Feeling sluggish? Maybe a little weighty?
Does the thought of writing another blog post turn your brain to mush?
Or both?
Let’s start with the blog problem.
Disheartening, isn’t it?
Everyone’s got a blog nowadays. They’re churning out posts and videos with the greatest of ease. But when you sit down at the computer your mind goes blank, while that wretched cursor keeps blinking at you.
Write. Something.
You’ve got nothing. Zip.
What’s the point? You’re a florist or a lawyer. Not a writer. Right?
Wrong.
The truth is, we all have to be something of a writer and content publisher these days. But finding the enthusiasm and inspiration to blog like a pro can be really hard. So, I’m going to give you a powerful technique to do just that.
And you’ll lose weight at the same time.
But let me state right here, there is no silver bullet. What I’m about to tell you is going to take some hard work and dedication,
The good news? You can make a significant difference to your blog and your waistline within three months if you follow this advice.
Interested? Let’s get going.
Invest in Your Blogging Future
Whatever the size of your business, you have to invest in it before you see any returns. At a minimum, you probably forked out for a laptop and internet connection.
But there’s something else you need to buy if you’re going to blog like a pro.
A pair of good quality trainers. Yep, I’m talking top of the range – ASICS, Nike. take your pick. Just be prepared to spend $100 or more. While you’re at it, get a comfortable pair of socks, and some chafe-free shorts. Looking good.
Now let’s head off to the gadgets section of the sports shop for your new fitness tracker. You should do your own research, but personally I love my FitBit Charge 2 because it has all the important tech features, it’s sleek and sexy, and you can change the bands to match your outfit. (It’s a girl-thing).
By now I reckon you’ve spent around $300 but, trust me, this will be the best business (and health) investment you’re going to make all year.
Set Some Goals. And Mean it.
We’ve all done it. Worked through our blogging goals for the year, written out a publishing schedule, and patted ourselves on the back for a job well done. But do you truly follow that schedule and measure your progress? Or do you pay lip service to your goals and shove the plan to the back of a drawer?
I thought so. And that’s going to change right here:
Steps to Take:
- Decide on your blogging goals for the next three months.
- Decide on your weight loss and fitness goals for the same period.
- Make them all realistic and achievable – this is crucial.
Well done. You’ve made a start. Now hard work really begins.
Commit to Taking Action
One of the biggest blogging challenges is finding the motivation to come up with ideas, and the time to write and promote the posts.
It’s low on your list of priorities because it takes you away from managing your business.
I get it.
It’s a bit like finding the motivation and time to look after your health and lose weight. It always comes second to the other demands in our life. But for the next three months, you’re going to set aside time in your calendar for both.
And you’re going to find yourself a personal trainer.
Before you howl in protest about the cost or the niggling injury from your college days, hear me out.
How truly accountable do you make yourself for your blogging success?
Be honest. If you fail to publish a post on schedule, do you give yourself a good dressing down?
I didn’t think so.
That’s why you need a good personal trainer in your corner. If you’re committed to losing weight and improving your blogging skills, someone has to keep you on track.
Steps to Take:
- Google ‘personal trainer and nutritionist’ in your area. You’re looking for a good all-rounder
- Make an appointment with one or two and go with the one you like the most.
- Agree on a schedule that works for you, and put two training sessions a week into your calendar for the next 12 weeks.
- Now set aside one hour a day in your calendar to work on your blog. And don’t say you haven’t got the time. Get up an hour earlier.
It’s going to cost you around $50 – $60 a session with your PT. It’s not cheap, and it’s not tax-deductible, but consider it an investment in your professional development.
Or look at it another way: If you take your own lunch to work every day, and cut out the large cappuccino from Starbucks, you probably won’t be any worse off. And you’ll lose even more weight.
I told you this wasn’t going to be easy.
Let the Games Begin
This is what your average week is going to look like for the next three months
- 2 x 1-hour sessions with your PT. A combination of cardio and weight training.
- Nutritional advice and monitoring. Guidance from your PT on how to change your eating habits and mindset around food. This is not about dieting, it’s a lifestyle shift.
- 4 x 1-hour cardio workouts on your own.
