I’m not going to lie, I’m proud that I’ve published 300 articles on Take Your Success. It takes grueling consistency and iron willpower to show up every week.
Are you surprised? Did you think I get on a computer and type an entire article with a big old smile on my face? Do you think every single day am I head over heels in awe with writing?
Not a chance. You’re dead wrong if you believe that. Some days writing is honestly the last thing I want to do.
But in these moments, it’s mind over matter. I push through. And write the post whether I enjoy it or not (and tell myself “suck it up”).
It’s in these battles I learn discipline, work ethic, and patience.
And that’s why I’ve had the consistency to publish 300 articles on this site—which is on pace to reach 1 million views a year in 2018.
Now overall I do love writing. It’s my journal. It’s the process I use to straighten out my thoughts. And this process inspired me enough to make this video Note To Self: Never Stop Writing.
But more often than you imagine I’m hustling to write something inspirational, educational, and motivational for a reader or two, and you.
While my work is nowhere near done and I’m not heading to an island to retire, I’m happy that my writing speaks for itself and people recognize me for it.
You don’t take shortcuts to get to 300 published articles.
Enough back story. Let’s get to why you’re probably reading this, to see what I’ve learned from day one to now.
Lessons Learned From Writing 300 Blog Posts
There are 1,000 lessons I could go on and on about until you’re eyes are bleeding from so much reading. (Can you imagine that brutal pain? Yikes!)
But often simplicity and hitting the key points is more powerful than listing everything I could possibly mention.
And I don’t even need to explain myself, it’s my list! I decide what’s on it.
These are the three lessons I want to highlight for you to wrap your brain around.
1) Show up
Wherever you’re producing content to try and make a name for yourself, you don’t have a chance if you don’t show up on a weekly if not daily basis. And forget about it if you quit.
The world is big. Billions of people would want to make money as a personal brand (I made that up, but millions would for sure). So you have to hustle all the time.
For example, none of the amazing opportunities (writing books, appearing on tv, and starting a company) would have surfaced if I didn’t rise up to the occasion by showing up.
Of course you need insane drive and brilliant strategy to win, but not showing up eliminates you before the race starts.
You have to show up or else! Got it? Good.
Related: How To Build A Personal Brand That Precedes You
2) Give value
It’s funny, I used to think as an entrepreneur I’d work 100% for myself. It’s only the 9 to 5 crowd who has a boss, right?
But over time I realized instead of working for a boss, I work for you and the people I produce content for each week. (Good thing I like you as a boss.)
This new mindset completely changed my perspective of how I needed to deliver solid content or it was game over for me in the long run.
While I do love what I do or frankly I’d stop to do something else, knowing I need to give value has helped me with my voice, messaging, and finding the right topics to cover.
If you’re already producing content or about to, always focus on giving value first. It’s the only way to keep winning in today’s world.
How do you do this? It’s easy, just make people: open their mind, learn something, feel inspired, laugh, cry, or connect to you.
Get obsessed with giving value!
3) Be patient
Patience is weird. It sucks in the beginning when you’re not skilled at it (yes, patience is 100% a skill of successful people). I’ve experienced this when my blog had 0 readers and no love for a young blogger.
By the time you gain some experience being patient, it starts paying off. I’ve experienced this as my blog has gotten through puberty, gained some popularity, and pays me a decent paycheck every month.
And then when you’re a professional user of patience, more rewards come to you than you can dream about. I haven’t experienced this, but I cannot wait for 10 years down the road to reap my rewards.
Do you struggle with patience? Just bounce back and forth between these clichés like I do when you struggle to be patient:
- All good things take time
- When it comes to the tortoise and the hare racing, you want to be the tortoise
- Patience is a virtue
- Hard work always pays off in the end for those who work hard
Reciting those lines is what worked for me until I hardwired my brain for patience. Now I’m as patient as anyone!
Guns N’ Roses understands patience too:
Memorable Posts By Category
I’m not saying these are the best or most helpful posts I’ve written in each category. They’re more just the ones speaking to me the loudest in this moment.
My hope is you spend some time to read or bookmark these for future knowledge and inspiration.
Book Summaries: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Career: 101 Do What You Love Quotes
College: College Dorm Hack: Leave Your Door Open
General: Shutting It Down
Grad School: The Ultimate Guide For Requesting A Letter Of Recommendation
Health & Fitness: Getting Fat In College? Here’s How To Tell
Interviews: #2 Pick In The Major League Lacrosse Draft
Money: Thank God I Don’t Have A Trust Fund: Here’s Why
Online Business: My First $10k Income Month
Personal Challenges: The 7 Day Thinking Positive Challenge
Personal Development: Why Failure Is The Greatest Teacher Of All
Travel: Travel Hack: Set Up A Travel Fund
More Milestones To Come
The best part of this milestone is that I’m more energized and focused on growing Take Your Success than ever before. That might sound cliché, but it’s true.
Take Your Success has grown up from a college blog with zero readers to a professional one in a few years with multiple services and products.
What’s more powerful about this website is it has helped thousands of people get more out of live in some way, shape, or form.
I firmly believe no achievement can be that great if it only benefits one person. But if a project benefits others across the world, then you have something special. And I believe I do with this site and you guys as a community.
That’s what matters in the end!
So I literally can’t wait to write more articles, record more videos, and publish more books or courses to help you live a successful life.
Thanks for doing life with me. I appreciate you.
(Oh yeah, blog post number 301 will be live on Monday. Just call me Mr. Consistent.)
Take your success,
-Brian Robben
