Staying Focused as a Blogger – Bright Shiny Objects!

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Bright shiny objects! As a blogger, especially when you are a new blogger, you get really excited about new opportunities. For me, I began doing book reviews and, I just love it! I love reading and I love helping authors out by reviewing their work. But distractions can quickly overwhelm you and make you feel like you can’t keep up! Learn more about avoiding distractions and staying focused as a blogger!

 

Bright Shiny Objects

I mentioned book reviews and I get SO excited when I get an email from an author asking me to do a review for them. For a new blogger, it feels like promotion! It’s like you think, “God is using me! People are contacting ME! I am doing more than just writing to encourage people! God is using me in other ways too!”

But, the problem is that those things can become that bright, shiny object. You know, I am a girly girl and I love shiny, sparkly things!

Glitter? Yeah, give me all the glitter! I am all about it!!

So, when an author contacts me and asks me to do a review for them, I get excited!! It’s what I have been wanting to do!! But then I look at my plate and next thing I know, I have five books to review and another author will contact me and I’ll be like “YAY!! Yeah, I’ll do it!!” It looks good. It seems like a great opportunity!

Bright, shiny objects.

How to Overcome Distractions and Stay Focused

But what happens with those things that look good to us at that moment is they will eventually make us feel overwhelmed.

They will bog us down so that we don’t have time to write.

We get so caught up in creating THINGS to help our blogs, that we become to busy to actually blog!

We become distracted from what we felt called to do in the beginning. Overcoming distractions and staying focused on what we are called to do (not just what looks fun or what makes us feel good) is so important for a blogger.

Yep, bright, shiny objects make us lose focus. We often don’t know how to overcome distractions and stay focused on blogging or anything else!!

But what happens with those things that look good to us at that moment is they will eventually make us feel overwhelmed. Click To Tweet

Staying Focused on Your Ministry – Remember That the Enemy Tempts Us With the Good!

You see, the thing about these bright, shiny objects are, they are good! Trying to earn money to support your ministry is good! Trying to help new authors out is good! Creating things to help new bloggers is good! Satan is not going to move us with the blatantly bad.

You see, Satan knows I am in a place where he is not going to be able to distract me with obvious temptations or temptations that are overtly bad.

He can’t get me to move away from what I am doing with obvious attacks. He will never be able to tempt me to go rob a bank for instance!

But what he DOES do is dangle that bright, shiny object in front of me. It looks good. It looks GODLY.

And I will jump at it because it does look good!  It APPEARS to be something I should be doing. Why shouldn’t I be creating things to help new bloggers learn the lessons I learned and still learn every day?

What the enemy DOES do is dangle that bright, shiny object in front of me.  It looks good.  It looks GODLY. Click To Tweet

Staying Focused by Knowing Your Calling

It is not what I started blogging for, that is why. I started blogging for an audience of one. I started blogging because I felt God called me to it.

And I started blogging for that one person who could be encouraged by my story. It was to help even one person feel like they matter to God.

I started blogging to help lead even one person to Jesus.

Knowing your calling and keeping that as a priority in your blogging ministry will help you during times you are tempted to take on too much.

Knowing your calling and keeping that as a priority in your blogging ministry will help you during times you are tempted to take on too much. Click To Tweet

The Enemy Loves Excess

All these other things are good things! I am not saying I shouldn’t do them. I am saying that Satan works in the excess department. The enemy LOVES excess!

Think about many of the struggles Christians have with sin! Most of them come from excess. It is the lies of the enemy that tell us if one is good, then wouldn’t more be better?

It is the lies of the enemy that tell us if one is good, then wouldn't more be better? Click To Tweet

He can distract us with TOO MUCH. This week I felt myself not even want to sit down and write because I was TOO TIRED.  I am looking at the stack of reviews I need to get done and I am wondering where I will find the time!

I had the best of intentions, but then life happens. My dog gets sick and must go to the vet three times in one week.  The holidays roll around with the endless social obligations.

Life happens along the way and we quickly find out we overcommitted and didn’t leave time for those things life throws our way.

Chasing bright, shiny objects doesn’t leave time for life’s little extras. Too much of a good thing!!

Return to Your First Love

Jesus in Revelation spoke to the Church at Ephesus and told them that He knew their WORKS, their LABOR, their PERSEVERANCE! BUT, He had one thing against them; they had left their FIRST LOVE.

He recognized they did it all for HIS name’s sake, but they became focused on other things rather than their first love.

Revelation 2:2-4:

“I know all about your deeds and your toil and your patient endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. You have tested those who call themselves emissaries and are not, and have found them to be liars.  You have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But this I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love.” TLV

My first love was writing for that audience of one. But works, labor, reviewing books, creating new products, creating giveaways for subscribers; it all took away from my first love. Those bright shiny objects, while appealing, can cause you to get derailed!

My first love was writing for that audience of one. But works, labor, reviewing books, creating new products, creating giveaways for subscribers; it all took away from my first love. Click To Tweet

So, what do I do?

How do I balance those things I WANT to do along with those things I feel called to do?

Difficulty Staying Focused? Prayer is the Answer!

What I have learned is I need to stop and pray.

Pray about each and every opportunity, each and every idea, each and every group or board BEFORE I commit to it. I have to resist the temptation to jump in and say yes to everything! I have to have my goals set and stay on course!

What I need to do is stop and ask the Lord if it is something HE wants me to take on. This ministry is for Him, not myself!

It is His! He is the CEO!

I need to stop and ask the Lord if it is something HE wants me to take on. This ministry is for Him, not myself! It is His! He is the CEO! Click To Tweet

When I feel God is giving me the nod to move forward, then and only then will I accept. You can’t go wrong when you let Him lead your ministry. I had taken mine over.

I handed the reigns back to Him!

Ok I still love bright shiny objects! I will just love them in moderation now and with God’s approval!

Comment below and let me know what bright shiny objects have distracted you in your blogging ministry and how you are staying focused in your blogging! 

Tree of Life (TLV) – Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. Copyright © 2014,2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society.  Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.