I am attempting to write a blog post every day on one of the three sites that I manage. (www.rssdmg.com, www.rssts.com, and markjpeterson.com). To achieve that goal, I’ll have to stay inspired. So, how do you stay inspired enough to keep producing content? I’m going to share some of my ideas, my tips for staying inspired. We’ll revisit them later to see how they work out.
Staying Inspired by Feeding Your Soul
The first tip for staying inspired: feed your soul. So this tip may sound flighty, but it is the most important tip you will get today. An empty soul is an uninspired soul. But, a well-fed soul sees a bigger world, imagines greater things, views other people with interest and compassion, and is more imaginative. As a result, that soul is inspired.
You have to decide how you feed your soul. I’m a Christian, so I believe the best food for the soul is prayer and God’s word, so I read it nearly every day. This daily ritual of communing with my Heavenly Father and hearing what He speaks fills my soul with life and purpose. It inspires me.
Staying Inspired by Consuming Great Content
The second tip for staying inspired, consume great content. If you’re still with me after the first tip, you have to know that inspiration doesn’t come from within you as you live in a vacuum. It is born through the work of the spirit and the mind on the content that you consume. So, it is necessary to find sources of great content and consume them regularly. Some source types include:
- Books, both fiction and non-fiction
- Quality news outlets
- Great podcasts including news, informational, and motivational
- Trade magazines, blogs, and newsletters
Why should you consume content from different source types?
There is a fitness principle that teaches us to not get stuck in a rut doing the same exercise routine every day. You may have a tough workout routine, but if you do it every day, your body will get used to it, it will benefit you less, and you’ll cause injuries to other parts of your body. That’s why serious runners are also serious about core building.
The same is true when it comes to inspiration. A steady diety from only one source of inspiration will leave you as uninspired, over time, as you were, to begin with. But, variety in your content consumption will keep your mind and heart engaged, working, growing. As a result, you discover new ideas and develop a greater urge to create yourself.
If you’re interested in some of the content I consume, leave a comment below, and I’ll share.
Staying Inspired by Capturing Your Thoughts as They Occur
In this list of tips for staying inspired, the final tip is to capture your thoughts as they occur. This is so important. I’ll admit, I struggle to do this faithfully, but when I do, I find it easier to write when it comes time to do so.
For example, I wrote the introductory paragraph to this post in bed two nights ago. The idea occurred to me after reading an unrelated book. Instead of letting it go hoping to remember it later, I wrote the seed of the article down immediately. What did this accomplish? First, I didn’t lose the idea. Second, my subconscious mind went to work on it for a couple of days. Third, when I sat down to write, the ideas flowed.
A great book for understanding inspiration is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
What keeps you inspired and creating content? Share your tips for staying inspired in the comments below. Who knows, you might inspire someone!
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