Do you remember The Bends, by Radiohead?
I bought myself a new copy and have been listening to it as I drive here and there. It's a beautiful example of the good ole angsty 90s days, when flannel shirts and pain were the top fashion statements.
One of the songs, Just, has a repeating refrain. "You do it to yourself, you do, and that's what really hurts." As I listened to this, I realized that when it comes to blogging, very often our biggest obstacles are those that we put in front of ourselves. And that's what really hurts.
What obstacles are you setting in your way?
There are so many ways that we can step on our own toes as we prepare to blog that it's almost impossible to capture all of them here. However, perhaps some of these will resonate with you.
• I don't know how to get started
• I'm probably the last person in the world to start blogging, so what's the point?
• I have nothing original to say
• I have nothing to say that's interesting
• I'll probably make too many spelling or grammar errors
• It's too much time
• There's no way I'll ever be as successful as the really successful bloggers out there
Stop it already!
If any of the above thoughts resonated with you, you need to hit the pause button on your brain and do some reprogramming. What's really going on here? Do you really think you have nothing original to say, or are you worried that your original thoughts, carefully crafted, may not resonate with an audience? Do you find a lot of things interesting but you're certain no one else would?
These are not productive thoughts, and even more to the point, they're not true. However, they're easy. It's time to roll up your sleeves and get to the hard work of digging through your obstacles and getting your blog started, or getting your blog to where you want it to be. People like Stan and me can only help you once you are ready to stop grinding yourself down.
Some truth
A couple of months ago, I was singing the "you do it to yourself" song. I was really tearing down my blog in my head. I was thinking, "Oh man. Everyone is writing the same stuff as me, and they're doing it better. I have nothing new to say, and my own way of saying the old stuff isn't as (insert adjective here...smart, polished, interesting, etc) as the stuff I'm reading.
I was actually on the verge of taking a very long hiatus from the blogging world because I didn't think I had what it took to keep blogging. I was building up obstacles faster than you can say "obstacles."
There was really no reason for this thinking except what was in my own head. My traffic was down a bit, but traffic goes up and down like the people on the bus. Nobody was telling me that my writing was crap. No one was making fun of me because I was blogging about the same thing someone else was blogging about. It was me doing it to myself.
How did I break through? Well, in addition to some well-placed kicks to the hiney from some friends of mine, I came to a single realization. No one has ever blogged exactly like me, because, so far as I know, I'm the only me there has been. No one has seen the world, marketing, or Social Media through my eyes. We are all fully armed with unique perspectives as soon as we sit down to a computer. We just have to believe it is so.
What do you need to change the pattern?
So, what's the deal? Are you ready to stop getting in your own way? Are you ready to let go of the self-doubt and soar with confidence towards your own voice, your own objectives, and your own perspectives? Stan and I, and any other people you look to for advice and help, can only help you to the point where you're ready to be helped. We can't get into your head and tear down the walls you've built in your path. But we can sure encourage you to take those obstacles out of your way and get working.
Stop getting in your way. Even if you don't believe in you right now, we sure do. You can do it. We know you can because we've done it. Take a big breath, and let's get to work. Let us know in the comments how we can help and what you need.
{image credit: music2work2}