Back in 2013-2014, I think I signed up for every webinar, e-course, ebook, digital download, newsletter, printable and podcast known to man. I had been blogging for eight-ish years, but I still felt like there was so much more to learn! I would snuggle into the couch with an iced coffee or glass of wine, my laptop, a notebook, some jazz music and I'd be ready to absorb all of the info that I could take in. I'm going to be real with you, I signed up for some really cool classes. Some were free, most were not. They taught me to code, to use Photoshop, DSLR tips and tricks, how to be a better blogger, how to create custom planners, etc. These were all great classes, but how much was too much?
Sure, there was a new SEO trick or plugin that I didn't know about, or a strategy I thought I could try, and I was truly happy to get that info. A lot of times, in that hour or two of reading or watching, I'd be hearing someone else's take on things I already knew. The blogging rules and tricks were the same: Be yourself, don't fake it, be consistent, authenticity it key, etc. But at some point, you have to focus on great content. The kind of stuff that you'd see and bookmark, pin for later, print out or forward to a friend.
Again, this post is something I wish I had read last year. I overloaded myself with information and thought my head was going to explode. I realized that I can take all the classes and read all the how to's in the world, but in the end, it all fell on me.
The more you know and grow, the better. That's a given. But do it in moderation. You don't need every webinar and free download that's thrown your way. It's a noisy world out there, and people are marketing products that they want you to feed into all day, every day. They're good every now and then, but too much of something can be intense. Now I know how to use my camera settings, how to create textures and layouts in Photoshop, and a bunch of other stuff that I use fairly often. But when you spend more time trying to take everyone else's advice, sometimes I think you can ware yourself thin. For every class that I took, I should have waited a few weeks and applied those skills. I should have used what I already knew to keep my brand going strong.
Rock on, friends.