Blogger Motivation: 21 Tips to Stay Motivated When You Want to Quit

Let’s chat about blogger motivation today! At some point in your blogging journey, you will most likely feel a lack of motivation. That’s 100% normal and common! Maybe your blog traffic is down. Maybe you “failed” to reach all the lofty blogging goals you set. Maybe you’re just overwhelmed with a lack of time and keeping a work-life balance. The good news is, you’re not alone and there are many ways to overcome this bump in the road!

21 ways to overcome a lack of blogger motivation

Owning an online business (blog!) and being your own boss comes with sooooo many amazing perks and freedoms. It can also be a tough space to navigate especially for newbie bloggers.

Even for seasoned bloggers and business owners, it can be incredibly overwhelming! This business is constantly changing and we may feel we’re stretched so thin that we want to quit.

It’s so important to stay grounded to get through the tough times. If you feel overwhelmed and lack motivation, here are 21 practical tips and strategies you can try!

1. Establish a productive workflow

One reason motivation sometimes goes out the window is because of overwhelm. As a blogger, there is SO MUCH TO DO…and most of us do it alone. The best thing you can do to overcome this is to break up your tasks into small chunks and schedule them throughout the week. Establishing a solid workflow like this is one way to get over this feeling of overwhelm.

Learn how to create a workflow that works for you here.

2. Remember (or establish) your WHY

Your WHY is why you started your blog in the first place. Maybe you just did it on a whim without any solid goals or reasons. That’s OK.

But without a specific, attainable WHY, you will burn out FAST. Think: WHY am I doing this? Why did I start this in the first place?

Is it simply a creative outlet? Or is it something deeper like wanting to quit your day job? Unlike some people will say, your WHY doesn’t have to make you CRY–I always thought that was silly advice. What if you’re not a crier?! Please.

But your WHY does need to be CLEAR and big enough to get you out of bed each morning.

3. Set small, attainable goals and CELEBRATE success

A huge goal for a newbie blogger would be: “Qualify for Mediavine in one year.” When you don’t reach that goal in a year (TOTALLYYY NORMAL!!!), it’s super easy to feel defeated and want to quit.

Instead of huge goals like that, focus on smaller, short-term wins that bring you closer to that goal such as: “Increase page views to 10,000 in 4 months.” Or “Have 2 top 10 ranking posts in the next 6 months.” Think smaller goals that still make an impact.

Then celebrate the heck out of those smaller wins!! They’re all moving your business FORWARD!!

4. Every night, set your goals and intentions for the next day

Again, many people start to lack motivation or feel apathetic when they are overwhelmed. A simple way to combat this is with a simple workflow or to-do lists. Each night, write down your tasks for the next day. Easy breezy.

If you want, you can even write down your weekly tasks every Sunday to really get ahead of the game.

Need to be more intentional? Here are 45 Intentional Living Quotes to Inspire You!

5. Check your attitude

Ok, know that I come to you always, with UTMOST love and compassion. But I am also not afraid to dish out reality. As kids say these days: #facts.

And the #facts are so many bloggers have a “can don’t” attitude…

“I can’t do brand deals, that’s not my thing.”

“I don’t want to learn X, it’s too confusing.”

“I’m not good at X, so I’m not doing that.”

“I just want to blog, nothing else.”

It’s this type of closed-minded attitude that will close you off to SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES! Don’t look at yourself as JUST a blogger. You are an entrepreneur! Embrace that and everything it has to offer!

6. Seek out other forms of monetization

It can be very unmotivating when you are working your butt off every single day with little $$$ to show for it.

If your main goal is to be monetized with an ad agency like Mediavine, that’s great! But also have other revenue streams in mind and start researching and acting on them. Check out this list of all these cool ways to earn money from blogging!

7. Organize and decorate your workspace

We always hear: treat your blog like a business. If you don’t have a dedicated workspace, make one! Even if it’s a corner of your bedroom! Just have your OWN workspace.

Put up a calendar, pretty picture, or motivational quotes. On your desk you can put a nice candle, family photo, flowers, a plant…have fun with it and make it your own space!!

8. Do a site redesign or change your logo

I DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT recommend this for someone who has been blogging for less than two years or hasn’t monetized yet. However, I will say that after 2.5 years with the same basic theme, a site redesign totally ignited my creative passion again!

It’s a big fat pain in the A**, to be honest, but the “newness” of it made my motivation skyrocket in so many ways! I used Restored 316 for my site redesign over at Get On My Plate and it was super affordable vs. a custom site!

9. Learn a new skill/take a course

Sometimes we get so involved in what needs to get done that we forget we need to be constantly LEARNING, too! Taking a course or seeking out YouTube videos/free online training to learn a new skill can be just the thing to get you out of your unmotivated rut!

