The New Rules to Writing Online for Thought Leaders
I see you over there judging what you wrote in that blog post yesterday.
You’re being overly critical of what’s on your website or sales page. Or, maybe you haven’t even hit PUBLISH on that thought piece yet, you’re so concerned about getting it wrong online.
Comparing ourselves to others and judging our progress by an impossible standard of perfection is easy—especially when it comes to writing or publishing anything online.
Here’s how the criticism or comparing could look for you:
Man, my website sounds BORING
Ugh, I really need to be on instagram more
I never sent out that email and blog post!
My stuff is too confusing. I don’t explain it well.
Comparing happens when you feel a little vulnerable about your standing in your industry or community.
It also happens when you expand into a new level of being.
As you grow in your thought leadership, you’ll naturally graduate to new levels of self-expression. These new levels will inspire you and pull you forward in positive growth.
I found myself in this situation recently as I was preparing to launch a new service. I could feel my voice online becoming bolder and more precise. I wanted to make a bigger impact in the world and I could also feel old anxieties creeping in, wanting me to stay small.
I knew that this time I didn’t want past tendencies of comparing myself to others or to an impossible timeline to limit my expression or joy, but I didn’t have other markers or milestones of a “job well done” to measure my success when I hit publish.
So, I spent a few days making my own rules based on years of experience developing thought leadership platforms for others.
Here they are for you.
The New Rules to Writing Online for Thought Leaders
Want more space and freedom in your online expression? Here are 4 sustainable milestones and success markers to use when publishing anything online.
Next time you’re creating content ask yourself these 4 questions:
Is it easy? - To-do list dependency feels like forced efforting, and it usually means a should is running the show (like, I should post this today). When we take action at a time that feels good, we get results that feel good, too.
Is it fun? - There's not enough action you can take to accomplish what you want when you're not in the right frame of mind. Have you connected to the joy of life, the relief of solving a problem, or of the divinity of clarity before sitting down to write or create new content?
Does it feel beautiful? - Beautiful does not mean “perfect.” Beauty is shared in humor, and in our humanity, our honesty, and our vulnerabilities. Beautiful means making room to marinate and grow into something more.
Do I have good intentions? - We can and will make mistakes as we learn to use our voice online. We would never overly criticize a baby for toddling and falling on the floor as it’s learning to walk.
You can’t get it wrong, and you never get it done. —Abraham Hicks
If you can answer these 4 questions with a YES, then consider your website / blog post / or email a success, friend.
Even after meeting these new milestones, you also may still feel:
Stretched thin, like you used up extra resource rations
Vulnerable and overexposed, like you’re naked in public
Anxious, like you want to hide and shut down
Those feelings are a normal part of healthy growth and expansion and not a reason to pull back or stop.
What to do if you feel vulnerable or anxious after posting new content:
Celebrate the stretch - remember, growth and progress is the process we’re practicing (not judging ourselves by a specific outcome)
Take a break, then re-engage - re-read your content out loud or re-watch your video it a few days after posting. Notice where you are charming, relatable, and human. Look for earnestness.
Recommit to the New Rules - revisit the 4 success markers to remind yourself of your new practices. Acknowledging others when you see them practicing honesty and vulnerability also helps create a New World for all of us and reinforce what’s truly important to you.
