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As bloggers, just doing our daily tasks can be overwhelming. It’s easy to drown in all the to-do lists and the metrics and all the little things involved in running a blog. Take a break and do some introspection. Let these questions for bloggers guide you in your self-reflection.
Blogging can be a worthwhile endeavor. All the content you publish can help people while earning you income if you decide to monetize it.
But when you’ve been blogging for a while, there will be times when you’re so overwhelmed from all you’re learning and doing that you’ll feel off-center and out of focus.
You’ll feel like you don’t even know why you’re blogging, you’ll feel like everything you’re doing is pointless, and you’ll question why you even started blogging.
It’s crucial to give ourselves time to ask and answer important questions about who we are, what we’re doing, and why we’re doing what we’re doing.
In today’s article, I’ll list down some fundamental questions for bloggers that we should be asking ourselves from time to time or whenever we feel lost or uncertain in our blogging journey so we can find our bearings again.
Remind yourself of your purpose, your “why,” whenever you can.
Are you blogging as a hobby? As a creative outlet? As a sideline? As your sole source of income? To launch products? To be part of a community? To be on-trend? All of the above?
Yes, you do have to reflect on what your purpose is right now, and you may notice that your purpose now may not be exactly the same as it was a while back. For instance, you may have started out blogging as a hobby and then want to do it as a sideline. It may even be the other way around, though rare.
You may feel that this is less than ideal, but change is a part of life and there’s nothing wrong with our purpose evolving with our changing world view as we process more and more information. Embrace this change and acknowledge your current purpose.
When we know our true purpose, everything we do has a reason and direction.
Given your purpose in blogging, do you have a plan written out to help you achieve that purpose? Or are you just winging it, hoping to fulfill your purpose somehow?
The fact is that whether you’re blogging as a hobby or as a means of income (or both), having a plan keeps you organized and ensures that you’re working toward something concrete.
If you’re working toward getting a steady income from your blog, you need to map out a path to achieve the income you want in a certain timeframe.
On the other hand, if you’re blogging as an outlet for creativity, what do you plan to do with the content? Are these merely for exhibition, or are you building up a portfolio as a writer or a video creator for something greater, career-wise?
When you have a long-term plan, it’s easier to concentrate on doing tasks and learning skills that will bring you closer to where you want to be.
Think of it as a self-portrait.
Which of your blog posts (or any other content you created) would best represent you and your values? Is it something that you’d be happy to go viral?
When you know what you’d like to be famous for, you can spend your time and effort into achieving it.
They say if you can’t explain something to a six-year-old, then you don’t know it well enough.
The same goes for your blog: if you can’t explain what your blog is all about in three words, then you probably don’t know it. And if you don’t know what your blog is all about, then you can’t do your blogging duties well.
Get to know your core values. Really dig in there and find what it is that holds your blog together.
When you can strip your values down to the basics, you can focus more on the creation process for your blog.
There is no such thing as a perfect blog.
Even the best bloggers can find something in their blogs to tweak.
Ask yourself what aspects of your blog need work.
When you know what you need to make your blog better, you can start working on those aspects and improve your blog.
Writing is one of those things that more often than not, you need to be inspired to be effective.
Unfortunately, inspiration is not a bottomless pool; it’s a finite resource. You need multiple sources of inspiration to replenish it. Books, magazines, social media, and other blogs are legitimate sources of information.
Aside from these, you’ll also need a source of inspiration that’s not only good for content, but for clearing your mind and refreshing your outlook.
Does taking a walk, doing yoga, or any other physical activity inspire you? Or do you like social activities such as coffee or dinner with friends or family? How about other creative activities like reading books or watching movies?
Wherever you’re getting inspiration from, make sure you’re constantly dipping in that pool of inspiration to avoid burning out.
When you’re inspired, you prevent writer’s block from setting in.
Everyone needs a hero to admire and respect.
There are people in your niche that are more knowledgeable or have more experience than you, but you’re not going to be able to relate to every expert in your niche. Find the ones that inspire you, give advice that you can apply to your blog, and possibly even work with.
Your hero doesn’t always have to be a blogger in your niche, or even a blogger per se. There’s nothing wrong with having someone outside your blogging world as your hero. As long as your hero is a positive role model and inspires you to do your best work, that’s a good hero to have.
When you look up to the right people, you’ll get the best advice and guidance to help you do the best job you can.
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Similarly, if you’re working on a blog and you don’t have readers, do you really have a blog?
Your readers are the ones who make your blog what it is. They go back to your blog and read your content and talk about it on social media. Aside from your own loved ones, your readers and subscribers are the people that you need to prioritize.
When you prioritize your readers, they’ll prioritize you and help you reach your goals.
Blogging isn’t just about pounding out content; it’s about pounding out content that makes a difference in someone else’s life.
Even though you’re only blogging as a hobby, you should still create content that’s stirring and impactful even for other people and especially your readers.
Whether it’s a solution to a big problem, or if you simply made them laugh for a bit while they’re in a dark time in their lives, your content should leave a positive impression on your readers. Otherwise, your blogging is all for naught.
When your content has a positive effect on your readers, that’s a clear indication of a successful blog.
Plenty of people go into blogging because they’re tired of doing the normal, boring, 9-to-5 workday. To people who are in this lifestyle, the unstructured, formless world of freelancing can seem extremely exciting.
But honestly, having free rein over your workday is not for everyone. Certain people crave stability, structure, and a routine that freelancing may not be able to provide. One may argue that being a freelancer allows you to structure your workday and set your own routines, but that may not be enough for other people.
This may seem like a “the grass is always greener on the other side” lecture, but it’s not. It’s more of really finding the setup where you’re happiest because that’s where you do your best work.
When you’re happy, it helps you do better work, and it reflects on your content.
As bloggers, it may feel like we’re always putting ourselves out there and pouring our hearts out to strangers through the internet.
But blogging sometimes requires a little self-examination.
Here’s a recap of the important questions for bloggers that you can ask yourself when you feel like you’re just stumbling through.
Hopefully, you’ll feel a little less lost and a little more focused on your passion, your goals, and what you want to achieve with your blog. Here are a few more tips for when you’re asking yourself these questions.
You don’t have to answer these questions every single day, but it helps if you set a date with yourself to answer these questions as thoroughly and honestly as you can.
If possible, schedule it near or on the same day as your goal-setting day so your goals can reflect the answers to these questions.
Having to write down your answers ensures that you’re focused on what you’re doing in that particular moment.
Typing your answers into a private, locked document can also work, but I recommend using a pen and a notebook and actually writing your answers down. Having something tangible allows you to remember and really internalize the questions and answers.
The only way this works is if you’re completely honest with yourself.
Don’t think about what other people think of your answers and whether it’s acceptable to them; answer your questions such that they reveal your actual opinions and thoughts.
Have you been contemplating lately about your blogging journey? Aside from the questions I listed above, what other questions do you think bloggers should ask themselves? Share your thoughts in the comments!
JoAnne is your average, everyday, sane stay-at-home mom who believes in the power of the internet to make dreams come true. She has an insatiable appetite for chocolate, as well as all things internet marketing. She keeps up with the latest trends in blogging, affiliate marketing, e-commerce, and more.
