Are you gung ho on guest blogging now that you’ve worked through the first few modules of this course? Perhaps you’ve even networked with some fellow A-Listers about guest posting on their blogs?
If you’ve already got several guest posts completed, you may not need this article.
But, if you’re somehow never finding the time to sit down and crank out those posts, and can’t quite figure out why, it’s time for some resistance busting!
Whether it’ writing for your own blog, or guest posting , you’d be an unusual human being if you don’t confront at least some degree of resistance.
Resistance is insidious and it comes in many forms. Sometimes it shows up as distractions, life dramas, or an overfilled To-Do list. Sometimes it manifests as plain old procrastination. There you are at your desk, ready to write that post when you suddenly realize you’ve spent the last 45 minutes on Facebook and it’s almost time to cook dinner.
All of it comes down to writer’s resistance. A commonly offered solution is to just ‘power through’. But sometimes this approach doesn’t lead to your best work. Try these steps to get your resistance working for you rather than against you.
Successful writers and artists are in agreement about one thing: waiting around for the Muse to show up doesn’t work. Show up every day and your Muse will notice and reward you with her occasional presence.
If you are disciplined about a regular time to write, you will more easily find inspiration and flow. Of course some of your sessions will be less productive. But the more you show up, the more you will produce and the better you will feel while doing it.
You might want to be pick a specific day or hour that you devote to writing guest posts. Keep showing up.
Resistance often arises when we feel like we’re not equipped for the task. For example, perhaps you are unsure of what to write about for a particular blog. If you’ve carefully read and implemented the material in this course you will already have a list of ideas for blog posts. Pick one and commit to it.
If your chosen topic requires a bit of research – do that first. It may help to break down the task of ‘writing’ this post into sub-tasks. For example, a) research these specific questions (write out the details), b) outline the post, c) write the draft c) Edit.
Other people find it easier to draft the post first, leaving a notation when they get to a spot that needs to be filled in with some research. (Journalists use the abbreviation “TK” for this notation. It means “to come”.)
Experiment and decide on which system fits your personality better. Ideally you want to separate the writing from the research, otherwise it’s far too easy to let your Resistance carry you away to a web surfing session once you get online to research a particular point.
It’s a blog post not a dissertation. True, you want this to be your absolute best work because you want to show the highlights of what you have to offer to a new audience. Yet, too intent a focus on getting it all perfect can be paralyzing.
You will not be able to say it all, or to include every nuance of your message. What you can do is share useful information in your own unique manner. Let yourself say it without getting too hung up on self-judgment. This is particularly important at the first draft stage.
Instead of pushing away the resistance (and then finding yourself on Twitter after 10 minutes of attempted writing), greet it. Welcome it in, and ask it some questions. If you take the time to do this (rather than informing your Facebook followers about what you ate for breakfast), you will likely discover some important insights that will get you back to writing your guest post.
First turn your attention to where the resistance is living in your body. Take a few deep breaths and turn your attention inward.
Is resistance hanging out in your neck? Your shoulders? The pit of your stomach? Tune into the feeling of the resistance, and for now just accept that it is there. Often by just focusing on the resistance and allowing it, rather than fighting it, you can dissolve it significantly. Next time (tomorrow) when you come up against resistance you’ll know where to go to root it out.
If your resistance is still stubbornly hanging on, take some more time to engage it a bit more deeply. Get curious. From your quiet inward focus, ask your resistance some questions such as: “What’s in the way here?” and “What would help me feel more confident about writing this?” Then listen for what comes.
An internal conversation with your Resistance may lead you to some of your own core limiting beliefs, such as “I’m not good enough.” Or you may find that your Resistance is closely allied with your lizard brain, the part of you that wants to play it safe at all costs.
“What are you thinking?” your lizard brain or Resistance might say. “If you write a post on another blog you are exposing yourself to criticism or embarrassment or both.”
All of these thoughts are common and totally normal. Whatever message you hear from your own internal Resistance, try not to fight it or counter it immediately. Just notice it and be with that feeling for a moment. Give the Resistance and its message the space it needs.
From here you may want to go even deeper and learn about the intended good behind any perceived ‘negative’ feeling put forth by that resistant part of you. So, for example, if your Resistance is telling you you’re not good enough, or up to the task, ask yourself: “What is the intended good, or payoff, from this belief?”
If you’ve determined that the intended good is to keep you safe from embarrassment or ridicule, take this even deeper by asking “Why is that important?” You may even want to probe further by asking the same question two or three times.
Sit for a few moments with the answers you receive.
Once you’ve given this recalcitrant part of yourself a chance to hold the floor for a time, you’ll be amazed at how much freer you feel when you return to the page. Thank Resistance for sharing, don’t try to argue, just assure her that you will be perfectly safe even if you become the laughing stock of the internet for your one guest post. (Remember, this part of your brain isn’t all that reasonable).
Notice the difference between this approach and just pushing through resistance (or caving in). You get to stay on track with your project, but you are working with instead of against your resistance.
Now, you can remember your goals and intentions for guest blogging in the first place. And you can get cracking on producing the best guest post you can write!
Author: A-List Team