This is a timeless question, that even experienced bloggers have to come back and revisit, myself included. And for the past month, I’ve done so extensively. It has been one of the most frustrating processes for me and I’m sure I’ll still struggle with it after writing this.

First I’d like to note that I see now that I was the only getting in the way of myself and I looked exactly like the image the the left a lot. I had a million excuses and quite frankly, no passion or clear reason to blog on any given day. Some may say money, but as I noted last year, I don’t do this for the money. Money is not as motivating as you would think. Here are other ways I grew my motivation to finally sat down and write:

Conversations

I called everyone! Friends, mentors, those I’ve previously worked with, new connections and old. Get your community involved! My support system is stronger now more than ever and increasing everyday. Sometimes you just need to open your mouth and clearly state the problem to address it. It’s not rocket science, but we’re so used to talking to ourselves sometimes that the banter becomes repetitive. Ideas go stale.

Conversations set the mood. They’re meant to inspire you. So go be inspired and pick up a phone or Skype if your minutes are running low! I don’t recommend using Twitter or Facebook to accomplish this. You need a direct connection to the source of inspiration. The phone or Skype is as close as you’ll get if you can’t see them in person.

Reading or…

…or any hobby will do. I love to read. I have a personal goal of reading 100 books of year. So far I’m on book 17. It doesn’t matter in the end if I reach this goal. The goal just helps me to keep picking up a book, which are another source of inspiration. Comics are great too. I’m not sure if TV will help you or serve as an even bigger distraction, so be careful with that one unless you’re going to watch an inspiring movie.

Spirituality/Meditation

The process has brought me a lot closer to my never ending quest to have a better relationship with God. However, meditation and daily spiritual cleansing really helped with my focus, concentration, and endurance. You don’t have to be religious to accomplish this. Take a yoga class or listen to motivational podcasts. In the end, my spirit was raised and my mind was placed in a more positive state. This helped to but my thoughts and actions in alignment.

Write About Something Else

I have a thousand notes I’ve taken on podcasts, videoblogs, web articles, and books that don’t pertain to technology or anything I do for a living. I’ve been reading the The Leviathan by Hobbes, Midnight by Sistah Soulja, The Prince, The Alchemist, and tons more books at my local Barnes and Nobles. I can write outside of my environment, away from  a desk and laptopn where my stress was focused the most. I had a pen and a notebook to take all of my notes. I didn’t worry about blogging. I just wrote!

Get Outside Of Your Element!

After all was said and done, these things made me feel good and sometimes, that was all I really needed in order to reconnect with my passions. They also placed outside of my natural element and that was a refreshing experience that I’m now sharing with you. So tell me, what motivates you to blog?