Hi everybody! Today I am super excited to introduce all of my blogging friends to the blogging guru Sarah of ND Consulting! I have known Sarah for several years and have learned so much from her. In fact, even if you aren’t a blogger you can learn something from her, because everyone has goals. So be prepared to learn a thing or two today, and make sure to check out all of the fab resources Sarah has available on her website. You won’t be sorry!
When you set your own goals, they ignite you. You feel a build up in your core when you identify that big goal and you want it so badly you wake up each day with vigor and gusto (and maybe another cup of coffee). You work, learning from the mistakes and celebrating the wins.
So why is it that somehow around May or June, we bloggers lose steam? Summertime sucks the winds from our sails and we never fully recover because we have distraction after distraction, responsibility piling upon responsibility – there’s almost no time left for blogging, let alone sticking to our goals we set back in January.
The Reason Bloggers Don’t Achieve Their Goals
Iif we’re honest with ourselves, is it the distractions? With a few notable exceptions, I’d venture to guess it isn’t. Most bloggers lose steam and don’t achieve their goals because the plan to support the goal was full of holes.
All of this you’re doing – planning for your blog, developing your writing skills, growing email lists, using schedulers, learning the Google zoo of algorithms – they’re all a means to an end.
It’s up to you to clearly define that end AND the path to get there. And the lack of a plan allows you to forget how badly you wanted it all in January.
So let’s come up with your plan, your roadmap, your goal map.
Hi there. You don’t know me, but I’m one of those people. You know us – we’re hired to optimize sites to earn bloggers more money. I’m Sarah from ND Consulting, and as a consultant, I help a blogger earn an income on her own terms by developing a plan to build her ideal business. Jen has graciously allowed me into your world today to help with increasing the likelihood of you hitting your targets this year.
How to Stick to Your Blogging Goals
Goal setting is easy, it’s the day-to-day which makes achieving them difficult. I’m sure you have goals for your blog and I’d like you list them out on a piece of paper (even the back of a permission slip from 2014 you found underneath your car seat will do).
Now on that same paper, list out the tasks you need to do in order to make that goal happen…
This part is a bit harder, right? Let’s say you want to build your email list but know nothing about creating an opt-in. Write down research on creating an opt-in under your email list goal. You’ll likely need to set up that opt-in, create some images to promote it, and maybe even guest post around sharing that opt-in. All of those become milestones underneath your goal.
Goal Mapping
I work with bloggers like you every day on their schedules, productivity, and goals. We get pretty detailed and use a goal mapping workbook to help them get familiar with the process.
And I’m sharing that with you today. It’s not difficult to come up with tasks or a burden to keep up with. It’s a map.
From my How to Use Goal Mapping to Unlock Blog Growth, I share the basics of the process:
“Goal mapping is a 3-step process to move even the most unorganized or procrastinating clients of mine towards their finish line. The steps are:
1. Clearly define a motivating goal with a deadline.
2. Identify the milestones needed to accomplish the goal (or move towards it).
3. Add tasks to your calendar to define the start and due dates.”
That’s it. I recommend starting with a 30-day goal so you can see the fruit of your efforts pay off, but 90-days are recommended. Those are the plans which usually move us towards our big, sexy goal.
In the goal mapping workbook, I provide you examples goals, milestones, and tasks for many areas, including increasing income, growing traffic, building a stronger email subscriber base, and more.
Free Extra!
When you sign up to get the goal mapping worksheet you’ll also get one of the most popular resources clients and subscribers rave about: Beyond the Data.
Beyond the Data allows a blogger to dig deep into their audience by surveying with purpose. Want to earn more? There are questions to ask (and I give them to you). Want to grow traffic or increase email subscribers? You guessed it – there are specific questions to ask and I give them right to you.
Summary
Setting a goal is easy, it’s the day-to-day that gets us. Using my free goal mapping resource to accomplish the goals you set for yourself and your blog.
Thanks for “listening” to me today and thanks Jen for letting me into your space!
Jen: Thanks Sarah!
Love,
Jen
Go ahead and share this post, you know you want to!
Comments
Always happy to get some much needed blogging advice here. While I do set goals for my own blog. Many have indeed been met but of course a few over they years haven’t. Thanks for some much needed food for thought on this today here as I can always use the help with this still :)
Janine Huldie recently posted…My 5 Recent Books Read Heading Into Spring 2017
I know right?! Sometimes those goals morph over night too, at least it seems that way for me sometimes. Glad you liked this. Sarah is the bomb!
