How many of you exercise on a regular basis? If you do, then you certainly understand that persistence pays off. But there’s more to the formula.
As someone who has been blogging and exercising for many years, I’ve come across some major similarities.
If you’re not fully committed, you might as well not do it at all
If you exercised for only one hour per month how would that affect you? Probably not at all, right? Then why do it? The same goes for blogging. If you can only work in an hour a month, then what’s the point? That’s not even enough time to write an article, promote it properly, and respond to comments on it. Moreover, the frequency of the articles would be so poor that you won’t even gain any traction in terms of a real following or SEO. You must commit yourself to see any progress.
Schedule time for it or else it can easily be skipped
If you don’t set a time for it, then it can easily take a backseat to everything else going on in your life. So whether it’s two hours a day or five hours a week, know what it takes to accomplish your goals and stick to it. If you think you can work on your blog when you find the time, then you’ll never find the time in the long run! That’s surely a recipe for failure.
Monitoring progress and making adjustments are important
You’ll have to figure out what metrics you’ll be using to gauge success. If the goal is to run a 5-minute mile, then you’ll have to work toward that by tracking your practice sessions. If you want to bench press 10 reps of 200 pounds, then you’ll have to mark your results as you train. The same applies to obtaining a specific number of visitors or earning a certain amount of money a month. Regardless, you need to pay attention to how you’re doing and make any adjustments along the way. So if something is no longer working, you’ll have to find something else
Checking results daily can be disappointing
It’s really tempting to look in the mirror or stand on the scale after each workout but those results will be minute. It will seem like you just worked so hard for nothing. Instead, keep track of what tasks you’re doing and only measure results in intervals. For instance, look at your visitor stats once every few weeks and you’ll be able to watch your performance change over time in a more satisfying way.
If you don’t challenge yourself, your growth will be limited
At some point, you will reach a plateau. That means you can continue to do the same exercise but won’t see any results. That’s because your body has adapted and your growth will stop or slow greatly. As your blog grows, you will be expected to add more value. Your visitors will expect more, either from your writing or from your functionality. Either way, you’ll be expected to provide greater value as you get better at what you do.