It was five years ago when I launched this blog, Leadership Insights.
At the time, I had several people encouraging me to do it, but many more were against it.
Overcome Negative Voices
The list of negative sentiments kept coming at me:
- The blogging craze is over.
- It’s too hard to start now.
- Starting is easy, getting anyone to read a blog is difficult.
- Do you have the time?
- Are you going to burn out?
- Why do you want to share all of this for free?
- You want to do this without a business model?
- The technical side of it is more challenging than you know.
- How long can you keep this up?
- What’s the best way to promote a new blog?
- You just joined Twitter a month ago. Learn that before doing something bigger.
I’ve now been blogging for five years. After millions of hits, you’d think the naysayers would stop. Maybe they’ve been silenced a bit, but every now and then I hear something that reminds me that success is the pull against the current of mediocrity. Somehow my brain uses negativity and difficulty as fuel to propel me higher. Truth be told, it’s not others who may cause me to pause. It’s my own thoughts. I think negative thoughts from inside us are the worst offenders because it’s much harder to tune out the voice within.
Stay the Course
And, yes, I’ve often asked myself whether I should continue, whether it matters, and whether I will keep blogging. I’ve never promised that I wouldn’t quit, but instead I just plod along, writing the next post, interviewing another author, sharing a story that uplifts or a quote that inspires. Discipline wears down any obstacle in the way water seeks its own level. Often the biggest successes come after powering through the most challenging times.
There are many things that I’ve learned in my five years of blogging:
- How to focus on the reader
- How to write faster
- How to ignore critics
- How to write better headlines
- How to utilize a good outline
- How to write more succinctly
Understand that People Are Most Important
I could go on and on. But it’s not only what I learned; it’s also the people I’ve met and interacted with.
My life is literally different because of the people I’ve interviewed, the people who interact with me on social media, and the people who are now a part of my life because of my decision to start blogging. It’s amazing.
3 Lessons
Although I cannot even begin to estimate the impact of this experience, I definitely see these three lessons as important to any successful venture.
- Overcome the negative. There will always be critics and complainers trying to stop you from your goals.
- Stay the course. When it feels like time to quit, keep going. Don’t quit a goal based on emotion. Only quit if you carefully reason that the time is right to stop.
- Understand that people are most important. Whatever your venture, it’s people who matter. I’m so grateful for the people in my life who challenge, encourage, and push me to achieve more.
Thank you for reading this blog. If you have any suggestions, feel free to add them in the comments.
What’s Next?
Now, many people are telling me it’s too late to start podcasting. In fact, the list is eerily similar to what I heard about blogging. Hmm…
