Really? Am I really saying that it’s possible to apply dieting techniques to blogging strategies?
I think so!
If you’ve ever started a diet you’ll only be too aware of what you’re up against.
In theory it’s very easy to diet and lose weight. All you need to do is to burn more calories than you consume: you create a calorie deficit.
There are many approaches to creating a calorie deficit, and on paper they are pretty straightforward. However… the reality is that it is NOT easy to lose weight for many reasons.
Similarly, starting a blog is a very easy thing to do… on paper.
You just need to set up a blog, publish some posts and people will read them.
It’s easy, right?
Actually, just like dieting, it’s NOT easy.
So without further ado, here are 8 proven dieting techniques you can apply to blogging strategies to make it more likely your experience will be successful.
8 Similarities Between Dieting Techniques and Blogging Strategies
Whenever we thinking about starting something new we’re highly motivated. We can’t wait to start the ball rolling and are champing at the bit to reach our goal!
While initial excitement is a great motivator, success for both dieting and blogging requires something that lasts beyond the initial highly motivated buzz of starting a new venture.
Like successful dieting, successful blogging requires you to adhere to several tenets.
1. Think Long Term
One of the reasons that diets fail especially early on is the initial enthusiasm and motivation wanes when the effort it takes to maintain becomes more apparent.
Successful blogs, like successful diets, require an appreciation from the outset that real benefits and success will only be apparent over the long-term.
In the blogging world there are of course examples of people growing exponentially from the get go, but these examples are extremely rare.
To build a successful blog takes a lot of time. Think of this right from day one and you’ll prepare yourself to handle early disappointments, which might otherwise kill your drive.
Besides this, blogging can be highly enjoyable. Being a part of an active community is highly rewarding in all sorts of ways. However, building relationships with people and getting your blog on the map just cannot be done overnight.
2. Have Realistic Expectations
When you start a blog, you need to make sure your expectations are based in the real world.
It’s very easy to get swept along by the hype of six-figure income “gurus” who make it look easy and suggest you too can become a gazzillionaire.
It’s true that lots have people have made a lot of money by blogging, but there is no easy path so don’t believe the hype.
If your expectations are unrealistic you will become disillusioned when they are not met.
I’m not suggesting that you don’t have expectations that will challenge you, but I’m telling you that reaching too high too soon will leave you disappointed.
As any dieter knows, not meeting your expectations increases the likelihood that your motivation will tank, which opens the door to giving up.
Realistic expectations should be sustainable and manageable in the context of what else you have going on in your life.
You should also be prepared to be reevaluate your expectations as you gain more of an understanding of what you’re doing.
3. Set Small Goals on Your Journey Towards Your Objective
As dieters have an end objective, it’s obvious you’ll have a long-term goal for your blog.
Many healthy diet programmes recommend setting small goals that help achieve a primary weight loss goal.
Bloggers need small goals to aim for too, within the wider objective of owning a successful blog.
Making a list of smaller goals to aim for will help you achieve your overall objective.
A small goal should be something that will improve the chances of growing your blog without destroying you. The type of small goal you choose might be:
- Writing a post every other day no matter how big or small.
- Reading other blogs in your niche and adding to the discussion threads for 4 hours each week.
- Spending 5 hours a week learning about blogging.
- Being active in social media for 1 hour a day.
- Reading a motivational book instead of watching TV.
Whatever you choose as a small goal, make it something that will be beneficial to your long-term objective and also something that’s achievable.
Being serious about blogging requires you to make changes in your life… and change is often hard, especially if it’s drastic.
Try not to make too many radical changes. Start small and gradually grow into your life as a blogger.
4. Reward Yourself
Successful dieters reward themselves by doing something that helps them to feel good about what they’ve achieved. However the reward is not taking their foot off the gas and binge eating for a night.
You’ll need to reward yourself too when things are moving in the right direction for you or you’ve hit a milestone. Give yourself a high-five and do something for you as a reward to celebrate.
It may be as simple as spending two days without looking at your blog or without thinking about blogging in any way. Or perhaps treat yourself to a new hat if that floats your boat!
If you combine in advance a mini-goal with a reward that you’ll give yourself when you hit it, this can give the goal a value to give you purpose.
5. Look for Help & Support
We all need help and support no matter who we are and where we are at in our lives.
Dieters need a strong support network to reach their objective… and so do bloggers!
You will encounter tough times as a blogger when things aren’t going quite the way you want. Support during these times can help to maintain your ongoing efforts to hit your overall objective.
Most people making a living from blogging (or having a successful side hustle from it) have been in your position and can help keep you focussed.
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook as well as other blogs are a great way to connect with other people with whom you can share your successes and failures… and vice-versa. Remember, to receive you’ve got to give!
Many weight-loss studies show that dieters who build a network of people having a shared goal tend to be more successful in meeting their objective than those who try to do it alone.
The same is true for bloggers. Get yourself involved in a community to help out others and to ask for support when you need it.
6. Create Daily Plans
A great way to set yourself up for the day to come is plan what you’re going to do in advance.
As dieters meal plan in advance, bloggers need a similar way to manage how they’ll work each day.
Schedule your planned tasks as if they’re a meeting or appointment. This gives you parameters within which to work each day.
The aim is not to overburden yourself with an unachievable amount of work but rather to treat the items on your plan as a commitment. If you do this in advance the night before, you know precisely where you’re going the next day.
Creating plans like this make your tasks a priority and by building such a mechanism into your days these tasks will start to become routine.
7. Watch Out For Old Bad Habits
It’s VERY hard to shake off old bad habits. But like dieters who always used to eat a late night snack, you’ll need to resist some of your old bad habits to improve the chances of meeting your objectives.
Perhaps you liked lounging on the couch in the evenings watching chewing-gum television shows before you started blogging. You’d need to be aware if this starts creeping into your life again. Especially if the evenings are the only time you have available for your blog.
For the record… I like zoning out on chewing-gum TV shows!
When you identify habits that impact your ability to achieve your objectives, you can change them by making small manageable steps away from them without feeling like you’re depriving yourself.
So, instead of zoning out all night in-front of the TV, you might limit yourself to doing so only after a certain time or when you’ve finished a planned task.
8. Monitor Your Progress
Dieters keep a very close eye on their progress. They might keep a food or exercise journal documenting what they eat, how they exercise and when.
This helps them see where they are in terms of their objective and understand what has worked for them alongside what hasn’t been so productive.
As a blogger you need to keep track of the work you do, how many times you do it and when you did it. Over time this will show you what to expect from the various activities you carry out.
Furthermore, understanding this can help you to refine your activities and perhaps focus upon those that bring the most success.
There have been many studies showing that monitoring your activities in this way can help to promote more positive behaviours and reduce less-productive ones.
Summary
- Long-term success in blogging begins in your head and accepting that it will take take time sets your mindset correctly.
- Realistic expectations will help you avoid disappointment.
- Set small achievable goals.
- Reward yourself when you hit a target.
- Seek out help and support.
- Create daily action plans in advance.
- Be aware of slipping into bad habits.
- Keep an eye on your progress.
Adopting the right mental approach to your blog and defining processes to support your objective early on will help keep you going when the going gets tough.
That’s it for now… good luck!
Paul
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. Please drop a comment below or post a question and I’ll respond in kind.
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