This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. You can read our full Affiliate Disclaimer here.

How to Keep Blogging When You Feel Like Giving Up

Last Updated on November 3, 2021 by Kelly Thoreson

Start a blog, they said … it will be fun, they said …

The truth is that blogging is not the casual tip-tapping on your laptop at a luxury villa on the coast that you were sold.

If you feel like giving up, I hear you. I’ve been there my friend.

Anyone who claims blogging is easy is either crazy or drunk. Maybe both.

To make it as a blogger you’ve got to have grit, tenacity and at least a little insanity so that when your shot comes up, you take it without hesitation.

Which all sounds hunky dory until you’ve been writing blog posts every day for 4 months and no one is reading them.

Pinning your heart out only to have 5 pageviews per day.

Actively engaging on social media only to cling like a crack addict to your measly 27 followers.

No ma’am, it ain’ easy. And the temptation to walk away is real.

But you can’t. You’ve worked too hard, you’ve come too far and your miracle, “I made it” moment could be just around the corner.

Take a deep breath, pour yourself a glass of wine, and sit back as I tell you how exactly you are going to keep blogging even though you feel like giving up.

Define Your Why

The first step you should take when you are contemplating giving up on your blog is to remind yourself of why you started blogging in the first place.

photo of a very small deserted island with a question mark growing out of it

Did you have an asshole boss (at like, every job ever)?

Did you vow to never miss your kid’s field trip ever again cause of work?

Do you want to make loads of passive income?

Whatever your reasons were for starting a blog, now is the time to redefine them and remind yourself why you began this journey. You may find that they have changed or grown and that’s great, it’s just more fuel for the fire.

When I first started blogging it was because I wanted to create every day, have more time with my family and eventually make passive income.

Now it is also because of the confidence running my own business has given me and the that drive to create something bigger than myself is intoxicating.

That’s what keeps me going when I feel like I’m playing to an empty room for peanuts.

Stop Doubting Your Success

Stop telling yourself that your blog may or may not be successful. Drill it into your head that your success is inevitable. All you have to do is keep going.

This ↑ is a picture of what I see when I sit down at my desk to blog. Constant reminders that I am bound for blogging greatness.

Surround yourself with reminders of your inevitable success. Feel it. Know it’s coming.

I firmly believe that the reason most blogs, “fail” (meaning they are shut down or abandoned before they ever fulfill the author’s reason for starting them), is because bloggers give up too soon.

Blogging is a long game. It doesn’t happen overnight.

Get comfortable with the idea that new websites don’t show up in Google search results for 6-12 months. Make peace with it and know that with your hard work, you will get there.

Settle into the notion that the majority of bloggers make little to no income from their blog and see a similar amount of traffic for the first 6 months.

Since you show up every day and deliver your amazing writing to the world, your payday will come.

If you do not give up it will happen for you. Keep posting that content.

I have shared this quote on Blogfiti before and I’m sure this won’t be the last time because it is so true. This is what Faith Mariah (badass blogger) has to say about blogging success:

must read bloggers that will make you a better blogger faith mariah pullquote

Hear that? All you have to do to be a successful blogger is not give up.

If you’ve never read/listened to Faith Mariah before, you need to be listening to her podcast, she will give you the blogging pep talk you need to hear.

This brings me to my next suggestion for rekindling your blogging spark …

Listen & Get Inspired

Listening to other blogger’s podcasts is a fabulous way to perk up and it is my go-to method because I can do it anywhere.

In the car, grocery store, bath tub … the, “I don’t have time” excuse is removed from the equation.

Here’s my current rotation of blogging podcasts:

Blogging Breakthroughs with Faith Mariah

When I need a blogging pep talk, I head to the Blogging Breakthroughs podcast.

In every episode you can expect blogger Faith Mariah to tell you that you can do it, not to give up and to believe in yourself.

Also, she records and publishes super handy Q&A from her Facebook group audience so her podcast is a healthy mix of uplifting and practical!

Click here to listen to Blogging Breakthroughs.

The Mind Your Business Podcast

James Wedmore is not your typical bro-market-y online entrepreneur. His podcast features inspiring interviews with other online business rockstars as well as a glut of mindset tips.

Click here to listen to the Mind Your Business Podcast.

Copyblogger FM

By Darrell Vesterfelt! Moving discussions with authors, online marketers, and more on staying focused, how to create, and mindset.

Click here to listen to Copyblogger FM.

Step Out of the Blog Fog

Blog Fog is a term I made up for that feeling when you have so many blogging tasks to do, that you can’t see what you actually need to do.

It’s like there is a heavy fog all around you and you can’t see where you should step to stay on the path.

Often, when I am feeling like my blogging dreams are never going to come true, it is because I cannot see an actionable path to fulfilling my goals any longer.

Revamp Your Roadmap

When I get to that state it helps me to create a plan or revamp the one I already have in place.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of rereading my quarterly/one-year goals, reminding myself of the path I’m on.

If I find that I’ve strayed off path a bit, I realign myself. If I find that my goals need updating, I give myself permission to flex them into goals that excite me and relight the creative fire.

In addition to my planner, and I know you’re going to be shocked to hear this, I have a podcast that I listen to (lol) to pull me out of the Blog Fog:

Go Play

The well of creativity we pull from as bloggers isn’t bottomless. It needs to be nurtured, filled back up, replenished. And that happens through play.

The Artist’s Date is an exercise from Julia Cameron’s the Artist’s Way.

The concept behind it is that you take yourself (alone) on a date once a week. Now, I know we’re all already crazy busy, I hear ya.

I do not take myself on Artist’s Dates once a week – I prescribe them to myself on an as needed basis.

You can hear Julia’s explanation of the Artist’s Date here (2 minute video).

Just get yourself out of the house and experiencing something new, whimsical, charming.

Seriously, brainstorm ideas as if you were going out on a date with someone:

Farmer’s Market
A walk by the waterfront
New (or favorite) restaurant
Go see a movie
Bowling
Museums
Concert/casual live music
Dance class

Going it alone to activities that are traditionally done in pairs sounds scary but it is actually extremely empowering.

I’ve been taking myself out to eat and to the movies for decades. Refill that well, go have fun!

Scroll to Top

Show Yourself Some Love

It seems like self-care is the buzzword of the year, and for good reason. Somewhere along the way, we forgot how to tend to ourselves … whoopsiedoodle!

Sometimes what your blog really needs is for you to stop blogging for a minute (or day).

I know you’ve got a list a mile long of blogging tasks and I know that blogging empire isn’t going to build itself. But, isn’t it better to push the pause button than to burn out and give up?

What have you been neglecting to do for yourself for the sake of blogging?

Do you love long baths but have switched to 5 minute showers in order to create Pinterest images?

Is a nice walk with the dog your favorite thing ever but since you can’t type while you walk you just don’t? Sorry, Fido!

Give yourself the day off and take care of yourself. It’s okay. Your blog won’t implode and you will come back with a renewed sense of purpose.

Conclusion

Blogger burnout is a real problem, but you can slay that dragon by showing yourself a little love.

If you need help remembering why you thought it was a good idea to embark on this crazy-ass journey – revive your, “why”.

And no matter what, I want you to super pinky swear promise me, don’t give up!

What are some tactics you use to keep blogging when you feel like giving up? Leave your answer in the comments below!