Blogging during retirement can be a fun, fulfilling activity that allows you to share your knowledge, experience, and passion with the world. You may also connect with like-minded people, and if done right, earn extra income while staying mentally active.
Starting or growing a blog as you approach retirement can be a daunting and scary experience. It’s natural to have doubts, worries, or anxieties about what you are getting yourself into. You start to second-guess yourself. You question your abilities and wonder if you have what it takes to succeed as a blogger. Fear of failure, criticism, or legal issues may hold you back from pursuing your passion. However, it’s important to acknowledge these feelings and push through them to achieve your goals.
Taken to the Extreme, Your Fear of Blogging May Be a Phobia
The fear of blogging, or specifically the fear of writing for a blog, is not a well-known phobia. However, some related phobias and anxieties may contribute to this fear:
- Scriptophobia: This is the fear of writing in general and can be a result of previous unpleasant experiences. It may contribute to the fear of writing for a blog.
- Graphophobia: While not specifically related to blogging, graphophobia is the fear of public writing and can be a form of anxiety disorder. This fear may extend to writing for a blog, which is a public platform.
- Cyberphobia: This is an extreme fear of computers, which may include a fear of using the internet or online platforms like blogs. People with cyberphobia may avoid using computers or the internet completely, which would include writing for a blog.
- Papyrophobia: This is the fear of paper and may not be directly related to blogging. However, if someone has a fear of writing on paper, they may also have a fear of writing for a blog, which is a digital form of writing.
If you are experiencing fear or anxiety related to writing for your blog, it may be helpful to identify the specific aspects that are causing the fear and seek appropriate support or treatment. Cognitive and behavioral therapy, as well as exposure therapy, can be effective in treating phobias and anxieties.
Phobias are real. Fear is real. You are not the only one with this condition. Many retirees who want to start or grow their blogs face similar fears and challenges. But these fears and challenges should not stop you from pursuing your blogging dreams. They can be overcome with the right mindset, strategies, and actions. At Wealthy Affiliate, we have a support group of over 2 million people. Put your faith in this outstanding group, I certainly do!
In this post, I will share with you three ways to overcome the fear of blogging in retirement: facing your fears, finding your voice, and focusing on your value. These are the same methods that I used to prevent my fears of becoming a successful blogger. When you follow these methods, you will be on the right path to achieving your blogging goals.
Facing Your Fears
We have nothing to fear but fear itself. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
The first step to overcoming fears of blogging in retirement is to face them by identifying specific fears and finding ways to overcome them.
Here are a few of the more common fears that retirees face when blogging and how to overcome them:
- Fear of failure (atychiphobia): You may fear that your blog will not attract any readers, generate income, or achieve any of your goals. You are afraid that you will waste your time and money on a blog that nobody cares about. So you quit writing. You have personally sabotaged your prime opportunity to improve your financial outlook.
- To overcome your fear of failure: Set SMART Goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals for your blog. For example, instead of aiming for millions of readers or dollars in a short time, aim for a specific number of visitors, subscribers, or sales in a given period. You also need to track and measure your progress and results using tools like Google Analytics or Ubersuggest. This way, you can see what works and what doesn’t work for your blog, and make adjustments accordingly. You also need to celebrate your achievements and learn from your mistakes. Remember that failure is not the end, but an opportunity to grow and improve.
- Fear of criticism (Critiophobia): This is an abnormal and persistent fear of being judged or criticized by others. People with Critiophobia experience intense anxiety and panic over the prospect of receiving criticism or negative evaluation, You may fear that your blog will attract negative comments, feedback, or reviews from your readers, peers, or competitors. You may fear that your blog will damage your reputation or credibility.
- To overcome your fear of criticism: You need to seek feedback from your readers and peers. Feedback can help you improve your content quality, user experience, and audience engagement. You can ask for feedback by inviting comments, surveys, polls, or reviews on your blog or social media platforms. You also need to respond to feedback politely and professionally. Thank them for their input, acknowledge their points, and address their concerns. You also need to ignore or delete any spammy, abusive, or irrelevant comments that do not add any value to your blog.
- Fear of technology (Technophobia): Technophobia relates specifically to feeling fearful, anxious, or incapable when using modern technology and electronic devices that many take for granted. You may fear that you lack the technical skills or knowledge to start or maintain a blog. You may fear that you will encounter technical issues or problems that you cannot solve
- To overcome your fear of technology: Follow Setting Points and join Wealthy Affiliate. It really is that easy. You learn new skills and tools that can help you start or maintain a blog. We offer many online courses, tutorials, blogs, podcasts, videos, and books that will teach you how to create a blog from scratch. You will have help from experts and professionals within our community, who can assist you with technical issues or problems that you cannot solve on your own.
- Fear of legal issues (Cynophobia): This is a fear of being accused or getting in trouble. For some, this could manifest as worrying excessively about legal prosecution even for minor issues. You may fear that your blog will violate any laws or regulations that apply to your niche, content, or monetization methods. You may fear that you will face legal consequences or penalties for your blog.
- To overcome the fear of legal issues: You need to research the best practices and regulations that apply to your niche, content, or monetization methods. For example, suppose you want to use affiliate marketing as one of your income sources. In that case, you need to disclose your affiliate links and follow the guidelines of the affiliate programs you join. You also need to protect your blog from legal risks by creating a privacy policy, a terms and conditions page, and a disclaimer page. You can use online tools or templates to create these pages or hire a lawyer to review them.
