Blogging can often be a case of feast or famine. Sometimes you’re struggling for content inspiration, while other times you have so many ideas swirling around your head that moving forward with any of them is difficult. I usually fall into the latter group; I find it hard to switch off, so I constantly have ideas popping into my head all competing for attention. It can be quite the party! I’m not talking here about your daily to do list, the posts you have committed to write or the projects you are being paid to work on. I’m talking about your ideas for things you want to write or change on your blog; your projects ideas and dreams.
Commonly what happens when you find yourself overflowing with ideas, is that you do nothing, apart from maybe surf Facebook…. You become paralysed from action by the fear of picking the wrong project/idea to progress with, which is frustrating and not very productive!
Although you haven’t chosen your idea, your brain in trying to process all of your ideas at once (to some degree). It’s doing too much and splitting focus to the extent of inactivity. The answer? Follow these steps;
How to choose a direction when you have too many ideas?
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Write a projects list
This list isn’t your todo list of tasks you must do. This is a list of all of the projects you want to start and tasks you might like to do.
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Write a post/content list
Get all the the post ideas out of your head and onto paper (or screen).
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Then think about your goals – current and long term
If you’re a visual person write these down too. Are you trying to increase your readership?, monetise more effectively?, collaborate with others?; what do you want to near and long term future to hold for your blog? Now go through your lists and see which project/idea fits with these goals. Every project you commit to and give your time to, should be moving you forward towards your ultimate goals.
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The motivation behind each idea
Think about the why for each of your ideas. Why do you want to do that particular project? Jumping on a current trend? You feel it’s something you would love to share? To make money? What’s the driving force behind each one? Make sure you are committing to projects that advance you towards your goals or that just make you happy. Avoid any that you are considering just because you feel you should do them.
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Sounding boards
Use your friends (even better if you have blogging friends!) or family as sounding boards. Discuss your ideas and see which ones they think have more potential. Sometimes it’s good to have fresh eyes on an idea to give another perspective.
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Which can you actually action now – resources/time
Be realistic, you might have some amazing ideas, but you don’t have to implement them all right away. Maybe further down the road you will have the time that a particular idea will need or maybe you need some resources that you don’t have access to right now. So for these ideas, maybe now’s not the right time for them to come to fruition. Work with what you have right now, the time and resources you have available to you at this present time.
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Devise a longer term plan to incorporate the best ideas
The other ideas needn’t be forgotten about, no if they’re good then pop them onto a long term content plan and revisit them in the future. Writing them down and allocating time to revisit them will mean you are more like to actually do that and make them work; plus they will not be taking up valuable headspace any longer.
So write your lists, think about your goals, use your community, assess the practicalities, but at the end move forward and take some action.
Do you find yourself with too many ideas whizzing round your head? Ever feel procrastination makes it difficult for you to move forward and choose a direction?
If you want to join my mailing list and get access to my epic Blogger’s Resource vault of cheatsheets and downloads (including a goal setting kit!) as a welcome gift, you can do that here.
Comments 20
Great advice. I write all my post ideas down. But I need to start making short and long term plans X
Some really good food for thought. I just tend to jump around on subjects and don’t have a set theme or niche. #thelist
Bookmarked for future reference 🙂
Thanks Aby, I have loads of ideas swirling around my head too. Lists are great for getting some clarity…problem is I have too many…(on my iPad, phone, notepad, computer) I think I need to consolidate them all and set a priority list. Thanks for hosting #thelist
Great ideas! I write down all my post ideas when they come to mind. Not all end up being written but its nice to have a bank in case I need it in the future #thelist
I have an ideas board. I’t just scraps of paper pinned to a board and not at all pretty enough for Pinterest, but it works for me! #TheList
These tips are really great and motivating. I have signed up to receive the Goal Setting worksheet. Thank you again. 🙂 x
Sounding boards are always good. I love mind maps and now there are bullet journals! I always seem to have too many ideas so have to get them down before baby brain kicks in x #Thelist
Great advice Aby. I often find I struggle with inspiration so on the back of this post I have set a blogging schedule: Monday – A Book Themed Day, Wednesday – Anything, Friday – A list based post (obvious reason I chose Friday #TheList!), Saturday – A Review. Thanks for the inspiration – I have now got a whole week in advance scheduled! x
Great advice as always Aby. At the start of the year, I made a plan for the whole year, and the first quarter, and then every quarter I make a new plan for that quarter. Every month, I make a basic plan of blog posts I have in my mind, although I keep it fluid as I find things often change. I don’t know where I would be without lists though. Helps me to focus so much. x #thelist
Useful advice as always. Need to take this on board, #TheList
When I was starting out I struggled for ideas and always worried I wouldn’t know what to write about. Now I have a list of ideas as long as my arm, plus several ideas for mini-series I’m yet to implement. I find jotting them down truly does stop them vying for attention in my head, and gives me something to refer to when I find I have time to write.
Oops! #TheList x
Great tips. I have a huge list of posts I want to write but can never settle on one and end up procrastinating and wasting lots of precious writing time. I’m now going to re-evaluate them in terms of my new short, medium and long term goals that I came up with after taking your productivity course x
#TheList
Great blog post. I find having a notebook by my bedside table helps me off load all of my blog ideas, plus that way I won’t forget them!
This is absolutely me! I’m writing a list right now!! Thanks for the tips once again, great advice #TheList
This is brilliant Aby thank you, I often have ideas swirling round in my head vying for my attention and invariably I just drop them all because my brain implodes! Writing them all down whether they’re for the here and now or for later is a great idea. I especially loved your words ‘The other ideas needn’t be forgotten about, no if they’re good then pop them onto a long term content plan and revisit them in the future.’ This will save me no end for ideas in the future when my well has run dry. Lizzie #thelist
I carry my Blogging notepad around with me in my nappybag and have written a plan of action for the next 3,6 & 12 months #TheList
I’m a big fan of lists and have numerous rolling blog lists like this going all the time – ticking everything off is very satisfying!
Luckily i think I do most of these points already so I can’t be doing too badly!! Love a list… have lists of everything! Your advice is amazing though… has been super helpful in kickstarting my blog… thank you <3 #thelist