Daily Blogging is the Art of Writing Even When No One is Reading
Have you ever had the fear of hosting an event to only have no one show up? Spending all day setting up chairs, then at the start of the event all the chairs are still empty…
That’s how starting a daily blog feels.
Today I have officially been writing this daily blog for 47 days straight without missing a day. My previous personal best was 45 days in a row back in the spring of this year.
When I started this new blog, my first goal was to reach a new daily blogging personal best. Now that I have achieved this, I’ve realize that the key to keeping a daily blog going is mastering the art of writing even when no one is reading (i.e. hosting the event even if no one shows up) .
As of this weekend, on average, the blog post I write on Saturdays and Sundays only get read by 1 or 2 people (me and my wife if I’m lucky). Even on a good day, during peak hours, I’ve maxed out at 40 people.
For example, yesterday I really enjoyed writing a blog post I titled The Peanut Butter and Jelly Manifesto. I feel really good about what I wrote and think it’s worthy of a Facebook like or two. Even a re-tweet.
Yet, only one other person read it (and they didn’t even share or comment on it).
Paltry numbers like this deterred me during my first attempt at a daily blog. This time around I’ve accepted the fact that I’m writing for myself more than I’m writing to get readers.
The art of writing when no one is reading is simple. Set personal goals that have nothing to do with traffic numbers, track your progress, and repeat.
My first goal was to break my 45 day record. Done. Now, I want to go after a streak of 365 daily blog post in a row. Basically, that’s it. Of course I want to write inspirational and insightful content on this blog, but that’s not really measurable. So while I’m trying to find that inspirational and insightful voice, my goal right now is to show up consistently, everyday, regardless of how many people read what I write.
Cheers to the party of one!