It’s working. It’s really working!

Last month I confessed that I, the woman who’s always trying to get other women to blog, was fed up with blogging. When I first started blogging over a decade ago it was simply for the love of the written word. Then blogging became a business and each post had to be strategic or it was considered a waste of time. At first, I loved the business side of blogging. Then I started to loathe it.

In fact, I even thought about not hosting the #bloglikecrazy challenge this year. But then I had an idea. I decided that I would try to use the challenge to rekindle my love for blogging. And I would do so by taking these 30 days to not worry about writing strategic blog posts but to instead write posts that — whether fun or heartfelt — were authentic, transparent and true.

And it’s working!

We’re just halfway through #bloglikecrazy and I’m already head over heels in love with blogging again! And this feeling is so great I wish I could bottle it and give it to every burnt-out blogger that I know.

So today I want to share how these past two weeks have pulled me out of my writing rut in hopes that these tips will pull you out of yours, too.

Here’s how to get your blogging groove back:

Remember your why. Try to remember why you started blogging in the first place. I started because I wanted to use my writing to connect with other people. I wanted to show others (and myself) that we’re not alone in our struggles. Returning to that mission not only motivated me to write but gave me lots of ideas of things to write about, too.

Challenge yourself. Whenever I’m struggling to be consistent with anything, whether it’s blogging, exercising, or even regularly reading the Bible, a challenge always helps me get back on track. The #bloglikecrazy was just what I needed to recommit to a regular writing routine.

Feel the fear and write it anyway. This month I’ve been challenging myself to write about all the things I’ve been afraid to share — from my battle with depression to my body image insecurities to my struggle to reconcile my feminism with my faith. And I haven’t regretted a single post.

Focus on people, not pageviews. By writing authentic posts, especially the ones I was initially afraid to share, I’ve been connecting with people in ways I’d never imagined. Women have left comments on my posts and sent me emails and text messages letting me know how much my words resonate with them and sharing their own stories, too. The best part is that most of these women are people I’ve never met in person or people in my life who I had no idea read my blog! It’s a good reminder that blogging should be about people, not pageviews.

Give your blog a makeover. For months I’ve been putting off revamping my website and I finally figured out why. I had no motivation to put any time, money or effort into redesigning a blog I didn’t even like anymore. But now that I’m proud of the posts I’m publishing I’m ready to give Jane a new look so I can show her off!

What do you do to get out of a blogging rut?