Took a break for reasons; now I’m ready to come back. We all have a plan until life punches us in the face, right? New day, new look to the blog, new outlook on life. And time to shake the dust off the ducky, starting with a new blog post, which appropriately enough, is about getting back to blogging.

Feeling rusty, but away we go.

Scratch that… here we go. Right here. Less away, more here.

1. own the break.

My break was not planned. Personal situations that took priority. Self-care in the form of limiting how much time and energy I spent became more important. To be honest, I haven’t missed it until recently. But now I do. So now I’m back.

Stepping away is not the same as failing.

Acknowledge that you took a break. Unless your blog has a major following, owning your break is more about personally accountability than anything else. Good news, with enough time having passed, not too many people are going to notice.

Especially when you cheat like I did and remove the time stamps from your blog’s posts.

2. remember your purpose.

As a professional copywriter, I’ve spent most of my career building and breathing other Voices. Companies, brands, ghost writing on other people’s behalf. I wanted a place to build mine. Rubber ducks, cat memes and all.

I started blogging to build a corner of my own little writing world. Practice my craft. Try new methods. Find my own Voice. All of those reasons are still valid. I also happened to help a lot of people along the way. Hell, one of my posts even got me hired when I needed a job. (Yay!)

Time well spent.

When you step back to your blog, remember why you started. Make sure you’re coming back for the right reasons, because those are the ones that’ll keep you coming back.

3. dive and revive your archives.

Best believe I’m gonna repurpose, refresh and republish some of my favorites. Some people may call this cheating, but I prefer to call it working efficiently.

You published them before. People found them helpful or entertaining before. They’re still valid. No reason they can’t see the light of day again. Only now, you can go back and add to them, update them, and fix all of those errors you’re going to see that you didn’t before you went on a bloggy vacay.

You’ll also get some more ideas for future blog posts. And you’ll need those ideas because even if you have some written down for your restart, your brain will go blank as it switches gears.

Refill that well, fellow writer. Recycle and refill.

No bad ideas at this stage, especially considering that not many people will be looking for a while.

4. commit to a realistic rhythm.

Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint. I have a loooooooooooooong list of topics to cover. Ideas for categories, content, style and media. Taking off at a 1,000 mph is tempting, but doing so means burnout would be inevitable.

Take it at a steady pace you can maintain. Set yourself up for success. If you need to write a thousand posts at once, schedule them so they post at steady rate to fill the silence while you take a breather to pick up the pace again later.

5. start simple.

Next to my left hand is a small, blue notebook with three pages of post ideas. When I sat down to write this one, I drew a blank. Nothing felt right because I haven’t exercised these muscles in a while. So, am starting with “how to get started again.” And words are finally flowing.

The spout is sputtering—but water is flowing. And that’s the whole point right now.

Your  is to get back into the habit of writing and publishing. Choose what feels manageable and enjoyable.

6. write now, perfect…meh, whenever.

Shaking off the rust and dust takes enough energy. Yes, my blog is a copywriter’s blog. Perfection is important, but my primary intention is to flex my writing habit.

Sometimes, the work’s gotta ship. Online work can be reviewed and edited later. Important thing is to get back in the habit.

Same goes for you.

Whatever your blog’s topic, getting back to the habit is more important than perfect proofreading and premium editing.

9. celebrate your return.

When I publish this post, I’m treating myself to some candy. And a The Walking Dead marathon. Because I’m a firm believer in positive reinforcement. And Daryl Dixon. (My husband doesn’t read my blog; I get to fangirl a bit here.)

Once you publish, treat yourself to some positive reinforcement. Even if it’s a moment of silent reflection, a favorite snack, something that makes you happy. Make it a ritual. Make it important so you can keep blogging, with joy.

I forgot how much fun this is. And I’m glad I’m back. See you soon for another post.

Much affection,
Ducky

Are you trying to get back to your blog? Post your first post and share a link in the comments. Let’s celebrate.