5 Blogging Lessons We Can Learn from Yoda

I’ll admit it. I am not a huge Star Wars fan.

But, my husband is. In fact, when he discovered I hadn’t seen the movies a few months before our wedding, he promptly sat me down to watch all of them.

Like most people, I immediately liked Yoda. Besides being oddly cute with those big green ears, Yoda is one smart dude. His short, quippy nuggets of wisdom go beyond training Luke to be a Jedi master. His advice can be applied to our every day life….even blogging.

Want to be a better blogger? Then look no further than the Dagobah system for some wisdom from our little green friend.

Lesson 1: “Do or do not… there is no try.”

If you want to be successful with blogging, quit trying. Start doing. What could you do to improve your blog today?

For those of you that have been blogging for a while, look at what you can do to amp up your game. Pick one thing you can do this week to move your blog forward, then make it happen.

Or, if you haven’t yet started a blog, quit thinking about it and just do it. Don’t worry about whether you have the right theme or plugins to start. Just start writing and put yourself out there.

The bottom line is that trying doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s the doing that really matters.

Lesson 2: “Size matters not, … Look at me. Judge me by size, do you?”

Quit worrying about the size of your blog or the number of subscribers you have. Like Yoda, sometimes good things come in small packages.

When you’re just starting out, your blog is going to be very small. And that’s okay. Every blogger started out with zero subscribers. Don’t let the size of your blog keep you from getting out there and doing it.

Instead of comparing yourself to other bloggers, focus on what you need to do be successful.

Lesson 3: “Named must your fear be before banish it you can.”

We all have fears that keep us from achieving the success we want.

Do you fear failure? Do you feel like you’re not good enough? Whatever it is, you must identify this limiting belief so you can conquer it.

Write down your biggest fear. Acknowledge it. Own it. Then, work to destroy it.

Every time your fear seeps its way into your mind, you can take away it’s power because you recognize it when it shows up.

Instead of succumbing to your fear, surround yourself with people who can encourage you. Seek the counsel of a trusted peer or mentor. Remind yourself of times you succeeded.

Don’t let fear overcome your ability to rise to become the jedi blogger your were meant to be.

Lesson 4: “[Luke:] I can’t believe it. [Yoda:] That is why you fail.”

If you don’t believe you can be a successful blogger, than you’ve already lost. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by aiming low. Dream big and believe you can get there.

If you haven’t already written down goals for your blog, now is the time to do it.

Maybe you want to be the biggest player in your niche. Or, perhaps you want to quit your job and take your blog full time.

Whatever your goal is, write it down and post it on your wall. Look at it every day and tell yourself you CAN achieve it.

Then, (and this is the important part), identify the steps you need to take to help you get there. Break it down into a weekly action plan so you know exactly what you need to do to get you where you want to be.

Lesson 5: “Much to learn, you still have.”

The top bloggers in the world know this important truth – never stop learning. The moment you think you’ve learned it all, you have just taken a step backward.

What do you need to learn that’s holding your blog back?

Do your headlines need some work to attract more eyeballs? Or, does your blog design need some work to improve readabilty and increase conversions?

Pick one area to work on each month and become a dedicated student of it until you master the skill. Use each post as practice and work to make each blog post better than the last.

If you keep focusing on learning and how to keep your blog moving forward, there won’t be much that can stop you!

“May the Force be with you.”

Thanks to the wisdom of Yoda, you have all wisdom you need to become a jedi blogger.  As Yoda would say, “No more training do you require. Already know you that which you need.”

P.S. If you want even more tips and tricks on how to improve your blog, check out the Pushing Social Bootcamp to learn from from a Stanford, a TRUE blogging jedi master!