Okay… time for some honesty.
I mean, I’m always honest with you guys! But I don’t think I’ve ever opened up as much as I’m about to right now.
If you’ve been rocking with me for a while, you may have come to realize one sad fact: my blog is inconsistent.
My sporadic blogging has existed since early on. I make plans, set goals but just can get it together! Now is as good a time as any to just come right out and say it. And I know I’m not alone. You may have an inconsistent blog for the very same reason.
And here it is…
I’m a Perfectionist
If this isn’t a problem you face, you might think that, as a perfectionist, I should have it all together, that I shouldn’t have any issues with getting things done. You may even think this is a good thing. It’s great to have standards, right?
Wellll… uhhh… lemme break it down for you.
The Problem With Perfectionism
The thing about perfectionism is this: yes, I have standards, I want the thing “done right” and done well… but that’s exactly the problem! All of those expectations will likely mean that I’ll get absolutely NOTHING done or it won’t get done quickly.
Before I Sit Down to Write…
Why does it take me a while to sit down and start typing? Fear.
Perfectionism, in my case, creates this debilitating and quite annoying fear that when I get ready to put “pen-to-paper”, I’m not gonna express myself the way I really want to, I won’t get the facts straight, I’ll say too much, I won’t say enough… oh, you have no idea! I don’t wanna just throw something together and have you all sitting there reading like…
It may sound silly to someone who doesn’t have this problem. “Girl, why do you care what other people think?! Just write!”
Hmph. If only it were that easy!
Okay, so What IS Perfectionism, REALLY?
Perfectionism, in psychology, is a personality trait characterized by a person’s striving for flawlessness and setting excessively high performance standards, accompanied by overly critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others’ evaluations.
~Wiki
Seeee?! Wikipedia GETS ME! *cries in a corner*
Trust me, this is not on purpose! I DO NOT want to be this way! This has been going on since I was in school. I’d wait until the absolute last minute to do a paper or book report, not because I was lazy, but because I literally COULD NOT!
Perfectionism ⇒ Procrastination ⇒ Paralysis
Besides debilitating, perfectionism is downright paralyzing. I’d reach a point where, no matter how well I’d rock that book report or how great an idea I have for a blog post, I’m so concerned with it turning out well that I can’t even get started. I’ve talked myself out of it. Subconsciously, I’m like… “why start if it’s not gonna be right?” Boom. Inconsistent blog.
UGH! So, sooooo annoying!
But I’m Working On It
Listen, I have 20-something posts sitting in my drafts because of this nonsense. How bout you? Let’s work on this together.
Get Inspired – I’ve noticed that a blogger friend of mine and a couple other bloggers I follow get to the point fairly quickly and keep their words few. I tend to write the way I speak, which is a LOT, so I’ll have to work on getting my point across with less words. They show me that it’s possible and inspire me to keep trying!
Just Write – I’m putting this tip to work right now! *pats back* It doesn’t always take me forever to get a post done. I’ve found that when I get over myself, stop over thinking and just start typing, the words flow and I’m done much faster. Once I get it all out, I can always edit afterwards… like… I’m doing right now. 😉
Get Help – I’m a fan of Periscope and regularly watch a few bloggers and businesswomen who give tips on productivity. I also take advantage of FREE webinars when I can. These help me at least create a framework for being more productive.
Set Small, Realistic Goals – Because I know I have an issue, there are some tips from those webinars, etc. that just won’t work for me, not now. So, I’m honest with myself and take what I can realistically use to my benefit. Being mentally able to blog consistently won’t happen overnight. I challenged myself to post everyday this week but who was I kidding?! A more realistic goal would have been every other day or 3x/week… and look, I’ve accomplished that! *cue noisemaker*
The no. 1 Reason Why Your #Blog is Inconsistent + 4 Steps to Fixing It! #betterblogging Click To TweetWHEW!! Feels good to get that off my chest!
Oh, and to those of you loyal subscribers who’ve come here looking for hair advice on Hair Tip Tuesday only to find a fashion post from two weeks ago, please accept my deepest apologies. I mean well. Really, I do.
During our icebreaker at the Brown Girls Love Brunch this past Saturday, the goal I shared was to blog more consistently. Now, I’m sharing with you! If you’ve been suffering, you’re not alone. Let’s hold one another accountable. 😉
If any of this sounds like you, share with me below! Have you dealt with perfectionism and procrastination? What do/did you do to get over it?
I definitely feel for you! I struggle with the same sort of thing both in my everyday life and blogging. Sometimes I will spend so much time on one thing just because I am obsessed with making it perfect. I am slowly getting better at this, but it is a work in progress. Thanks for sharing this post because it is nice to know that I am not the only one who feels this way. 🙂
-Brooke | http://www.beautydecorandmore.com
Brooke recently posted…Healthy Habits That Will Improve Your Life
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Hi Brooke! Thank YOU for reading and sharing my pain. 🙂 While having this problem stinks, it is somewhat comforting to know that you’re not alone! It’ll definitely take some work but I know we’ll get better in time. 😉
I totally feel your procrastination pain as I too have suffered from it. And while mine isn’t born out of a need for perfection, it is a life killer in so many ways. Thankfully for me, as I age, I am able to get a better grip on it & I know you will also!
