Today marks a milestone because it’s the 30th day of “30 consecutive days of blogging”. On November 21, 2018, I launched this blog to the public. At the time of the launch, there were just 3 posts published. I knew those posts were genuine and provided useful instruction for starting a blog, but I also felt that I needed to provide something more.
Once launched, I was planning to post 2 to 3 times a week while focusing on traffic and list building. But because this very blog is about starting a blog and making money online, I decided that I needed to focus on building out the value (content) first.
I made a decision
Instead of driving traffic and building an email list, I decided to first challenge myself to making this blog a chosen destination by providing content that will truly help my readers create the new life they seek.
My logic is that it would be better to have a blog full of use and value even with just a few visitors, than to have a blog with a stream of visitors, and not much to offer. This is in itself a valuable lesson… which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
I set a goal to blog for 30 days
Once I set a definitive goal, I won’t let anything get in the way (read: Think like an entrepreneur). And my self-challenge to publish a blog post every single day for 30 days straight, was on. No exceptions, no excuses.
No doubt this was an aggressive goal. I know from my own life’s experience that new experiences (including success) come only from setting and reaching goals.
My Reasons for Setting This Aggressive Goal
- To show you (not tell you) what can be done
- To show you that the content I teach works
- To uncover and share unexpected results
- To show you what is possible
- To share the lessons learned
- To lead by example
- It feels damn good to achieve aggressive goals!
- I get to reap the benefits too!
If I can do it, you can do it
Before you start making excuses (the killer of success), I want you to know where I stand in the scheme of things. I love to take on new quests… and that includes both personal and business.
To identify with my ability to find time for 30 days of blogging, it’s only fair that you recognize I have other professional commitments. My business affairs include other online campaigns and websites, real estate investing and landlording, and coaching. Although I work a full schedule, I do maintain flexibility due to the nature of my work.
Claiming you don’t have the time is bullshit because if you want it bad enough, you too, can figure it out. Claiming you don’t have the knowledge is also bs because I can teach you everything you need right here on this blog.
Here’s what I have learned 30 days blogging
I should not be writing when I am not in the right mindset
Setting an aggressive schedule means that sometimes I have to write even when I don’t want to. I learned that it is senseless to write when my mind is in the wrong space. The answer was not to avoid writing, but to change my mindset.
If something is on your mind, you are in a bad mood, or you just don’t feel like it, that’s when it’s time to do something to shift your mindset before you begin to write. Take a walk, think about your dream, organize yourself, meditate, or do whatever it is that you find works for you.
With the right mindset, ideas flow more easily. Writing becomes easier, and you create more valuable content for your readers.
I’ve become faster and better
There’s nothing like repetition to hone a skill. By blogging every day, I found that I can write better and faster. And without even realizing it, I created and followed a pattern for processing the steps.
By the 30th day, my process has become quite efficient saving me time. Steps that were originally a chore have become easy and even fun.
Creativity does not always follow a schedule
When I started one day 1, I thought that I was going to follow a preset schedule I had in my mind so I can be sure that I completed my daily writing. Over time I began to find a kind of “groove” that started with a thought in my mind which led to the desire to begin writing at that moment. I was not always free to write when these thoughts entered my mind, so I wrote them down and wrote my post when my schedule allowed.
I think it’s a good idea to start with a plan in mind, especially if you have a full-time job and a family to tend to. The lesson is to immediately take note of your creative ideas, even if it is the night before.
I was not as realistic as I could have been
What you did not know about my 30 day goal, was that I also planned other goals for building out the look and function my blog during the same time period.
Fitting everything into my busy schedule every day was challenging. When I first realized that my work load was probably a bit too much, I decided to work on those other (less important) look and function goals before writing posts. That turned out to be a bad idea.
My thought was that I must blog, so if I get the other tasks done first, then I will have to find a way to write and publish my posts. It backfired because I found myself writing when I was too tired. It took me twice as long to write useful content. And so I then switched it around, and went back to blogging as the priority and my additional tasks would come later.
I finally realized that my schedule was not realistic, and postponed the other blog tasks to be picked up after my 30 days of blogging. It was just too much to do considering the obligations for my other businesses.
