Hi
At least once a week, I get an email from an EBA student who is at the end of their rope and ready to throw in the towel. It often looks something like this:
Hi Ruth-
I have one question that seems to stop me in my tracks and makes me wonder if I should keep going.
My blog is about [INSERT SUBJECT], but what makes me different from all the other bloggers who are writing about this topic?
It paralyzes me. And if I can't figure out what makes me different, why should I keep going on? Won't I just blend in when I want to stand out? Why would anyone want to choose my site over all the other ones that are out there?
Or like this:
Dear Ruth-
I'm so frustrated with where I am at with my blog. I feel like everyone else started before me, and now I am totally behind and I won't ever be able to catch up. What's the point of even going on?
While I hate to see anyone feeling frustrated, I do love responding to these emails because I know that most of the time, when we are at the end of our rope, we usually just need a cheerleader and a friend, and someone to encourage us to hold on.
The reality is that we all feel like quitting sometimes. It's pretty normal, when we feel stressed or stuck or scared, to want to run away. Every blogger or online business owner, at some point or another, feels like giving up.
However, in the end, the most successful people—and bloggers—are the ones who refuse to quit.
But if you know that those feelings of discouragement are normal, you can also make a plan to combat them when they do flare up. You can be ready to fight off the fear, and to keep yourself going when times get tough.
These are a few strategies that help me whenever I feel like quitting—they might just help you too:
- PUT ON YOUR BLINDERS. Stop comparing your own blog or your own progress to others. You might not believe this about yourself yet, but your own experience and perspective are completely unique from everyone else, and that is what makes it valuable. Yes, there may be others writing about similar topics, but no one else is exactly YOU. The Internet is very vast, which means that there is a lot of room for many voices. If looking around at what other people are doing makes you feel small or insecure or like you are falling behind, then you need to stop looking. Simply put your blinders on, and concentrate on the next task, the one that is right in front of you.
- FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE. Remember, when you make blogging about your readers and how you can help them, you will forget to stop worrying about how you are being perceived, or that you might not be good enough. Furthermore, although it doesn't feel like it, the fact that you feel nervous and insecure is actually a gift, because it will help you get into your readers' heads and understand their fears, and show more empathy. Ultimately the thing all of us want most of all is to simply feel understood! If that is the gift you can give your readers, then you are ahead of the game. No matter what niche you write in, there is probably someone feeling like they are not good enough—you can channel your experience and the way you feel right now into encouraging them!
- FIND A CHEERLEADER. We all need encouragers in our lives! When I am feeling down, the first thing I do is call my accountability partner Edie, because I know she will not only take the time to listen and sympathize with my frustration, but also help me see the positive in whatever situation I am struggling with. If you don't currently have someone in your life who can speak truth in a positive and encouraging way, I strongly urge you to find that person. You might try forming an accountability group with a few other EBA members, or perhaps reaching out to a close friend offline. Let them know what you are struggling with right now, and that you could really use some encouragement. You might just be surprised by how supportive people can be!
The truth is that there will always be things in our lives that feel really hard sometimes, and blogging is no exception. Even so, the fact that it is challenging is also what makes it worthwhile. The best things in life are the ones you have to work for.
And if you are feeling discouraged and overwhelmed right this second? Don't give up. Keep going. Find that core of strength within you, put your blinders on, put one foot in front of the other, focus on what you have to offer the person right in front of you, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
You've got this!
That's all for now—I'll be back tomorrow with one final Blogger Success Secret you can't afford to miss! Trust me, it's a good one!
João
P.S. By the way—sometimes when you feel like quitting is EXACTLY the time when you need a new perspective or new set of ideas to get you out of your rut. Genius Blogger's Tool Kit is a great way to get a TON of new ideas at a crazy low price.
At just $97 for more than $5,000 in resources, it really is a complete no-brainer for any blogger or online business owner, regardless of where you are at in your journey. PLUS this year's GBTK includes access to our 2017 ACTIVATE: EBA Live Conference Videos, which is a $297 value all on its own! Don't wait though—the GBTK is only available until tomorrow, and then it is gone for good! Get it HERE .
%%Ruth xoxo,
PP.S. AGAIN, By the way—sometimes when you feel like quitting is EXACTLY the time when you need a new perspective or new set of ideas to get you out of your rut. Genius Blogger's Tool Kit is a great way to get a TON of new ideas at a crazy low price.
At just $97 for more than $5,000 in resources, it really is a complete no-brainer for any blogger or online business owner, regardless of where you are at in your journey. PLUS this year's GBTK includes access to our 2017 ACTIVATE: EBA Live Conference Videos, which is a $297 value all on its own! Don't wait though—the GBTK is only available until tomorrow, and then it is gone for good! Get it HERE .
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