What do you do when you lose your mojo? When your drive to do something just fades away. I’m currently going through that right now. Now that Jack is at pre school four days a week, I have much more time to focus on my work and my blog – but it seems as if my motivation has done a running jump.
I think it is because I have more time to focus yet have a backlog from when Jack was poorly that is contributing to my feelings about the blog. I think that the stress of trying to make sure there is enough variation of personal posts, review posts and paid content is making me want to not blog rather than spurring me to blog at all.
I know where I want this blog to head, in which direction I want to take it but I just seem to find myself in a rut every now and again – and although I manage to clamber out of it every time, I want to avoid going back there ever again.
My friend Lucy posted a similar post a few months ago and I really need to take her advice on board. I need to focus on what I really need to go live – the more important posts then delegate the rest. I don’t need to have a tight schedule like I have now which is really stressing me out – and I just need to focus on getting the content out when I can. I need to make sure I am happy with it, otherwise how can I expect to post it for my readers?
I need to take some time out and work out on an action plan for the blog. I will be posting a poll up on the blog and possibly in a couple of blogger groups I visit to see where my attention should be focused.
I will get to the bottom of my to do list – it just seems ever growing. I’ve got plans for new features but at the moment, I am struggling to sit down and get them out there. I’m sure this is a passing phase once again but I don’t want to come back here again, it isn’t a nice place to be – the more I put it off, the more my confidence drops.
So to gain motivation back I am going to take a few steps. The first was this post, outlining (more for myself) what I need to do. I need to take baby steps towards getting my mojo back and this will involve polling my readers and my social media followers, writing down exactly what I want from this blog – it has gone through many transformations in four years – and creating an action plan around what both I and my readers want.
I love writing and I love this blog. I don’t want to feel like writing it is a chore. I want my mojo back.
Do you ever suffer from lack of motivation? What are your top tips for getting out of a rut when it comes to blogging?
I got through days where i look at my blog and think "what do I write" so i leave it for that day then come back to it
Ask yourself why you "need" to write? I took a break, and kept telling myself I had no need to blog if it wasn't for me. I enjoyed the break but the oddest thing happened – my stats went up, and my profile is higher as the tail end of my hard work in the preceding months began to pay off. I'm now enthused and riding the crest of that wave, with lots more ideas to write about 🙂
I always have back up posts ready for when I lose my Mojo and I have billions of draft posts which I start and go back to which always seems to help x
I think it's important to remember that you never need anybody's permission to take a break from blogging, or indeed stop entirely. And if it's getting to be more stress than fun, then pausing is a good idea. If blogging isn't fun, what's the point?
Thank you for the link and I'm glad I could help! I also ran a competition on my blog and asked a question about what people would like to see on my blog. That also gave me lots of inspiration and got me going again! I hope you find your mojo soon, I love your blogging style and enjoy reading your ramblings!
I tend to find my blogging mojo comes and goes. I try not to force it. Reading other blogs can help, as you may be inspired by something you read. Also joining in with linkys or entering competitions can be fun.
A very good post. I find it is good to take a break for awhile until I feel like blogging again.
I'm suffering at their minute with this and I've scheduled content I had long forgotten about
I know what it is like at times as it seems you can't see the wood for the trees. I have so many recipes I need to write up but I don't know which one to do first!
I think everyone feels like this sometimes, I know I do. I find taking a break – like no internet for the day, or a day out or something like that really helps xx
I'd take a break rather than try and force it – I often have a little mini break when I feel like it. Also, why don't you not poll your readers to see what they want to see but post more of what you want to post. x x
Had a whole year like that, i stepped back from it and just lived life.. now i'm ready to come back. Sometimes you just need to take that little break! 🙂
Ana x
All the time, sometimes in the middle of a post I want to throw up my hands in the air and just quit.. lol
I always find just taking a stop back and forgetting about blogging often helps me!
Annabel ♥
Mascara & Maltesers
I have spells like this every so often – these days I just give myself a few days off – sometimes you need to get away from the computer screen to find your inspiration fairy again!
This happens to me every so often and I find taking a break really helps
I just stop posting or I plough on through! I see my blog as work now, which means less personal posts
I definitely have moments where I feel tired!! I try to keep as many back up posts ready to go as I can.
lists .. work well for me .. if i have an idea i list it down and the can always come back to it once the must do stuff is completed
I struggle quite a bit. It's when I'm busy with life and so when I want to blog, I'm thinking of other things i shoudlbe doing and this puts me off! Taking a break works well and often my stats don't go down anyway!
