The Major League Baseball Guide to Pulling Out of a Blogging Slump

The 2011 baseball season is still in full swing (no pun intended.) For players, that means 162 games over 180 days.

That’s a long season. Long enough for players to fall into a slump.

My Seattle Mariners know something about slumps. But the funny thing is, all players go through them.

Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees superstar,  was 0-for-32 in April 2004, at the time, the worst skid for any player in 27 years.

“It’s a funny game,” said Jeter.

Our blogging can feel that way sometimes, too. Like a funny game.

Sometimes things just don’t click. Ideas for topics are scarce. It feels like the stadium is empty. Where did all the fans go?

The Major League Baseball Guide to Pulling Out of a Blogging Slump

1.  Accept your strikeouts but don’t obsess.

We have high hopes for every one of our blog posts.

We want that home run. And sometimes we take it personally when we don’t hit it out of the park. But hopefully, you are in blogging for the long haul. For many seasons. Each post is just one little fraction of your total body of work.

So, this one post didn’t strike your readers’ fancy. So what? It’s just one post.

2.  Ignore the numbers and trust yourself.

Players who watch their stats too much tend to freeze up more often. Bloggers can also fall into this trap.

” 262 page views today but only 3 comments? What?”

If you are a FSC, a Frequent Stats Checker, stop it! Focus on that current post and making it the best you can write.

3.  Don’t chase bad balls.

You can’t put a good swing on a bad pitch and you can’t make a gem-filled post out of a crappy idea. Don’t work too hard on trying to turn a so-so idea into that perfect post.

Toss it and pick another one.

4.  Start with one small goal and block out the distractions.

Pro baseball players understand that tunnel vision is a good thing. There may be lots of reasons for their slump, but when they step up to the plate, they choose one small goal and focus on that.

Maybe it’s to move a runner from second to third with a sacrifice fly. Or hit one ball fair, square and inside the bases.

As a blogger, your goal might be to write a short, one-paragraph tip for your reader. Or to link to three excellent blog posts you found on the Web this week. Take baby steps.

5.  Mix it up.

Just as a baseball player may change his stance, his pre-swing, his mental approach or his use of equipment, a blogger can try different things.

A video post. An interview with someone you admire whom your readers might like to meet. Write longer if she normally writes short or vice versa. Find resources on the web and write a “Free Stuff I Found” post.

6.  Practice more.

In baseball, the more you practice, the better you get. The more times you swing at the ball, the more times you’ll connect with it.

Same thing with blogging. Don’t just sit on the bench. Try stepping up your posting frequency.

What?” you say. “Are you crazy? I’m ready to throw in the towel and you want me to blog more?”

Yes, I do.

New ideas spawn more new ideas. Blogging more helps you write better, faster, easier.  I’m guest posting a lot these days and I find that my own CatsEyeWriter posts aren’t taking nearly as long to write.

7.  Trust your own instincts.

Baseball players in a slump desperately need something to believe in.

Tim Naehring, who went 0-for-39 for the Boston Red Sox in 1991, had his barber carve “hit” into the back of his scalp. Cincinnati Red Leo Cardenas showered in his uniform to wash away the evil spirits. Some players have even been known to keep wearing the same underwear when they get a few hits. (I know. Blech!)

They are looking for some self-confidence, something to believe in. Because it’s a mental game.

The blogger’s equivalent would be putting herself into information overload. Reading too many blogs, listening to too much advice from the social media “thought leaders”— these things can overwhelm you.

Old-time Major League Baseball executive Branch Rickey said it best.  “A full mind is an empty bat.”

Block out all that advice, trust your own instincts and just get writing.

What about you?

Do you ever find yourself in a blogging slump?

What do you do to pull out of it?

This post was first published at For Bloggers By Bloggers.