The blogging habit that’s ruining your blog.
I’ve been working really hard at my blog for over a year now. I write, I post, I research topics. I do the whole Google Adwords thing. I do what I’m supposed to do to grow my blog readership. Like most bloggers, I do sometimes fall into that horrid blog envy trap. You know the one that has you trolling other sites late at night and wondering why your blog isn’t as popular or slick as theirs. Your eyes dilate and you get sucked into the void of envy.
“Her blog gets more traffic.”
“Her blog looks better.”
“She’s a better writer than I am.”
That’s a no win situation that can make you spiral downward. Blog envy doesn’t help your blog. But no, blog envy isn’t what’s ruining my blog.
TRYING TO BE PERFECT is killing my blog. Here’s how the craziness of perfection is choking the life out of my blog and maybe yours.
Does this sound familiar?
- You don’t post more often because each post must be perfectly timed, funny, touching, and profound. You rewrite way too many times to try to get there.
- You take photos of products, sunsets, yourself, and never use them because they aren’t “good” enough.
- You write out lists of ideas you think would be helpful, funny or that your readers need to know. These ideas never make it into a post because later you think they don’t measure up.
- You get scared that people won’t find your content good enough/smart enough/funny enough/whatever in the hell enough.
You get the idea. What’s killing our blog is some crazy insane need to be perfect.
And what is PERFECT?
Who’s holding that yardstick to see if you measure up? Are the blog police going to come and arrest us all for dangling participles and grainy photos?
This perfection whoring is killing my blog before it can mature. Is it killing yours too? We have to stop this habit. NOW.
The only way to stop the perfection paralysis is to take more chances and risk being seen as imperfect.
Here’s my solution.
I’m going to start writing blog posts more often. Maybe the posts will be profound. Maybe they will just be OK. Sometimes they’ll probably downright suck. I might even use some of the kinda crappy photos that I take with my iphone. Pictures that aren’t glossy and perfectly lit.
I’m realizing that blogging is different from writing. Blogging isn’t about trying to write the great novel. This isn’t a novel and not a single person will ever confuse me with Austen, Bronte, Fitzgerald or Angelou.
You see things and you comment. Then you repeat that. Sometimes people pay attention to what you’ve just said. Sometimes they ignore you and change the radio station.
Blogging is in the moment. And moments are never perfect. And, obviously, neither is my blog.
I hope that sharing my bad blogging habit helps you determine what bad habit is keeping you from blogging more.
If you suffer from the paralysis of perfection, how do you overcome it?
Do you have another bad blogging habit that’s holding you back? How do you deal with it?
Share what you’ve done to work through your worst blogging habits!
xoxo-Rosie
great post! (even the grainy picture was lovely 🙂 ) I’ve only been blogging for 7 months but I have taken myself firmly in hand and stopped worrying about what I need to do to get more people to read me. Instead I write what feels right to me and I don’t follow all the rules and I’ll never be famous but I’m having a ball and that (to me) is what blogging is all about. I’m glad you’re finding your voice again and I’m sure you’ll be much happier with doing it your own way – I’ll be back to read more!
Good for you! Yes, we are doing this for US and being authentic and finding our voice does make us happier. Sounds like you are learning to get out of your own way too. I’m excited to see both of our progress! So appreciate you reading, commenting and stopping by!!
Hi Rosie – thanks for this which I found via #MidLifeLuv . Yes, I can relate to this and I do suffer with the perfection thing. My background is in print photojournalism and in my early days, I had maniac news editors screaming at me and ripping up bad copy (both male AND female !!!!!) Back then, perfection was demanded and later, when I worked freelance for magazines, it was even more important to get it right or editors just didn’t want to know. So my whole writing career was about good grammar, spelling, sharp well composed pictures, good paragraph linking etc. Now that I have my own blog and I am the boss, all of my old editors stand behind me waggling fingers and tutting EVERY single time I sit down to write! After 25 years plus of writing with a boss in the background, it is REALLY hard to silence their voices! But I do try. 🙂
I can just see those editors all standing behind you as you are writing a post with finger wagging! Amazing how powerful our past can be. Good luck as you silence those critics as we learn to be the boss of our own writing. So appreciate your words and can’t wait to read your stuff as well!
I believe what you are addressing is really life in all aspects not just blogging. Of course there are bigger & better ____ out there, but I’m a good person too!! I have to keep reminding myself that I’m doing this blog because I find it a fun outlet for me (and I think mom & Nancy enjoy the time I spend with them)!!! jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Jodie–you are so spot on. It IS about our life and carrying over that fearlessness into all that we do. You nailed it completely! We do need to remember that we are worthy and good just because we are! Look forward to catching up on your blog! Thanks for your reading and stopping by!
