A few weeks ago I clicked over 150 posts on Addicted2Success. I’m not telling you this to brag; I’m telling you because I’ve learned so much along the way and I want to share this knowledge with all of you.

Blogging can often be a faceless pursuit that goes unnoticed for a very long time. This means that I’ve had to dig deep each week to be able to come up with three plus posts to inspire you.

Below are the 9 lessons I have learned from my 150 blog posts:

1. Persistence is hard

One of the hardest things I’ve found with blogging is that it’s very hard to remain persistence. Life regularly gets in the way, and blogging takes a lot of time. It’s not something you can whip up in ten minutes, and it takes all of your brainpower to write something from the heart that is designed to inspire people.

You realise pretty quickly that unless you love what you’re writing about, it’s easy to burn out. This doesn’t just apply to blogging, it applies to all pursuits of success.

2. Writing is therapeutical

When I look back over my 150 blog posts, there have been some real highs and some unpredictable lows. From being yelled at by a co-worker and having my career threatened, to a major breakup, to talking about my failed entrepreneur endeavors, blogging has made the healing process easier.

Blogging is like therapy for the mind and as I’ve encountered tough times it has been a place to get all the words and thoughts out of my head and onto the screen of my MAC. Everyone needs a release, and writing is one of the cleverest ways to get out of your head.

3. People will be inspired

As you blog about your passion people are going to be inspired. Without even trying, you are guaranteed to make at least one person experience and increase in motivation. Inspiring people becomes a form of addiction after a while, and it feels good to help people with their dreams.

Finding ways to inspire people has definitely given me the motivation to push through regular procrastination and keep finding new things to write about. You should use your online presence to do the same and look for ways to give without asking for anything in return.

I’ve found that the more I give, the more I get things back that I never expected.

R

4. Haters will hate

As soon as you expose yourself to the world, you are going to get haters. Through my 150 blog posts I’ve learned that haters only amplify your message, and it’s best to let them do what they do.

Replying to haters generally is a waste of time but don’t delete their messages. Another thing I have noticed is that haters hang out on Youtube more than anywhere else. So if you are posting videos then expect to get more criticism and use it to your advantage.

“Don’t stop what you’re doing because some fat, lazy slob had a bad day and forgot to pick up a packet of doughnuts on the way home” – Tim Denning

5. Raving fans are the key to your motivation

The biggest thing that has motivated me to write so many blog posts is the raving fans. Every time someone takes the time to comment or reach out via social media I am humbled. Writing a ten-second message to someone may seem insignificant, but it’s not.

These messages that I have received daily have kept me going and have been the inspiration I need not to give up. Whatever your pursuit of success is, raving fans will play a big part in your motivation so treat them like the royalty that they are.

Don’t let your ego get in the way and stay true to who you are when you’re participating in any online discussion.

6. You’ll never run out of things to say

One of the biggest fears I had about blogging was that I would run out of things to say. Thanks to Darren Rowse of Problogger, I’ve realised that there are an unlimited number of topics to write about on almost any niche.

The things that happen in our life every day are the inspiration you can use to write about your passion and share value with total strangers. Most of my ideas have come from things that have happened to me, and that seems to be the point that interests people.

Who knew that real stories, from real people that are authentic and true, was what people wanted. We all know this deep down we just forget it sometimes. However you’re giving value to your audience, remember that you’ll always have something to say so don’t stress.

7. The secret starts with 4 and ends in AM

Writing so many posts over a short period of time has definitely been a challenge in terms of time. What I’ve learned is that you need to wake up earlier when you’re the most refreshed, and start living your dream before everyone else around you distracts you from your purpose.

Waking up at 4am has allowed me to get a head start on the day and not have to rush my blog posts. It’s allowed me to feel a sense of fulfillment at the start of my day which I can use to motivate me through the remaining hours.

The way you start your day is the way your day will generally end. Start off by being productive and doing what you love, and you’ll feel so much better.

8. Everyone needs motivation

Whatever task you are trying to embark on to execute on your vision, we all need some form of motivation. For blogging, I have used inspirational Youtube videos to get me into the right writing state. Without motivation, we leave our success to chance.

A well-produced video that gets you into state can make your blogging or entrepreneurial activities have so much more life and energy.

9. Emotion is at the center of everything

Over the 150 post journey so far I’ve found that emotion is at the center of all success. Every viral blog post I’ve had and every bit of engagement I’ve seen has come from emotion. As well as my own writing, I’ve spent thousands of hours studying what people share online.

What makes people share content online is emotion. When you feel something from consuming a piece of content you can’t help but want to tell everyone you know so they can have the same experience.

After looking at hundreds of viral posts on LinkedIn, I noticed that the one’s that made you feel a certain emotion and amplified the feeling were the posts that were shared the most. Success is not accidental it’s a result of making people feel emotion.

Emotion is what causes you to say I love you or to say I do. Emotion drives our entire life, and it’s what we all crave even if we don’t know it. Stop chasing possessions and start chasing emotions. Chase feelings of triumph, excitement, glory and any other emotion that you love to experience.

Have you learned anything from the blog posts I’ve been sharing? Let me know on my website timdenning.net or my Facebook.