Today’s guest post is written by Michael Schechter.
Hey! You! Over there!
Dear blogger, we need to talk. Sit down for a second, ’cause I really want you to hear what I am saying.
You are taking yourself too seriously. No, don’t argue. Take a moment. Think about what I’m saying here.
Sure you take the work seriously, and that’s great. Sure, you have a blog that gets people’s attention and you’ve earned it. But at a certain point, a switch flipped (or a bit, for you geeks out there). You pushed yourself ahead of the work. What you were trying to say took a backseat to who you are trying to be.
Now, you may want to rush to the comments and tell me I’m an ass (I get that. No really, I get that…all the time.). You may want to write a blog talking about “haters” (I get that too).
But how about this: Take a day. Don’t comment. Don’t blog about this. Just think. Think about who you were when you started and who you are now. Ask yourself, what would the “you” from back then write about you now?
I’m betting a lot of things have improved. I’m betting that you are a better writer than you once were, that you have a larger network than ever before, that new and exciting opportunities appear every single day.
And that’s awesome; you deserve that. What you don’t deserve is the new attitude that comes with the new success.
Here’s the thing, I want what you have (so you can save yourself from telling me I’m jealous in the comments), but the thing is, if I start taking myself and my blog more seriously than the work, then I want you to punch me in the face. No, seriously, feel free to do it (except you Danny Brown, you would just do it for fun).
You really do rock; we really do listen to you for a reason. Think about where you started and where you are heading. Don’t go back to who you were at the beginning, I mean, we all have to evolve. Just take one quick second and one giant step back to get some perspective.
Don’t worry, it’s not too late. Just go back to doing what you love, without loving yourself quite so much. Oddly enough, it will make us love you even more.
As for the rest of you, the next wave of bloggers who are just starting to experience a taste of this success: keep your head on straight and don’t become the person you’re currently making fun of. And me, I’m just going to keep writing a blog that no one reads.
Michael Schechter is the digital marketing director for Honora Pearls, a monthly columnist for JCK Magazine, and the founder of Gen-Next Jewelers. He also steals and shares your best ideas and quotes on his Tumblr blog, Smarter Than I Am.