Why You Should Stop Doubting Yourself and Your Content (and Keep Writing Anyway!)

I have to confess, I've been getting myself a little stressed over blogging lately. To make a nice change, it's not the issue of generating post ideas, I'm full to the brim with them, and it's certainly not got anything to do with finding time to blog, it's all about the actual post ideas themselves.  You see, some of them, okay, all of them, just don't feel good enough.

I've got all these great content ideas swirling around in my head, and they sound really genuinely awesome when they materialise in that nugget called a brain, but when I put them into words and onto paper, or into a blog post or draft in Evernote, they just.. suck.

You don't have to tell me that just because I think something sucks, doesn't mean someone else might not love it, but writing content quality content is what I know, it's what I love to do, it's why I choose to blog, to teach, to learn and to share. Quality content is the whole reason I dropped my book blogging label and went nicheless, it's the reason I've smashed one of my biggest goals this year in a quarter of the time I thought it'd take, and as much as I know I shouldn't compare myself to other bloggers and put other people's content against mine, I just can't seem to shift that self-doubt.

I'm stuck in this vicious blog content circle and it's super tough to get out.

I've got so many half-written posts drafted in Blogger and Evernote, posts that previously sounded great, posts that would without a doubt bring me good vibes, but all of a sudden feel worthless, pointless, and even silly to even be considering.

What is a girl to do?

What do you do when every posts feels like it's going to flop?

I asked the person I trust most in the world, my Mum, what she would do.

"I remember when you were a little girl and you used to visit the library every single week, without fail. You'd get out a ton of books, even books you wouldn't read, and just enjoy being around them.

Then one day, you just stopped.

You said: 'I don't enjoy going there anymore because the people, they expect too much. They ask me why I haven't read the books, and I get upset. I want to read them, I do, I just want to do other things more. That's why I don't want to go anymore.'

Of course, I was a little upset that my little girl didn't want to read those books anymore, but it was okay, because you can't be expected to love everything forever, and that's okay.

Maybe those blog post ideas are temporary loves, something that looks, sounds and feels like love, but over time, you realise that maybe you only liked them. Maybe those post ideas wanted too much from you, asked for more than you were willing to give them, and that's okay too.

Your posts will only ever be as good as you feel about them. If you don't love them, then what're the chances your followers will too? I would keep trying, keep doing the things you love to do too, but keep on going, and keep on writing. When the right post comes along, you'll be glad you kept on going, and you'll fall in love all over again.

After all, were you or were you not reading last night, just like my little girl used to?"

So what's the takeaway?

Keep on trying. Keep on writing. Keep on going. It will be worth it.

I digress, as much of a cop out as it sounds, it's true. That post that sounds rubbish right now might very well turn out to be the best, most honest, most impactful, most helpful post you've ever written. With a little TLC and breathing space, that post that you almost deleted could be the post that goes viral. It could be your piece de resistance. The post that finally puts you where you want to be.

When those post ideas just don't seem to be going straight, please don't give up.

Take a look at your post from a different angle. Sometimes a simple title change can make all the difference, or you've got to be less professional and more personal about it all. Maybe you should stop being afraid to write short, snappy posts, after all, a quality post is only as long as it needs to be. Better still, if you're just not sure where the heck your post is headed, have somebody else take a look at it for you and give feedback on it - chances are, your post is actually awesome and you just don't believe in yourself enough.

For now, I'm going to let my ideas stew. Some of them might grow and develop, and with time, becoming things I want to share. Maybe one day you'll see them on Nellie and Co, maybe you won't, but one thing is for sure - I'm not giving up on them quite yet, and neither should you.

What's do you struggle with most in terms of blogging?