Consistency is key!
You’ve heard it before. It’s encouragement I’ve given you all on Instagram, it’s what I read in every article about growing your blog, it’s what I heard from every class I took on how to monetize your blog/social media/podcast/etc., and it’s really true!
Your readers want consistency.
They want to know when and how often they can expect to find your new blog post.
For me, that’s Monday’s.
For a while I had 8 posts sitting in purgatory just waiting to be released. A couple weeks ago I posted the last one. Last week I had a moment of panic as I realized it was Sunday and I had no content for the next day. I picked up a book hoping to share a concept from it and then ended up using a compilation of really great quotes from it instead. If you missed that, read it here.
This past week filled up with sales calls, my husband coming home after 13 days away, spending time with my parents, daily devotionals, taking my girls to the park since we value and take full advantage of any sunshine moments here in northwest Montana, going to church, hanging out with friends, coffee dates, meetings, mindlessly scrolling through social media, eating way too much fast food, and sleeping (probably too much sleeping).
Today I had an online meeting, took husband to haircut, went to a coffee date/meeting, had lunch, picked up a kindergarten packet [insert hysterical crying face at the fact that my baby is somehow heading to kindergarten this fall?!], shopped for work pants for hubby, made sales calls and booked appointments, and here I’ve sat for over an hour racking my brain with how do I share something to keep up consistency but not just post for the sake of posting?!
This is my life.
I’ve chosen to umbrella my eclectic, multi-passionate, hodgepodge interests under a lifestyle blog.
You would think not strictly writing about fashion, parenting, marriage, personal development, or any one specific niche would allow my creative juices to flow because of the vast array of topics to choose from. You would think that, and you would be correct on most days.
When you choose to busy yourself and put your passion on the back-burner you find yourself overwhelmed while scrambling at the last minute to produce quality content.
It’s a blog post about nothing. I could choose any one thing to write about and today I’m writing about nothing. [Anyone watch Seinfeld – that’s a nod to their show – “It’s a show about nothing.”]
Yesterday, I tried to take a nap and instead listened to my husband snore away and asked myself, “what am I doing with my life?” Where do I want to go? What do I want to do? How can I earn money quickly? What can I sell? Did I talk to everyone I wanted to this past week? What do I need to focus on this week? What is God teaching me? What value am I adding to the world? How can I fit in daily exercise? Will it all get so much better once we move back into our own home or am I just wishful thinking once again? Why did we make such and such financial decision? Am I a good mother? Am I a good wife? Am I a good friend? Should I really apologize again? (By the way, that answer is yes, always yes!) What could I do to be a little less selfish today? What should I write a blog about??? And so many more questions.
I am a planner and prepping keeps me sane. I like to schedule things out in advance, and pray there are no punches to roll with. I do not thrive in chaos. I prefer a script while making a sales pitch and if the person asks a question that I don’t have a written answer for, my brain goes a little haywire and I stumble over words. Actually, that’s not even exclusive to a sales pitch. If I’m having conversation and think of a relevant article, quote, scripture, or the like and I can’t think of the exact wording I get so darn frazzled. That’s why I enjoy writing blog posts. A blog post allows time for me to google the definition of a word, look up that aforementioned relevant thing, or research a bit in order to fluff or put backing behind my own thoughts on the matter. A face-to-face conversation gets real awkward with me. You may have experienced this, and for that I’m sort of sorry, but then again, I’m not sorry at all. It’s a quirk that I’m not ashamed to own. It’s partly due to my introverted tendencies, and partly insecurities, and partly my desire of my opinion to be heard and my voice to be valued and my whole being to be loved.
I took on another job recently. As if my plate weren’t already full, I added appointment setter for a local Rainbow vacuum rep to my resume. [Truly the keyword here is trying because I haven’t made one sale BUT I know that is going to change because I have faith that I can sell websites!] I figured I’ve already been trying to sell websites, so this is very similar, just not cold calling and not selling the product, so really it’s not similar in any way except I talk to people on the phone. HAHA!
I actually LOVE this product and know what a difference it’s made in my parents home and my dad uses them for his commercial cleaning so I’m very familiar with and have used the vacuums, which makes it really easy to encourage others that they should at least sit through the demo!
My boss went to his first appointment that I had scheduled him and it ended in a sale! Woohoo!! He called me to congratulate me and said, “they said they loved you. You were very kind and articulate on the phone.” Honestly, what an incredibly kind compliment!
Articulate : having or showing the ability to speak fluently and coherently.
I thought that’s what it meant but I had to google it so I figured I’d throw it on here in case anyone else needed the definition.
Anyway, my whole point in sharing is because that compliment not only lifted my spirits, but it reassured me that it’s totally okay that I need to use a script while making these phone calls. I feel more secure and come across more coherent than if I were to “wing it” and in some scenarios it’s more important to admit a weakness than to substitute false confidence in an area that’s lacking.
As time goes on, and I practice more, sure..I’ll probably be able to recite it without second thought, but for now I’m sticking to the script!
Well, my hubby’s telling me dinner is ready so I’m posting this bad boy!
May your week be filled with things that make you happy!
May any chaos find peace!
May any plans go well!
May you be consistent!
Enjoy your week,
Nicole
prune and blossom 