Jen recently posted…How To Stick To Your Blogging Goals
The best tidbit I heard from my last blogging conference is that the blogger’s biggest danger is burnout, and not that blogging will end, because it probably won’t! Right????
Goal setting and mapping is some powerful stuff.
Tamara recently posted…Currently, Maybe, Parachuting
I think it’s ever-evolving but I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon. ;)
Sarah Nenni-Daher recently posted…How to Repurpose Blog Content to Video and Cash In!
Woo-hoo! Thanks for the reassurance :)
Jen recently posted…How To Stick To Your Blogging Goals
I hope not, but I think that speaker was right burnout is a thing. I have been close, and that I slowed that pony on down so I could get back on track.
Agreed :)
Jen recently posted…How To Stick To Your Blogging Goals
I don’t really have any blogging goals. It’s just a place where I post silly or cute stuff and talk with my blogging buddies. That’ s all I need. When you have a blog for extra cash or a living you’d better know what you’re doing. I get that.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Comedy Plus recently posted…Awww Mondays
Amen sister, knowledge is power!
Isn’t that the wonderful thing about blogging? It fills so many niches quite nicely!
Jen recently posted…How To Stick To Your Blogging Goals
You know I am a huge fan of goals. Quarterly ones are a fantastic idea, I should make more of those.
Beth Newman recently posted…Adventure Awaits, The Beginning of a New Chapter
You are a goal guru as well my friend. I am a work in progress.
Jen recently posted…How To Stick To Your Blogging Goals
Thanks for sharing! I do want to grow my blog this year, and part of that will be getting my own domain/moving to WordPress, etc. I hope to do this soon!
ShootingStarsMag recently posted…Top 5 Favorites on Friday: New Link Up + Giveaway
How exciting! That is such a great goal and one that I hope helps you reach your other goals this year. Good luck and holler if you need anything :)
Jen recently posted…How To Stick To Your Blogging Goals
This comes at a great time. I feel like I’m just getting going in terms of goals. Thanks for the great resources!
Angela @ Setting My Intention recently posted…Happy Blogiversary! The #1 Reason for Blogging
Yay! I am so happy to hear that! Good luck making and meeting those goals :)
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #49
Jen, I always appreciate how much effort you put in to helping others with blogging. I definitely want to be proactive in avoiding the blogging blues and want to spend my time as efficiently as possible. I’ve signed up on Sarah’s site. :-)
#happynowlinkup
Carolina Twin Mom / Mary Peterson recently posted…What to Do When Your Child Makes Rude Comments
Oh yay! You are going to love her. Sarah is seriously the best! Glad you enjoyed this :)
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #49
I definitely need this in my life!
Right now my entire house is like a quarantine ward for the black plague. But I swear when it’s all over, I’m going to step my game up. Pinning this.
Thanks, Jen!
WebMDiva recently posted…The Most Important Life Hacks
Ugh, may it all pass soon and may your washer stay rolling! Glad you enjoyed what Sarah had to say!
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #49
I’m on a similar page to ComedyPlus. After years of putting my blog “out there” and learning everything from WordPress to Pinterest, I’m in a happy place where I blog just for the fun of it: the writing, the interaction, and the learning. And that’s enough.
Katy @ Experienced Bad Mom recently posted…Lessons From a Losing Season
Good for you! Keep it up, because your happy place makes me happy too!
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #49
Oh how I understand this. It’s easy to set goals, but so much harder to figure out how to actually meet them! Then again, I also have the tendency to set too many goals. What can I say, I want the world! ? But that just makes things so much harder. Time to pare down, right?
Leslie recently posted…The Easy Way to Make a Cheese Stick Snowman
You and I are soul sisters I think. That’s how it goes down for me too! World domination, up for us next… just after we make this one more craft :)
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #49
Some great advice here. I will certainly be making a bigger effort at setting defined goals and coming up with a plan to achieve them. #happynowlinkup
So glad you liked what Sarah had to say. Goals really are key. Good luck!
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #49
Hi Jen, setting goals I don’t find a problem, but I do often have a problem knowing how to go about achieving set goals. I suddenly get light bulb moments when I realize what I should be doing.
xx
Debbie recently posted…The Intrepid Explorers Go Cliff Climbing At Agalas, Zakynthos
Agreed. I have the same problem. When Sarah showed me how to goal map, I had one of those “AHA” moments. It has really helped with making sure I follow through on some of my goals at least :)
Jen recently posted…The Happy Now Blog Link- Up #49