I started what I refer to as a “real” blog about 6 months ago and drove myself crazy (or crazier as the case may be) for the first 2 months thinking I had to immediately have 1000s of followers and monetize the site. Once I realized I needed to take it one day at a time like everything else in life I stopped feeling like it was a huge competition and enjoyed the process so much more. I still don’t have 1000s of followers and have not even begun to monetize the site but I have received a decent amount of engagement and recognition so I know the rest will come with time.
Oh yes!! Checking your blog stats constantly, I’d do that and be SO down and depressed. It’s amazing how caught up we can get into the “getting it right”, “getting tons of readers”, “making money”. It’s easy to drive yourself crazy (or crazier as in my case too!) Yes we need to know that the rest will come in time! Thanks SO much for stopping by and commenting! Look forward to reading your content too!!
I will refrain from jumping up and down while simultaneously singing “Ode To Joy”! Yes, yes, yes. It’s one thing to look at others’ work to learn. But only that. And love the metaphor. Good post and great advice.
Thank you for visiting and commenting. So glad you agree. You are so right, we can learn from others’ work but let’s not use it like a stick to beat ourselves over the head!! -Rosemond
You’ve been looking inside our brains! Great post that any blogger can relate to, thank you! We’re glad that you could join us at #MidLifeLuv.
Kimberly
http://FiftyJewels.com
Kimberly, so glad you enjoyed the post. So digging all the fascinating ladies on #midlifeluv and loving seeing all the great content!
I was thrilled to come across a post like this. I have always felt that way, but I was afraid I was the only one. Trying to be perfect, I killed my two previous blogs because they did not live up to my understanding of perfection. This time, I decided to give myself a little more freedom and I find blogging a lot more enjoyable now.
I think, that perfect blogs are all identical and that makes them boring. However, imperfections give your blog a personal approach and, at the end of the day, that is what matters the most.
Its wonderful to hear that you’ve found it more enjoyable to blog now that you are giving yourself a break from the perfection insanity! You are right “perfect” is boring, it’s our own insecurities and imperfections that make us who we are. I’m still trying to keep that crazy perfection monster at bay!
Great post- I fall into the same trap. I’m going to use this post as inspiration to write more often. How often do you post per week?
So glad that the post was helpful. I post 2 times per week but am in the process of trying to ramp that up to 3 per week. Being less critical of my work is helping that.
Yes! Yes! and Yes!
I love how you differentiate between blogging and writing! That is so true!
Thank you for helping me off the perfection train!
glad you enjoyed it and hope it helps!!
I think we all hit this crossroads at one time or another, thanks for pointing it out :).
Truth! I remember being afraid to post things that were too personal and would potentially paint me in a bad light. But when I got fired from a job a while back, I wrote about it because writing is cathartic and I realized that my bog was more for me than it was for the world. But guess what? That post was my most popular to date. Since then, I’ve been bleeding all over the page without fear!
Absolutely! I think people appreciate honesty and a relatable story that lets them know they aren’t alone!
I’ve been suffering from blog paralysis for a week now. I am so stressed over it too! OK I just need to get back on the horse. Thanks for your advice!
Carin-just get back on it. Hope that helps! We all feel it from time to time I think!
Wow! Look how many comments you gave! (Blig envt😂😂) Seriously? You are spot in. My latest post ties in with this. I:m coming out of (I HOPE) a period Writers Block … And this can be caused by perfectionism, as you say.
Wrote this on my phone. How can you tell? Should read Blog Envy! And that you are spot on. Sigh. One day I’m going to write a post on predictive text!
Oh yes, perfectionism just squeezes the hell out of creativity, I fight that urge to make it perfect all the time!
My bad blogging habit is worrying about stats. Worrying is perhaps not the word – I have a NEED to keep looking at my stats! When I started my blog in 2012 I turned off my stats …. I switched them on in 2014! It is so interesting seeing the figures, but slightly obsessive.
#BlogShareLearn
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Oh I go through those days too when it becomes an obsession. I’m trying so hard not to do that one too. It’s like an illness.
If I were that much of a perfectionist, I wouldn’t have a blog…
But you’re right. Sometimes I spend too much time on the fine detail and I forget the bigger picture. Thanks for the reminder.
I love this post! I actually prefer blogs with a relatable, authentic voice (even if they have grainy photos!) over “perfect” blogs that don’t feel authentic or real. It’s definitely more likable to just be yourself. I need to remind myself of that sometimes and stop worrying so much. 🙂
Tami recently posted…Bad Habits You Should Break if You Want to Be Happy
So true, I did everything, keyword research, started a facebook group, started a tribe blah blah blah. Truth is, I do ok. I don’t obsess about any of it anymore. I do have a plan and I see steady growth. My numbers are good and it’s turning a moderate profit that grows at a steady pace. Tbh I don’t always believe the claims of others, there’s a lot of number fudging in blogging.
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I’m so jealous that you wrote about jealousy before I did……lol. Great post, as always my dear.
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