- 5 x 1-hour blogging sessions with your computer.
- Completing a daily online journal to monitor your food and exercise activity (try the MyFitnessPal app. It measures your nutritional and calorie intake, and syncs with FitBit).
- Weekly weigh-ins, with measurements taken by your PT.
If you keep this up for 12 weeks, I promise you will get fit and lose weight.
But you will only be able to keep this up if you make yourself accountable. You will stay on track because your PT will give you ‘that look’ when you get on the scales and your weight goes up instead of down.
You will stay on track because you keep a food journal. When you have to write down every single thing that goes into your mouth, it’s amazing how your choices improve. You could lie to your journal, but what’s the point.
(Hot Tip: For additional motivation and accountability, give your PT access to your online journal. Scary, but effective).
You will stay on track because your fitness device will salute you every time you reach your daily and weekly goals. 10,000 steps a day? Yay, congratulations. 25 miles a week? Take a bow. Before you know it, you’ll start increasing those goals.
You will stay on track because as you get fitter and leaner you will notice the difference. Your energy levels will go up, your clothes will feel a little looser and you’ll want more. It’s addictive.
‘All well and good’, I can hear you say, ‘But how is this going to make me blog like a pro?”
Well, that’s the really exciting part.
The Gold Medal Blogging Technique
When you sit down at your computer to write a blog post and your brain turns to mush, what’s happening around you? Does the phone ring every 15 minutes? Does your computer ping with incessant notifications? Are you staring at a draft report that needs to be finished by five o’clock?
No wonder you struggle to meet your blogging schedule. No wonder it’s hard to focus and let your writing muse take over.
Let’s start by reviewing those unfinished posts that petered out into nothing because you lost motivation half-way through.
Pick the topic that excites you the most. Now go and get into your training gear. We’re going to hit the road.
I don’t care what exercise you do in your four cardio sessions a week. You might be a jogger, or prefer power walking, or stay indoors on a spin bike. The point is, you need to get your heart rate up and physically exert yourself beyond your comfort zone.
You need to break into a sweat and really want to stop.
When I first started training, I couldn’t jog for more than 30 seconds in one go. By the end of the next week, I was high-fiving myself for doing three minutes. By week five I was up to thirty minutes. Sure, my fitness level had improved. But it was more than that. I found that sweet spot in my brain where I was able to tune out the effort of the physical exertion.
Hello, endorphins!
When you exercise, your body releases a chemical called endorphins, which interact with the receptors in your brain. This reduces your perception of pain and triggers a euphoric sense of positivity.
You are left with a clear, energized brain and no distractions – the perfect environment for your blogging muse.
Now, focus on that topic you want to write about and let your imagination go wild. You will be amazed at the results.
On my 45-minute power walk this morning, I wrote the ending to this post, brainstormed the topic for my next post, wrote the headline for a client’s print ad, and burned 350 calories.
That’s what I call a result.
If you let your brain do most of the heavy lifting while you’re working out, you will return to your computer with a renewed sense of inspiration and excitement.
The words and ideas will tumble out, and you will start to blog like a pro.
Your commitment and drive to meet your physical goals will be matched by your renewed enthusiasm and inspiration for your blog. It really works.
Three months ago I set my own goals:
- Write a guest post on a widely read and respected blog. Tick
- Create an opt-in offer and landing page for that blog’s audience. Tick
- Update website. Tick
- Launch new blog. Tick
- Write content marketing strategy. Tick
- Lose 18 pounds. Tick
Tick. Tick. Tick. Damn, that feels good!
So, what are you waiting for? Decide how much weight you want to lose, take action, and start blogging like a pro.
Cheers, Mel
PS. I have to leave you with a couple of disclaimers:
- Before you do anything, visit your doctor to discuss your new exercise regime. What works for a 25-year-old, maybe downright dangerous for someone 30 years older.
- The Gold Medal Blogging Technique won’t work in your PT training sessions. Sad but true. You will never experience a clear, energized brain when your personal trainer is barking instructions at you. The only advice I can offer is to try and visualize your end goal and don’t look at the clock on the wall. On the plus side, you’ll still enjoy the endorphin rush on your way home.