15 years ago, I barely could write and publish a single blog post. 300 words of writing seemed about it. Mental blocks appeared to cripple me at the time. Practicing my writing for a bit gave me clarity, confidence and a slightly more prolific nature.
But I had some work to do. I had to evolve. Naturally, as I practiced writing daily I evolved, slowly but surely. Blogging became easier because writing became easier. But writing only became easier because I practiced writing, evolved as a blogger and grew into the blogger – and writer – I am today. Years ago, I read and commented on a high number of blog posts daily. Enjoying a genuine blog commenting campaign worked for me up to the moment I knew I had outgrown genuine blog commenting. I had to evolve, again.
Blogging is evolution. Either you grow or die. Create, or disintegrate. All depends on your personal decisions. Either grow and succeed or regress and fail. Everything depends on you.
Think about your small business. What needs to change? What do you resist? I read a successful marketer's blog a few days ago. He noted deeply fearing selling big ticket items as a newbie because he believed he was not good enough. Naturally, he had to face, feel and clear that limiting belief in order to sell big ticket items. This pro evolved out of a poverty consciousness into an abundance consciousness. If he never evolved he never would have succeeded. We all sit in the same online business boat. Either evolve or fade away, into business oblivion.
My energy, talents and time felt best spend engaging in a prolific guest posting campaign. Such is blogging evolution. Commit to blogging. Practice blogging. Trust your gut. Listen to intuitive nudges. Evolve. Grow. Let go activities long outgrown. Grow into the blogger offering the greatest service and experiencing the greatest level of success.
Imagine if I clung to my genuine blog commenting campaign for the entirety of my blogging career. I would have made quite a few blogging friends. Success would have gradually expanded. But I never could have been able to help as many people as I help through my guest posting campaign.
Imagine a little kid riding a bike for the first time. She uses training wheels because she lacks riding skills. But after practicing her riding for 2 weeks she removes the training wheels because she can balance the bike. Eventually, she graduates from a little bike to a 10 speed bike. She may even become a professional cyclist. Who knows? Everything depends on her willingness to practice and evolve.
Can you imagine if she kept training wheels on her bike for 15 years? How could she ever evolve while clinging to training wheels she long outgrew? How could she ever grow into a skilled, confident rider unless she let go what she outgrew minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and decades ago?
Bloggers often cling to their training wheels, resist evolving and either struggle terribly or experience muted blogging success. 15 years ago as a blogger, I felt like I did when I drove a car for the first time. I had just received my learner's permit at 16 years of age. My mom beckoned me to the driver's seat. I had no idea what to do. I simply put the car into park, rolled for 5 feet then slammed on the brakes. My mom offered me no instruction. I felt lost but also happy and free to be an official driver.
300,000 driving miles later, I can confidently drive virtually anywhere on earth. I can drive almost any type of car, too, because I have ample driving practice with a wide range of rides. I evolved as a driver by…..driving! I practiced. But I also observed drivers who never evolved out of deep fear. Drivers who fear driving:
- do not practice driving much at all
- cower to their driving fears
- never gain genuine driving skills
- never evolve
Observe non-evolved drivers who refuse to:
- make left turns
- parallel park
- execute K-turns
- drive in cities or other urban areas
- drive on busy, heavily traveled highways
Practice. Evolve. Grow. Pro bloggers evolve. Pro bloggers edge outside of their comfort zone. Pro bloggers face their fears to do uncomfortable but freeing things. If blogger you from 5 years ago does the same exact things at the same exact skill level as blogger today, you have a serious blogging problem. Not evolving cripples your blogging campaign because we live in a world of change, flux, growth and expansion.
Practice. Change. Evolve. Grow.
Your Turn
How can you grow as a blogger?
How do you need to evolve?