Jaye recently posted…{Travel} The Epic 100+ Item Carryon Bag #JetSetCurves
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I used to think my issue was JUST procrastination until I read a particular article a few years ago (the name of which escapes me right now) and I knew that description of perfectionism was all me!
I’m sure as I near 40, I’ll get better. Thanks for the kind words, Jaye!
How did you get in my head?! Thank you so much for your vulnerability and sharing. I can relate the EVERYTHING in your post! What gets the me the most is that I’ll have a blog post idea that’s related to current events, but I wait so long that it’s no longer relevant :-(. I’m learning the “just do it” process. It’s good to know that I’m not alone.
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Hey Andrea! You get an innanet hug too! 😉
The thing about having an idea about something current & taking so long that it’s no longer current… ALL ME!! I can’t tell you how often that’s happened. But I know we can fight it!
Just start typing… even if it’s in your phone’s notes app. I have the WordPress app so I can actually write a post if I can’t get to my laptop because of the baby or if I’m traveling without it.
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Evernote is great too! ?
I have Everynote, now, the key is to use it! 🙂 Thanks for sharing! Free feel to check out my blog when you can.
I feel your pain, Toia. My inconsistency is mostly because I find it hard to fit everything into my day. Don’t get me wrong, I suffer from my fair share of perfectionism and procrastination in other areas which ends up having a knock-on effect. Bottom line is sometimes we’re simply too hard on ourselves and we’d do well to extend a little grace. So go ahead and be gentle with yourself. 🙂
Glad to have met you through Blog & Biz BFFs.
Marva | Sun Sparkle Shine recently posted…How to Control Anger — What Anger?
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Thank you so much for your words Marva! You’re right… my husband tells me all the time I need to stop doing this to myself. Easier said than done but I am taking steps to be better at going easy on myself. 🙂
Happy to connect via Blog & Biz BFFs!
Oh, I so get this. I used to be crippled with perfectionism but I overcame it. I listened to a podcast by Michael Hyatt and his guest talked about how he made over $100k starting with a crappy product that he improved as he continued to sell it. Genius. One thing that I’ve learned specifically about blogging consistently, too, is that sometimes it’s necessary to take a break so that you can have new experiences to share with your readers. Breaks keep me fresh. Anyway, thanks for sharing.
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That’s a great tip! That actually crossed my mind after rereading this post- the need to step away for a bit. With all the fear and different emotions racing, overwhelm can set in. Makes total sense to take a break. I just hope my “break” won’t lead to endless cycle of more procrastination! LOL!
Thanks for reading! 🙂
Perfection and procrastination are the 2 Ps that make me who I am! I totally get it. I live the idea of what I call micro blogging. Keeping it short and to the point mixed in with longer posts is a great strategy
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*innanet hug* Love to find people who get me! ? Micro Blogging… I like! I am definitely motivated and inspired by bloggers like you, Trina and others. So appreciating my blogging sissies showing me all this love! ❤
I’ve pretty much just embraced “done is better than perfect”. Of course you won’t put janky stuff out into the world but I do less talking about what I want to do, and take more steps to actually doing it. Also, fear NEVER goes away lol. You got this.
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Girl… it’s soooo hard! Even when I’m super pumped like, “yeah, girl! We’re gonna get this done!” I start and my motivation level goes ⬇? It’s a crazy thing.
But what you said reminds me of a quote: “First drafts don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be written.” If I can just keep reminding myself of that, maybe I can actually beat this thing!
Thank you for sharing Vee! ?
You got this boo! I’m finding it difficult to stay consistent as well.
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Girl, you’re one of my blogging she-ros! ? Lol! I be like dag, can I just get ONE post done this week?! LOL. Thanks for the love hun. ?
???????????? for being real about perfectionism and how constraining it can be. You can do it! You can achieve it! You’re a great writer. ?? And thanks for the shout out. ??
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Thank you so much ma frennn! 😉 This post was a long time comin! Thanks for the support boo.
So I don’t have this problem with my blog but this definitely hinders me with entertaining! You don’t know how many birthday parties, housewarmings, cookouts, etc. that I have cancelled because I couldn’t make it Pinterest worthy. In the end people just want to come over and have a good time, they don’t care if my house isn’t perfect or if I don’t have themed decor.
LaNeshe recently posted…Mom Guilt: Day Care
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Ohhh yes! I can feel you on this. It can just be me having people over casually for dinner. I’m a mess. LOL! Anxiety on 1,000! My husband had to calm me down and let me know it’s not that serious. I don’t have to cook 15 different exotic dishes just to impress folks. You’re right- just enjoying one another’s company is the important part. Keep it simple. Less is more. 😉