glad to see you here. I know what you mean about thinking because I do that too sometimes.
In my experience sometimes the best way to get the writing done is to just do it. Of course that is easier said than done, but when I push myself it works pretty well.
Hi Josh
My oh my you have a lot of links in there!
Yeah got to get out of this slump and start cranking out some posts. I write a little here and there, but not enough to make a post. Spend less time reading everything else and start writing. Get tied up with the ups and downs of the day. Maybe I need to set a better schedule and just do it. Actually I need to dig deep and find what is brewing below the surface that I can use. If I can tap into that I can sit down and pop something out very quickly.
Have a nice day.
Mary
Hi Mary,
Sometimes life gets in the way, that is certainly the case for me. I got jammed by a million different things and had to focus in other areas.
I am thinking about creating an editorial calendar for myself and some deadlines. It can be a very effective way to manage our time and stay organized.
Smack! That’s the sound of me in a rut. The let down of 7 weeks of tight deadlines and 12-hour days back to routine with no drama or deadlines to razzmatazz me into the place I love to be — overwhelmed, putting out fires and writing furiously with high momentum.
Sigh. It sucks to know that about myself.
That’s when the self doubt and the esteem problems creep up and try to overcome the Hot Mojo Mama. So, like you, it’s what we do…on occasion we succumb (is that how you spell that) to the doldrums and let the echo chamber suffocate our own voice.
Enough! I’m gonna pinch you and I’m gonna pinch me. There, we’re back on track.
Sometimes we get slammed, smacked and shlattered by things. Sometimes a good shellacking helps snap us out of a rut and sometimes it pushes us right back in.
It is good that you are self aware because so many others aren’t. It helps make it easier to navigate and negotiate the trails and challenges.