I actually cried at my to do list today – then went to watch Netflix – I'm not sure it helped but made me feel better
I go through phases like this. I find it is best to have a few days away from it, or even a week. Then write lists of what I would like to put on my blog. I usually note two or three things I'd like to achieve per day in my diary. What has helped me most with my blog is having my other two jobs to focus on, it seems the more other things I take on, the more it motivates me to blog. Which is crackers as I then have more to do on my 'to do' list. I think maybe it is because I am taking a mental break from my blog to focus on something else, if that makes sense! Good luck with it. I'll look out for your poll.
Ooh, I lost my blogging mojo a few weeks back and blogged about it! Hope you find yours soon x
I think ebbs and flows are natural. I hope that you get your mojo back and that writing becomes fun again! And that you get to tick lots of things off your to do list =)
I know exactly how you feel, there are times when you just can't face that review or post. You've got some great ideas. I think an action plan is a perfect solution, and something I really need to do to x
I find planning hard to do – at the moment I am just trying to 'get through' everything. Keep at it hun. Kaz x
I was overwhelmed by what I set myself to do, and worried I was losing my voice in a bid to post everyday on top of writing about similar subjects for my day job.
So I lowered my ambitions and now I’m happy if I just post four original articles a fortnight. If I’m really struggling for time there’s always an archive I can revisit!
Hope you’ve got your mojo back now. Andy
Great blog, I tend to try something new. Getting out away from the computer and living a bit. It seems to work for me x
This happens to me a couple of times a year and I find it best to take a step back and go to pinterest for inspiration.
i think ALL bloggers go through peaks and troughs when it comes to blogging. its hard work! i think that people think its going to be easy but when you have to sit down and come up with new posts then it really can make your heart sink when you just ca’t be bothered. My advice- take a little break! No point in forcing it.xxx
Great post….I have a lot of posts in my drafts so I work on those when I lose my mojo…So glad it doesn’t happen too often x
Great post! I lost my mojo for a while last year. I took a back seat for a few months and it gradually came back.
After 7 years of blogging I agree that it is only natural to have peaks & troughs of motivation. Don’t force your posts would be my only advice – I tend to find that they just come in spite of themselves. Hope your mojo returns very soon x
In order to create (write) you need input as well as output. You cannot constantly create if you’re not feeding your mind enough. If you’re still struggling, I’d recommend not blogging for a week. Schedule yourself a TV series on Netflix and a good book to read, something that’s a little different from your usual tastes so that you have to focus on this that little bit more. See how you feel after a week off. I often find a good book, a few episodes of Gotham and I’m raring to go x
I feel that way sometimes, I wake up with no inspiration, but I remember how much I love writing, it is almost like a therapy for me, but of course I think you need to take a break and come back fresh. Thanks for the great post! 😀
When I am in the mood to write, sit and write and then hopefully when I do lose my mojo, I have a back up plan x
If you feel like you have lost your mojo i think the best thing to do is to take a big step back and relax. Just put the blog to the background for a while until you find your mojo again and want to write, rather than feeling like you have to write. x
A clean break helps, sometimes. And writing what you feel like. Maybe do a couple of favourite topics and then do the ‘work’ bits. x
I am awful for losing motivation – I so often need a big kick up the behind. x
I think you need to start doing what you enjoy doing, similar to when you started x
I lost my mojo when in my third year of uni. Taking a break helped me and now I’m better than ever.
Daniella | Freshly Pressed Beauty
I AM GOING THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW!! I too have lost my mojo… tonight is my first post in a week…. WOW! I have my list of everything I want to write down plus more, its just getting myself to sit down and write! It will come back though! 🙂
I often end up feeling like this – I felt like this over summer and over the last few summers I have taken time off as I know other month’s will be busier for me.
If my heart is not in writing a blog post, I can not make myself. It is great to take time off when you need it x
Recently I have found it difficult to concentrate and it seems that I spend hours working with little result. It can be difficult to stay motivated but you just have to pull through!
I’m shocked that so far i’ve known what i want to write about, i’m just waiting for the day when i have nothing to say. x
I noticed that taking a few days break helps a lot. You get time to recharge and you are ready to go again 🙂
Oh I get this feeling quite a bit – usually when I have no time and lots to do. Great post, thank you for sharing – I will need this quite often I think! Kaz x
I have been here before after my daughter was born of took me a tear to get the love back and o just posted when I wanted. X