Before you set out on any endeavor, be sure to set realistic goals for you. Realistic does NOT mean to set weak goals. It is healthy to challenge yourself, and anything less would be shortchanging yourself and hindering your success.
There is no right or wrong. Just be sure to challenge yourself as you set your goals. You cannot grow without a challenge.
Confirmation: Blogging comes first
Earlier in this challenge, I wrote a post titled how to be a good blogger. The gist of that post was to be sure you focus on your content before you focus on the look and feel of your blog. Many people screw this up and focus on the look of the website first, they get lost in it, and never begin blogging. What a shame.
I am confirming, as a result of my 30 days of blogging, what I already know and teach… and which I demonstrated in the segment directly above on how I was not realistic. All the wonderful results I am feeling and experiencing right now as a result of my dedication to blogging is a testament to the importance of content before beauty.
Blog first, make the site look great second.
My content and creativity has evolved
As a result of blogging every day, my creativity ran wild! I came up with so many new ideas for blog posts, new content, and new ways that I can serve.
This is one of those results I did not expect. I started this blog to share and teach the different ways of making money online that work for me (hence, “money machines”). But this blog has already become so much more.
As I continued writing, my ideas expanded. I’ve already written about topics I did not think would become part of this blog, such as the importance of your mindset, making money fast, and technical considerations.
I realize that I have more to offer in the space of making money and producing desired results. There’s a good likelihood that I will soon be blogging about such things as real estate investing, multiple streams of income, and business management – areas where I have a great deal of experience. And don’t even get me started on my hobbies (which I am very passionate about)!
This was a complete shift in content evolution for me. The lesson for you is this: don’t try too hard to pin down the exact path of your content and niche. Just do what you love, and let it evolve.
Importance of passion confirmed
This is another confirmation. I did not need to confirm it for me. I already learned this lesson, and that is why I teach it. Nonetheless, it helps to be reminded of these truths, and that compels me to reiterate its importance to you.
I am talking about the importance of blogging about something you have passion for. So many gurus out there teach you how to “find” a hot niche, but I urge you to choose a niche based on passion instead of income. The irony is, you will make more money doing what you love, than trying to make money. Crazy, I know. But it’s true.
For 30 days I had to come up with a topic for each post. And not just any topic, but a topic where I can provide deep value. I mentioned in the segment above how my content has evolved. And that’s fine because my evolved content continues to address the needs of my audience. But here is the key… I have passion for it and that’s what led to the evolution of content, and that’s what made it easy for me keep writing.
I have niche websites which I created for the wrong reasons. I could not write 30 days of posts for any of them. No way.
I made money
I’m surprised, but not too surprised. I’m surprised because I have not done much in terms of driving traffic to this blog. Income is the result of providing valuable and useful information to people who need and seek it. Posts provide the information, website traffic provides the people. I haven’t executed my traffic plan yet because I wanted to add the content first. I have been doing some simple things for traffic, such as forum marketing and on page SEO, which has led to a trickle of traffic and yes, income. Woohoo!
You can be sure I will be blogging about traffic and monetization as I build and grow this blog.
Normal blogging now feels easy
It should be no surprise that when you push yourself on overdrive, slowing down feels easy. Now that I have blasted out content every day for 30 days, it makes a “normal” blogging schedule feel like a “piece of cake”.
A normal blogging schedule is 2 to 3 times a week. It may be different for you based on your niche and your schedule, but just keep in mind that a regular blogging schedule is important. Fresh content keeps your audience coming back, and keep Google happy for better organic search results.
Overall
It was grueling, it was tough, and I had to push and give it everything I had. But wow does it feel good to accomplish a lofty goal. This milestone feels great, and I’m glad I did it!
I am now super excited to move to my next goal for this blog. And now anything and everything else feels easy and attainable.
In Closing
The exercise was well worth the effort. After just one month, this blog is chock full of helpful content that my audience needs and is actively seeking. Genuinely serving other people is the first step to making money. Nothing is for nothing.
I feel a deep sense of relief. I have to admit that the schedule was grueling and it feels amazing to have reached my goal. Now I can move on to the next step with an exciting new goal.
If you are starting a blog, setting a goal like this is a very effective way to get into the blogging groove!
Are you up for a 30 day blogging challenge?
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