The following is a guest post by Emma from My Redemption for His Glory.
Emma is a Christian creator, blogger, podcaster, and aspiring entrepreneur. After learning things the hard way, she wants to help other bloggers and content creators build their platform & make money in a way that truly glorifies God.
Visit her website for more information and free resources on this topic.
Are you currently feeling discouraged, bored, or frustrated with your work as a blogger or content creator? Want to get to the point where you can actually enjoy the less glamorous/appealing tasks (in a healthier, more reliable, God-glorifying, and not-workaholic kind of way)?
You may even have your ‘dream job’ right now, but that hasn’t made the day-to-day requirements any more of a breeze. It’s still hard work, isn’t it? It still demands quality effort and discipline to get things done well AND on-time.
I suspect that you already know that cutting corners isn’t going to bring you anywhere good. So, how can we possibly make this situation better? What will make this job of yours easier to do when it loses its shine?
Here’s my suggestion to you…
Start intentionally training yourself to enjoy your work—not just the job (or its enticing benefits) in general, but the actual hard work you have to do to be successful.
Stop slogging away reluctantly and instead, begin learning to make work pleasant (and maybe even fun!).
But, don’t worry. I’m not going to leave you hanging there, without any idea as to how you should try to make your work more fun.
There are several things I think you can do to beat the obstacles that arise throughout your blogging/creating career. So, let’s take a look at those actionable steps now…
#1. Find the right motivation.
Free yourself up to do what will truly help you find the type of success you’re looking for.
Quit working just for the money, the benefits, the temporary wins, etc. And start working simply to glorify God. That is the chief end of man and it should be your biggest goal going into any sort of work that you set your mind to.
Rather than going about your work with self-seeking motives, focus your ambitions around pleasing Him. Work as unto the Lord firstly, not yourself, nor anyone else.
(If you’d like to learn more about what it really means to glorify God, then listen to my podcast series HERE.)
#2. Figure out your main goal in doing this particular job.
Why did you choose this job (out of all the others)? What did you hope it would help you accomplish? What is your primary purpose in being a blogger or content creator?
Once you settle on a clear answer to these questions, you will be able to understand what steps you need to take to achieve your main goal and why exactly you need to focus on those tasks specifically. A little clarity about where you want to be headed goes a long way.
Know why you’re doing these tasks. And if you realize that they are actually distracting you from your main goal, or at the very least, aren’t bringing you any closer to achieving it, then stop doing those things. Free yourself up to do what will truly help you find the type of success you’re looking for.
From my own experience, I have found that as soon as I recognize the real purpose and value in doing these less-than-exciting tasks, the more I feel driven and enthusiastic to do it.
#3. Take breaks when needed.
This is definitely not an excuse to procrastinate, but make sure that you aren’t overworking yourself to the point of exhaustion.
When you start to feel tired, take a short break to get up and walk around for a bit, drink a glass of water, or work on an unrelated task.
Sometimes, our minds and bodies just need a bit of refreshment, so don’t feel guilty about purposefully setting aside some time to not work. After all, it’s important that we learn to take good care of these tools (i.e. our minds and bodies) God has given us.
#4. Stop overthinking and just start doing.
Forget about your fears, worries, lack of inspiration, etc. These should not be what govern your work habits. Don’t be a slave to your own thoughts.
Be renewed by the Scriptures, remember your ultimate purpose in life, pray for the strength & perseverance you need to battle your flesh and continue on all the while, trusting in your true Master.
Whenever you run into those times of doubt, overwhelm, or self-imposed pressure, start writing/creating anyway. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even need to be published.
The only requirement is that you just start so that you can get into the habit of clearing those hurdles when they come up suddenly. This is a key part of being faithful with the work God has given you to do.
#5. Ban unnecessary distractions.
Whether it’s social media, your phone, your email, or something else that’s taking your attention away from your most important task at the moment, make a conscious effort to keep those things ‘off-limits’ until you’re done.
Don’t try to divide yourself no matter how interesting (or less difficult) that other thing might be. Go all in to the task you are currently working on. I guarantee this will improve both the quality and efficiency of your work.
#6. Give yourself a fun challenge.
If you have a competitive nature, get creative and start using that to your advantage.
This could look like setting a timer for 20 minutes and trying to get as much brainstormed/written/edited/etc within that timeframe as possible. Or, you could attempt to get a certain task done by noon.
Really, it doesn’t matter how you challenge yourself as long as you make it something that will be enjoyable for you. Don’t set a goal that will discourage you. Create a goal that drives you forward.
If it helps, utilize some sort of reward-system. But be careful to make sure you are still building a good outlook on the work itself. You should be aiming to enjoy the actual work, not just the perks that come after. (Personally, I find that making rewards for myself is not conducive to me liking work, but it may be effective for others.)
#7. Experiment with various methods.
You don’t have to keep doing things the same way day in and day out.
With the aspects of your work that you don’t like as much, try approaching it from a different angle. Challenge yourself to think outside the box.
Is there an alternative, more effective route you can take to get a particular task done? What about a more fun, engaging, or interesting way of getting your message across to your readers/audience? Would it help if you listened to something (such as your favourite song playlist, a podcast, or sermon) while working? Are there any hassle-free tools out there that would make your work easier?
Look around. Be willing to try new things. You may just find something that totally changes the way you view (and feel about) your work.
Want to learn more?
If you are interested in learning more about how to do blogging & entrepreneurship in a God-glorifying way, then head over to myredemptionforhisglory.com.
