A lot of people talk about setting goals, but when it comes to setting realistic blog goals that you can achieve, most people fall short. Why? Because they set goals that are either too vague or too difficult to accomplish.
They say that the perfect is the enemy of the good, but when it comes to goal-setting, perfection is the enemy of progress. So don’t strive for perfection, just strive for progress!
It may be just a small step, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Whether you’re a seasoned blogger looking to take your blog to the next level or someone who wants to pivot to a new career in blogging, these six tips will help you set realistic blog goals that you can achieve.
1. Understanding and Accepting Your Limitations
Each one of us is special and unique in our way, and that means that we all have different limitations. It’s important to understand and accept your limitations to set realistic goals.
For example, if you’re a stay-at-home mom with two young kids, it’s unrealistic to expect that you’ll be able to write a blog post every day because you simply can’t predict when your kids are going to need your attention.
Comparing yourself to other bloggers who don’t have young kids is not only unfair but will also lead to frustration and disappointment.
2. Prioritizing Your Time
Think of everything that you have to do in a day and then prioritize your time accordingly.
Can you carve out 30 minutes to an hour to write a blog post? If so, then make that a priority. But if you can only find 15 minutes, then that’s okay too. It’s better to write a shorter blog post than no blog post at all.
It’s best to think of all the activities that you have to do in a day and then put them in order of importance. That way, you can make sure that you’re spending your time on the things that are most meaningful to you.
3. Breaking Down Large Goals Into Smaller Steps
There’s no better way to fail at something than to try to do too much all at once. When you’re setting goals, it’s important to break them down into smaller steps that you can realistically achieve.
Taking on a huge, sprawling goal like “writing the definitive blog post on black holes” is overwhelming and will only lead to frustration.
A better approach would be to break that goal down into smaller steps, such as “researching the topic,” “writing a draft,” and “editing and publishing the final post.”
Focusing on the smaller steps will help you move closer to your goal without feeling overwhelmed and makes it that much more likely that you’ll achieve it.
4. Delegating and Outsourcing
This ties in with understanding your limitations. Who are you as a blogger? Are you more interested in writing the best possible content or are you more interested in promoting your blog and building an audience?
Delegate the tasks that you’re not good at to other people so that you can focus on the things that you’re good at.
For example, we all know the importance of cybersecurity. But unless you have a background in IT, you’re probably not going to be very good at it off the bat. Will the time you have to spend learning about cybersecurity be worth it?
It might be better to outsource that task to someone who is already an expert in the field. The same goes for the less-heralded tasks of blogging, such as design, social media promotion, and email marketing.
5. Planning for Setbacks
Setbacks happen every day. What’s more important than trying to avoid every single potential setback is to have a plan for when they do happen.
For example, let’s say that you’re trying to write a blog post every day, but one day you just can’t seem to get anything done. Your kids are screaming, the dog won’t stop barking, and your brain feels like mush.
What do you do?
The best thing to do in this situation is to take a break and come back later. Sometimes, all you need is a little time to clear your head before you can start writing again.
And if you find that you just can’t get back into the swing of things, don’t beat yourself up about it. Everyone has off days, and the important thing is that you don’t let one bad day turn into two or three.
6. Keeping Yourself Accountable
The best and worst part about blogging is that you are your own boss. That means that it’s up to you to make sure that you’re getting things done.
It’s tempting to just lounge around in your pajamas all day and watch Netflix, but if you want to achieve your goals, you need to be accountable to yourself. No need to act like a drill sergeant, but give yourself regular check-ins to make sure that you’re on track.
One way to do this is to set up a system where you have to report back to someone else on your progress. This could be a friend, family member, or even just an accountability partner who you connect with online—anyone who can give you a gentle nudge in the right direction.
Blogging can be a great way to improve your writing, connect with new people, and even make some money. But like anything else worth doing, it takes time and effort to achieve success. By setting realistic goals and putting in the work, you can make sure that your blog is everything that you want it to be.
When it comes to setting goals for your blog, it’s important to be realistic. You’re not going to achieve world domination overnight, but you can make steady progress if you set the right goals and put in the work.
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