You don’t have to take a trip around the world, or even a two week vacation, but sometimes getting away from the day in, day out incessant grind of running a blog is all you need to come back feeling refreshed. Let’s face it, blogging is a demanding mistress and there’s no quicker way to resent her than finding yourself pulled into the relentless vortex of an all day every day as long as the earth’s in orbit work schedule.

Not only will this cause you to resent something you should be loving, it can cause your entire view to grow murky. Working without pause has little benefit and doing so will invariably lead to the law of diminishing returns. 

About three weeks back, I hit a wall. Many of the things I was trying at the time weren’t working as well as I would have liked. Of course, this was entirely my fault as I was expecting for Father Time to grant me special favors. Though he was unwilling to look the other way for the other six and a half billion souls surviving the minutes on our planet, I thought he would somehow do so for me. 

Nope. it turns out I need to be patient just like everybody else.

The world of blogging, for a brief little bout, was just a bit too much. I needed to step away. I took a break from Writer Dad, my first retreat in seven months. I intended to be gone a week, but a busted modem kept me away for ten full days.

This ended up being a hallelujah and a half. When I returned to Writer Dad, I felt a peace I had not yet felt at any time this year. I returned ready and motivated, and I have had more fun at my home base than I have in a long long time. It wasn’t just about the fun, I also returned with a month’s worth of planned posts. 

Humans have a need for an occasional change of environment. Some of us blog because we are seeking a vent, some of us do it because we are searching for a way to make a living for ourselves online. Either way, if we never step away from the track, we are only running around in the same circles we were once wishing to avoid.

Take a long weekend, an extended holiday, or maybe even just a really long coffee break, but step away and grow a little while you’re gone.

Sean

Sean Platt is a fantastic father and gifted ghostwriter. He tweets here.

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Blogging isn’t easy. There is a massive blogging proletariat working way too hard for way too little. If your only aim is to share your voice with an online journal, or open the doors of your life to your family and friends, then you need not consider the upcoming thoughts. 

Most blogs fail. Getting started and getting going are two different things. If you aren’t prepared for the long haul, you will more than likely confront frustration, fear, and discontent. There are already too many abandoned blogs swimming in a sea of forgotten bytes. Before you launch a blog in an endeavor to earn online income, consider the following things:

1. Sharpen your voice. No one wants to read boring text that offers little. A blog that does nothing to stand apart is a blog that will eventually be abandoned to orbit like a forgotten satellite. If blogging is your business, you want people to hire you. People are hired because of the trust they instill and the personality they project.
2. A successful blog requires massive commitment. There are posts to write, emails to answer, and comments to watch. The experience can sometimes feel rather unforgiving. If you are not ready for a consistent commitment of time, your blog will more than likely flounder. It takes time to groom a blog it to it’s fullest potential.
3. A successful blog isn’t an island. Blogging is about community. You must be willing to understand and interact with the fellow bloggers around you.  Even the best blog isn’t enough to account for other requirements, such as social media and online marketing. If you are unwilling to learn the basics of internet traffic, a blog may leave you feeling disappointed.
4. Be original. The same ideas are bandied about with abandon all across the Internet. This is perfectly understandable, but you must do everything you can to be more than an echo. Repeating the same information is fine, repeating it in the same way is not. Everyone has their own voice, make sure you are willing to use yours.
5. Be patient. Successful blogging is a process not an event. Lightning quick technology has made us believe in lightning quick success, but such is a false idol that will only have us finding failure.

Anyone can start a blog, and anyone who wants one certainly should. Just be clear with your intentions and allow them to pave your path to the proper commitment.

Sean

Sean can be found writing for himself at Writer Dad and others at Ghostwriter Dad.

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