It died.
It just shriveled up and died.
No one was surprised that it happened. Least of all me.

You see, burnout is something that I’ve struggled with, off and on, but lately, it’s been more off than on.

Yes, my burnout episodes, especially, with regards to blogging have just sorta upped and died.

If you’ve ever wondered how you could start blogging successfully and profitably without burning out, losing your soul or worse, just shutting down creatively, you’ll want to read this.

How to Start Blogging… for Success and with Soul

When I started blogging, near 7 years ago {yep, I am that old!}, I was fresh, inexperienced, excited and with that wide-eyed look that kids have on the first day of school.

Blogging was like that for me, first day of school. Every day I was learning something new, doing something fun, trying something different and it was awesome. I was passionate, fired up and ready to make this a go.

Then, the first days turned into weeks and then, months. The wide-eyed look turned more wild-eyed and the excitement turned into exhaustion.

Burnout hit me big time and I was ready to throw in the towel. Wring it up and throw it in. Deep.

Luckily, I am blessed with a husband who hears me rave, rant and vent with the utmost patience {bless him!!} and then, helps me deal with these burnout episodes.

We worked together to beat blogging burnout too and while I may sometimes, have blogger’s block, I no longer am burnt out with blogging for business or clients, because I’m excited and wide-eyed, pretty much all the time. No kidding.

Here’s what’s worked for me when it comes to blogging successfully and soulfully:

Have a plan

Being a little over-the-bordeline Type A and a full blown INFP, I work best with a plan. Even if you aren’t a Type A and are more go with the flow types, a plan will help you stay focused on your goals and not get pulled in a million different directions.

Currently my plan looks something like this:

I plan my editorial calendar for 3-months at a stretch and write my posts a month in advance.

The planning for topics is done keeping in view trends, reader questions and my overall marketing goals.

Everyday when I sit down to write, I know exactly what to do and get it done. There’s nothing better than the rush of tasks accomplished to keep the momentum going.

Blogging for success without losing your soul and sanity in the process needs a plan.

Take action: Download the free blog marketing editorial calendar template or get a copy of my friend Karen’s bizplantastic

{sidenote: bizplantastic is pretty awesome for all sorts of planning-content, sales, products, marketing, menus;)}

Then, jot down the days you’d be blogging and what you’d be blogging about… for now. You can fill in the rest later. But for now, know what you’d like to blog about and when you’d do that. If it seems too overwhelming or forced, just write down themes and do just one month at a time. But do it. Okay?

Commit to learning something new

Last year, I committed to learning more about the ins and outs of email marketing and really, nurturing and nourishing my email list.

I connect deeply with folks who’re signed up to our Cookie Jar {if you aren’t, you totally should to know what I’m talking about;)} and will continue to do so on a greater level this year too.

Last year, I also learnt a lot about myself. Seriously. I learnt I’m a Type A, an INFP according to the Myers-Briggs personality test, an HSP or Highly Sensitive Person and my strengths, according to the Strengths Finder test, are Achiever, Intellection, Learner, Empathy and Harmony. All these tests helped me understand myself and my natural work and play styles better.

Learning something new is always fun. It excites you, helps you see a different perspective and gives you greater insight into your own self.

This year, am committing to learning to sew. Yes, I’ve gotten myself a basic starter kit already! Not blogging-related at all, but you can be sure that it will help me stay creative and fired up.

Take Action: What will YOU learn this year? This month? This week? It doesn’t have to be deep or complex or even, unique. It just has to be something new to keep your creative juices flowing.

Connect with fellow bloggers

SO important, my friend.SO important. I’m an introvert. Like really, really introverted. It isn’t a bad thing and you shouldn’t let that hold you back from being successful or being “out there”.

That is precisely why I love social media and blogging for businesses so much. You can choose to “talk” and interact with those who really get you and share what truly delights you.

But what really keeps me sane is my little community of blogging BFFs who get me and my quirkiness, my introverted-ness, my desire to help the world, one word at a time.

Connecting with others, whether online or offline, will give you the chance to learn new things, find fresh perspectives, brainstorm, vent, offer support, get support. Yes, nothing beats a heart-to-heart and is pretty awesome for infusing soul and passion back into your blogging.

Choose your blogging or business best friends with care, though. They need to respect who you are, value your time and give you the support you need to navigate these often choppy waters.

Take Action: I know how important being connected with fellow business owners and bloggers is and that is one of the reasons, I created The Biz Bistro, a fabulously engaged and FREE community of entrepreneurs, juggling home and business with equal ease.

Get outside and work on your insides

You know what beats burnout, every.single.time.

Getting outside and moving your arms and legs. Seriously.

Blogging is a sedentary job. Period.

It suits this introvert fine but even so, I need to get outdoors to get 30-minutes of powerwalking into my schedule, else I get all sorts of random aches and pains, get low on energy and generally feel exhausted. Not nice.

So, getting outside, breathing in fresh air, looking at the trees and flowers in bloom is the best remedy for keeping burnout at bay and also, staying healthy. Because let’s face it… when you’re achy, ill or just plain tired, you’ll hate blogging.

Ask me how I know!

The other thing that keeps me excited about blogging is taking care of my mindset and my diet. What I feed my body and mind affects how I feel about what I do.

When I let negative talk {mine or others!} get to me, you can be sure my blogging will suffer. When I eat junk for an extended period of time, I end up feeling like junk and yes, my blogging or writing will show it.

So, be careful of what you feed your mind and your body. Let it all be wholesome, good for you, and nourishing.

Take action: Commit to nourishing your mind and body.

Focus on getting outside for at least 20-30 minutes every.single.day.

Stop the negative self-talk, the comparisons, the putdowns. Stop it.right.now. Instead, replace it with encouraging positive self-love. Appreciate all your accomplishments, give yourself credit, spread warmth in your interactions with others. That is why surrounding yourself with folks who get you is so important!!

Eat right. Trust me, I love gooey chocolate fudge brownies as much as anyone else, but too many of those and I’m ready to swear off chocolate forever. So, moderation in indulgence 😉

Get help

Finally, and most importantly, one of the lessons I’ve learnt as I’ve worked towards being able to blog successfully and soulfully is to get help. Whether it is using a tool, like Picmonkey to create gorgeous images or hi

re an awesome virtual assistant who uploads my blog posts every week, I’ve gotten help.

Mayank and I also split tasks between ourselves to ensure neither one of us is overburdened.

If blogging feels too exhausting for you, you may need help in the form of getting some of your blog content crafted exclusively for you or maybe you just need help in getting your posts looking truly professional with tightly edited content, gorgeous photos and all the boring yet important SEO stuff done-for-you. Hint: if this is you, you need to click here.

Blogging successfully doesn’t need fancy tools {though they can help!} or a degree in writing.

If you want to start blogging successfully, spend some time today doing the following:

1. Make a content plan.
2. Find ONE new thing to learn.
3. Connect with fellow bloggers.
4. Schedule time for exercise and menu plan so when hunger pangs hit, you eat healthy.
5. Get help with your blog content or admin-y stuff.

Ready? Which one would you be knocking off today?

Resources to Help You Have a Successful Blog

1. bizplantastic
2. FREE Downloadable Blog Editorial Calendar template
3. Business Blog Packages
4. Biz Bistro: A FREE mastermind community for moms with businesses

Don’t forget to check out the ever-growing list of our personal “content kitchen” tools in the Chef’s Corner.