The biggest mistake I see from bloggers is that they park themselves in front of their laptops ready to write a blog post and think that a great blog post idea will come to them. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Have you ever had a great idea while sitting at your computer? Probably not. So how do you gather great ideas ahead of time so that you are ready to write when you do sit at your laptop?
First get out of your office and don’t bring your laptop with you! Go for a walk or better yet take a shower or wash the dishes. They say that the sound of running water hightens creativity.
Next grab a small notebook (or start a “note” in your smartphone) and keep it with you to write down any ideas that come to you while you are away from your computer. Don’t try to rely on your brain to remember them. If your brain was that powerful you wouldn’t need an address book/contact list for your email system, you’d have everyone’s email address memorized.
Keep that notebook with you when you leave the house. I know that some of my greatest ideas have come when I am people watching. Yes, I love to people watch. Humans are fascinating.
When writing down your ideas, do not get stuck trying to create a fancy title at the moment. In fact just write the idea or some key words. You just need enough information to get you started when you do sit in front of your computer.
Many of my clients have used this strategy and have reported that it makes blogging easier, they publish posts more often and they have stopped banging their heads on their keyboards! :)
