The cool thing about April is that Spring is officially here and in full effect. I can already tell people have been making BIG changes in their homes and in their lives. One thing I have noticed in my world of blogging, mentoring, etc is that people are ready to start new and fresh. Whether thats hiring on new staff to start new projects or just getting rid of the things that are killing your business vibe, its time for a change. Aren't we all ready for a little something new?
A few years back, the pastor at my church, Hillsong NYC, preached a series called "take a right on Mott". It was basically a message about making a turn on an unknown street to go in a new direction, to go down a street or path that you haven't before. You know, in order to shake things up a bit. I've always tried to live by that message and try a different way of doing something I've been doing forever and you know what? IT'S AWESOME! When I do "take a right on Mott", I sort of step out of my comfort zone, which is an action and that action breeds confidence and the confidence takes me to new and very exciting places. I'm always arriving and stepping into things I never thought I would be doing. It's pretty cool.
So, I want to encourage you who are bloggers, business owners and even just cool moms, to change things up the way you do things this Spring. April 1 is the perfect time to start. I'm going to give you 5 tips for "spring cleaning" your blog, but you can apply this to any other system in your life too.
1. Cut out what isn't working for you! Go into your dashboard and see what posts are the most read and which ones aren't. You can also take a look and see which posts inspired the most comments and the least. From there, create new content based on what is working. Do not repeat what isn't. Let it go and evolve in a new way. In the same way, you can apply this to your closet, your beauty products and your kitchen.
2. Give your about page an update. If your old photo and bio isn't working for you, try something a little new and different. Come up with a cool photo shoot concept and get some new pics taken. Grab a good camera and a friend. You don't have to be a professional. A few months back I helped a friend out. We grabbed a good camera, some fun clothes (including a tutu skirt), headed to the nearest hotel and shot some pictures of her around interesting backgrounds. These made for such good pictures and inspired her to come up with a new bio and a new story. It even inspired her for new ideas and concepts around her business. This is such a useful and helpful strategy. P.S. Don't forget to get rid of photos that you don't LOVE of yourself.
3. Clean up your goal list. Have you hit any goals? Have you surpassed your readership goals? Have you completely let go of an idea you had and it failed? Delete and move on. I suggest getting rid of any links on your site that you don't want or use anymore or any services you haven't given in a while. Do you have an old shop on your site and its empty now? Delete it altogether and/or try for some new inventory that may be a little outside of the box. Get rid of any files of photos and media you no longer need. Make room for new goals and new ideas.
4. Enhance your calendar system. Refresh and reboot how you organize your days and how you schedule things. I've always been an imac calendar person. I've imported so many calendars on my imac I don't even know where some of the recurring things are from. This year I am going to start a new and make the switch to Google calendar. I love a fresh start. I'm also going to write in my desk diary more, too. That way I am starting fresh in a new system and old things will go away with the trash.
5. Declutter your office space AND your coffee shop game. As a blogger, I work from home AND I love to head to a local coffee shop to work too. So, this Spring I suggest upping your blogger swag. Get a fresh new tote that fits all of your essentials. Ie. laptop, ipad, planner, camera, phone lipgloss, etc. I find that looking my best and carrying new, styling gear gives me an extra pep in my step. That's always good for a blog or a business, right?
Must have tote bags: I love the Michael Kors saffiano tote in pink. I also really think this reversible vegan tote is pretty cool. The size of this Tory Burch buckle bag is so perfect for all things we need. I am in love with perforated anything, and this perforated cream bag is kinda edgy and fun. I'm totally into this Vince Camuto fringe bag, its very boho glam. Another perforated tote, this one is beige and from Henri Bendel, so chic.
The Essentials: I think a rose gold journal is essential right now. Everyone is obsessed with the Samsung Galaxy camera. Makes instagram photos beyond gorgeous. I am totally crushing on the golden pineapple iphone case, would be so cute for Spring.
Hope this helps you guys. If you want more tips, check out my book Secrets of Style Blogging: The Ultimate How-To guide for blogging success, available on Amazon.
