July is here which means we’re halfway through this dumpster fire of a year. Like the rest of the world, I’m dealing with the emotional stress of living in a society plagued by two pandemics – COVID-19 and racism. And on top of that, I’m battling breast cancer.

As much as I want to cancel 2020, I can’t. So, I must find a way to survive it and perhaps even thrive in it instead.

So, my theme for the month is RESET.

I’ve already reset my goals for the year and set some goals for this month. But I plan to do the work to reset my mindset, my daily routine, and so much more.

You should choose a theme for the month, too, especially if you’re a blogger or if you are a writer trying to be consistent on social media.

My theme for July is not only going to enhance my personal life, but it’s going to guide my content creation, too. This month I’m participating in a consistency challenge hosted by Mattie James. The challenge is to publish a blog post Monday – Friday from July 6 to July 31. The posts I publish this month will all center on my theme of the month because one thing that years of blogging has taught me is that having a theme makes it MUCH easier to brainstorm and develop content.

If you think it’s easier to come up with blog post ideas if you’re blogging about anything and everything, think again. While it seems counterintuitive, having limits actually unleashes your creativity. I call it the freedom of focus. When you have a theme, you have a focus and it actually becomes easier to get inspired.

This is why my Facebook group, the See Jane Write Network, has a theme for each day:

  • Monday Mantra: I post motivational thoughts or quotes.
  • Q&A Tuesday: Members can ask me questions about writing, blogging, or brand building.
  • Winning Wednesday: I invite members to share their wins for the week.
  • GrammarGirl Thursday: I quiz members on their grammar skills.
  • Follow Friday: I encourage members to follow one another on social media.
  • Shoot Your Shot Saturday: I share freelance writing opportunities, literary contests, etc.
  • The Sunday Slay: I go live in the group to discuss a specific topic to help members slay their week.

Those daily themes are essentially my editorial calendar for my group. And I never find myself staring at a blinking cursor wondering that I’m going to say to my community that day.

You could use daily themes for your Instagram content, too. If needed, you could even do daily themes for your blog.

This month, I’ll be sharing blog posts that are all about how I’m resetting different areas of my life and how it’s all coming together to make me a better writer and blogger.

I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

What’s your theme for July?