10. Watch motivational speakers

This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ve always marveled over speakers I see on YouTube that can hold my attention and motivate me! You can Google or YouTube “motivational speeches.”

Two of my absolute FAVORITE motivational speeches are: Admiral McRaven’s “If you want to change the world, start by making your bed” and Lou Holz’s 2015 Commencement Speech at Franciscan University Lou is my people!! He stresses SIMPLICITY and I love that!!! Even if you are not religious there are SO MANY incredible takeaways in this speech!

Do they have anything to do with blogging? Nope. It’s just plain, simple wisdom about life that gives you all the motivated feels!

11. Look back and see how far you’ve come

While it’s important to be forward-focused, we cannot overlook how important it is to take a step back and realize how far we have come…and we don’t do it often enough.

Reflect back one year, two years, even six months…and think about all the things you know NOW that you didn’t know then. It can be how much your blog has grown OR it can be things like “six months ago, I didn’t know what SEO was and now I have a post on the first page of Google!”

12. Exercise

I know. It sounds cliche but I am so serious about this one!! Exercise is so freaking important to mental health and one of the best ways to maintain energy and focus. I was a Beachbody coach for years and learned to work out for 30 minutes a day, right in my living room. This has SAVED me — and I still maintain my 30 minutes a day (typically at home) 8 years later.

13. Take a social media break

Social media is vital for some of our businesses and I get it. But it can also be your worst enemy and a place where your motivation and energy as you get sucked into the comparison game.

You’ll see other bloggers with better photos than you, who are posting more than you, who have more followers than you…WHO CARES!

I know you have probably heard this before, but you can never compare your blogging journey to anyone else’s. Everyone is on such a different path. Try stepping away from the social media platforms for a week or even a month, and just focus on YOU and YOUR journey.

14. Attend a live event or mastermind

I have yet to attend a live blogging event like Tastemaker, but it’s definitely on my list. It would be at the TOP of my list if I was feeling unmotivated or in a rut.

I think one of the most important things you can do is to connect with and be inspired by other bloggers and business owners. Attending a live event to connect with like-minded people who actually GET WHAT YOU DO can be invaluable. You’ll also get expert advice, and hear inspirational stories. It might just be the push you need to get you out of your rut!

15. Connect with others

If aren’t able to attend a live event or connect with others live, that’s ok. But try to find some way to CONNECT WITH OTHERS!! Find an accountability partner or online community that you feel comfortable with and lean on them! Blogging can be overwhelming and lonely, so it’s super important to find the right people to lean on.

16. Read a business book

Personal development is SO IMPORTANT in business! Reading a motivational-type business book can definitely give you a sense of fire and motivation! Think about what you are struggling with, then find books that deal with that struggle.

Try books like Atomic Habits by James Clear (Motivation, forming good habits), Girl, Wash Your Face (Motivation) by Rachel Hollis, or The 4-Hour Work Week (Productivity) by Timothy Ferriss.

17. Learn about mindfulness and visualization

Ok, this might put you outside your comfort zone, and you might think it’s a waste of time. But until my son went through some tough mental blocks with soccer, I never realized what an important tool this was.

Learning to be mindful and visualize where you are going (in my son’s case, he will visualize certain plays and situations on the soccer field), can be a VITAL part of your professional and personal development.

Do some Google searches and watch some YouTube videos. If it can work for elite athletes, I don’t think it could hurt us bloggers, either! It sure helped my son get over his mental blocks, I can tell ya that!

18. Start a gratitude journal

A great way to motivate yourself and feel a sense of pride is to write in a gratitude journal. You can do this daily, weekly, or whenever you feel you need a boost. Turn on some music, set a timer for 5 minutes, and just write down everything you are grateful for that day/week.

It’s so fun to look back on these entries, too after several months and see all the good in your life!

19. Take a short break

Sometimes just stepping away from your blog/business can be therapeutic. Try taking a break for a week and come back and reevaluate how you feel.

Did you miss it? Or did you feel a sense of freedom and relief? Use this time to really evaluate how you feel about where your business is going.

20. Practice self-care and give yourself grace

Oh, I know you hear this one a lot but to many of us, it goes in one ear and out the other! But as a busy, crazed person trying to balance a zillion tasks, it’s so important to take time for yourself.

Whether it be a whole DAY or 30 minutes to work out, do SOMETHING good for yourself at least once a week.

Download my self-care checklist here!

21. Enlist help

Blogging is HARD WORK and successful blogs and businesses DO NOT run on their own. The vast majority of the time, bloggers are getting help. Whether it’s a small task like scheduling social media posts or a larger task like photography.

The very first thing I “outsourced” was Pinterest because I just didn’t GET IT! LOL! Even if you aren’t making money yet, you might seriously want to consider this investment in your business.