I overthink blogging. I admit it. Actually, I overthink a lot of things …
When I began blogging in 2012, it was about food and health via KateUpdates.com. I wrote hundreds of posts and blogged daily for almost a year. Eventually, I made the shift to this blog as my primary focus because it was just too much for me to divide my time between two blogs. One of my goals for March is to get back to sharing on KateUpdates 1-2 times per week.
I love writing. I wrote a lot of poetry in high school and English is one of my favorite subjects. Left to myself, I really don’t struggle much with writer’s block. However, writing content that others will actually see, as is the case with blogging, has often left me struggling for words.
No, that isn’t completely accurate. I don’t think the core issue is writing with the potential of someone reading my words because I rarely struggled with that on my personal blog. I think the core issue, at least for me, is that I could share something within my industry, through this blog, that others may not agree with. Perhaps I’ll share something that is completely inaccurate or biased. Or maybe an idea will be too simple or something everyone else has already written about.
That may seem ridiculous or silly to read but these are thoughts that have crossed my mind. These thoughts have killed countless ideas and blog posts. These thoughts kept me from consistently blogging for months at a time.
The One Sentence that Will Kill Your Blog …
Even though I have written over three hundred blog posts on my blogs and as a guest blogger, there are still times when I doubt my blogging ability. There are times when I question myself and what I have to offer as a blogger. In those times, I’ve come to recognize one sentence that is the culprit.
Worrying about what others will think of what you blog about can immobilize you. It can kill your blog before you ever write your first post. It can stop you dead in your keyboard before ever hitting ‘publish’.
Apples and Oranges
Now, I do think it’s perfectly normal and even healthy to think through how your blog or a blog post will be received, interpreted and how it will benefit readers. That’s OK. The problem comes in when too much thought is given to what others will think of what you’re writing. That’s when what will people think can murder your potential for a thriving, fulfilling blogging experience.
I write this as an encouragement for you and a reminder for myself. We all have to start somewhere in this blogging game. Don’t compare what you’re doing with those who have been blogging for years and have had time to find their voice. Don’t kill your blog.
So, what do you think? Does the opinion of others keep you from hitting ‘Publish’?
