Why Working Too Hard Sucks and How it Can Hurt Your Blog?
Work harder! We hear that a lot, don’t we? I used to believe in the principle of working as hard as I could – doing things over my limits, but I don’t anymore. Want to know why? Then, read on.
First off, I want to thank Kittie Walker for her awesome comment at my post over @ Smartboydesigns (her comment is my inspiration for this post).
Here is what she said:
I also think that bloggers often burn out because they don’t pace themselves. Harnessing that creative energy in order to prolong it is really important! The same can be said for video games
That may sound simple, but I think it is one of the most important points of blogging. We bloggers tend to put a lot of effort for now – and we get tired of that, over time.
For instance: As you may already know, I have been doing some writing for the past month. And now I am [slowly] getting tired of it. Because I invested a lot of effort into the same act for a period of time. Right now, I realize that it was a great mistake to focus too much on writing and putting my best efforts into it. Sure, I might get good results in the short term. But in the long term, it is just going to hurt my blog. Need to know why? Read on 😀
Smart bloggers are ones who realize that hard work is really important (And then put their best efforts in now to achieve their goal).
Wise bloggers are bloggers who realize the importance of hard work (and the cons of working too hard for a short period of time) and pace themselves; they divide up the work over time.
I have given you two options. Which one would you go for?
As Benny Hsu said in this recent blog post, small things add up (In his post, he asks his readers whether they will take $3 million or a penny that doubles in amount for the next 31 days – If you calculate it, the penny ends up being $10 million at the end of 31 days).
Smart blogging does give you a lot of instant benefits – exposure, traffic, subscribers etc. But, wise blogging is better.
Because it adds up.
Let’s think about a scenario:
Blogger A is a smart blogger. He puts his best efforts into getting more traffic. He writes awesome content, promotes it, networks with others and guest blogs at various sites. He keeps on doing this for a while. But, after some time, he gets tired (too much working in too short a time). Now, let’s think about Blogger B who is a wise blogger.
Blogger B knows the importance of hard work over time. So, he decides to pace himself and work hard over time, instead of putting all his effort right now – or for a short period of time.
In this case, Blogger B will have better results because:
- He is consistent with his efforts
- He is smart enough to distribute his efforts over time
- He will get good results, but soon he is going to get tired (and he may stop working hard to generate new traffic; he might even lose some of his existing traffic).
These things will add up. And soon, help your blog.
So, what should you do?
Step #1: Ask yourself
- Where do you invest the most time for blogging? Why?
- Are you tired of doing it all over again?
- Do you think that you should do something different?
Step #2:
- Decide and plan to divide up your efforts.
- [Optional] Make a schedule and stick to it.
- Ask yourself: How are you going to divide up the efforts? How can it help you in the long term? Realize the importance of dividing the work up and do everything accordingly.
Here is what I can give you:
First off, let me be honest:
I haven’t tried any specific techniques with this – so, I am going to tell you what I have been trying (and what I am doing right now).
- Involve others in your blog, Diversify your methods.
Collaborate if you can. Allow Guest Posting. Do whatever you can do to involve others within your blog (you know what I am talking about, don’t you? Yes, Mention them, write guest posts, promote their content – Help them out!)
- Make a Plan – See how it works out
Experiment with your techniques. For instance: Try experimenting with the amount of time you spend on each act – writing posts, marketing, and engaging with other bloggers. Use various analytic tools – Google Analytics, Social media Analytics like Crowd Booster to see what works and what doesn’t. Mix and match. Just be creative and experiment.
- Enjoy blogging, Take Breaks.
Make blogging a fun activity. Think about how you can make it a fun activity and make changes. For instance: Changing your writing environment may have some effect on you. Or what about the software you use for word processing? What about your body position? Experiment with all these situations. See what works for you. Make blogging a fun activity using different tools that are available online.
You could even host/participate in personal and public blog challenges (I can assure, this is a great way to make blogging enjoyable). Also, take blogging breaks. It freshens up your mind and helps you to maintain blogging as a fun activity.
The Key
The key is to be wise and smart at the same time. Be smart enough to realize the importance of hard work; Be wise enough to realize the importance of dividing up the work and pacing yourself.
So, whaddaya think?
What are your thoughts?
Do you think that working too hard can hurt your blog?
Do you think that you should restructure your blogging plan (do you have a plan?)
Tell me all your thoughts 😀
Pace yourself.
Use your energy wisely.
Image © wallace – Fotolia.com
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