These are some of the tips and strategies that can help you overcome your fears of blogging. You can also find inspiration and motivation from other successful retirement bloggers who overcame their fears and achieved their blogging goals. For example, you can read the story of Steve, who started his blog, Think Save Retire, at the age of 34, and retired at 35 with a net worth of over $1 million. He shares his journey, tips, and challenges of blogging and retiring early on his blog and YouTube channel.
Finding Your Voice
The second step to overcoming your fear of blogging in retirement is to find your voice. This means finding and expressing your unique personality, opinions, and passions through your blog. Finding your voice is essential. It helps you stand out from the crowd, connect with your audience, and enjoy your blogging experience.
Here are some practical tips and strategies on how to find your voice:
- Write about what you love: One of the best ways to find your voice is to write about what you love. This can be anything that interests you, from setting points on that 1950 Corvette to betting on sports. It can be related to your Crafting Hobbies, Cooking Skills, Public Speaking Experiences, or Fitness Goals. For example, if you love traveling, you can write about your travel adventures, tips, or recommendations. If you love gardening, you can write about your gardening projects, techniques, or products. Writing about what you love will make your content more authentic, engaging, and enjoyable.
- Write like you talk: Another way to find your voice is to write like you talk. In the days of Chatbots and content writers, which would you prefer? To read a ChatGPT reply or someone’s personal experience in their own words? I believe that I know which you would prefer. This means using a conversational tone and style that reflects your personality and attitude. You can use words, like ain’t, huh, and oh S#IT! , or expressions that you normally use when speaking (no don’t say F|_|CK in your blog just because you say it every third word out of your mouth. Do keep it professional, but make it personal. You can also use humor, sarcasm (Baltimore City Education), or emotions to add some flavor to your content. Writing like you talk will make your content more relatable, friendly, and human.
- Write for your ideal reader: A third way to find your voice is to write for your ideal reader. This means writing for someone who shares your interests, values, or problems. If you love conspiracy theories, incorporate them into your blog. How many other people will read your blog for the same reason? Think of someone who would benefit from your content and appreciate your voice. Build yourself a mental picture or persona or profile of your ideal reader. Think of their demographics, psychographics, or behaviors. Use your imagination. I use Google Analytics and Ubersuggest (free version) to find out more about my existing and potential readers. Writing for your ideal reader will make your content more relevant, targeted, and valuable. Add a comment below if you are finding this post useful.
These are some of the tips and strategies that can help you find your voice for blogging in retirement. You can also find inspiration and guidance from other retirement bloggers who have a unique and authentic voice that attracts and engages their readers. For example, you can read the blog of Paula Pant, who writes about financial independence, real estate investing, and lifestyle design on her blog, Afford Anything. She uses a witty, humorous, and honest voice that resonates with her audience.
Focusing on Your Value
The third step to overcoming your fear of blogging is to focus on your value. This is your why, what do you want the world to know? Whatever it is, tell it here. Your focus is on providing useful information, solutions, or benefits to your readers through your blog. Concentrating on your value is essential for blogging in retirement, as it helps you attract more traffic, engagement, and income from your blog.
Here are some practical tips and strategies on how to focus on your value:
Do keyword research: One of the best ways to focus on your value is to do keyword research. Keyword research is the process of finding out what words or phrases people use when they search for information on the internet. You want your niche or topic planted on the search bar of Google or Bing. Keyword research can help you discover what problems, questions, or needs your readers have (because that is what they search for), and how you can provide solutions or answers through your content. You can use tools like Ubersuggest (currently using the free version) or Moz (good, but expensive) to do keyword research and find relevant keywords for your blog.
- Solve problems: Another way to draw attention to your value is to solve your reader’s problems. Problems are anything that causes pain, frustration, or dissatisfaction for your readers. What did you recently search the internet for? Guess what? That is where you find a blogger’s word of advice. Problems can be related to finances (The Retirement Crisis that I am helping you either avoid or overcome), health, relationships, hobbies, or goals. When you solve problems for your readers you are providing value to the world by offering practical advice, tips, strategies, or resources that overcome their challenges or achieve their desired outcomes. You can also use tools like Answer The Public (Neil Patel is everywhere) or Quora to find out what problems people have related to your niche or topic.
- Create products
Create products or services: A third way to focus on your value is to create products or services for your readers. Products or services are anything that you can sell or offer to your readers in exchange for money or other benefits. Products or services can be related to your niche, content, or skills. Creating products or services for your readers can help you provide value by offering solutions or benefits that they cannot find elsewhere, or that are better than the alternatives. You can also use tools like Teachable or Gumroad to create and sell online courses, ebooks, memberships, or other digital products.
These are some of the tips and strategies that can help you focus on your value for blogging in retirement. You can also find inspiration and examples from other retirement bloggers who provide value to their readers and earn income from their blogs. For example, you can read the blog of Pat Flynn, who writes about passive income, online business, and podcasting on his blog, Smart Passive Income. He creates and sells various products and services, such as online courses, books, software, and coaching.
Face what scares you, let your voice be heard, and rediscover your value by speaking your truth out loud
Blogging in retirement can be a rewarding and fulfilling activity, but it can also be scary and challenging. You may face various fears and obstacles that prevent you from starting or growing your blog. However, these fears and obstacles can be overcome with the right mindset, strategies, and actions.
In this post, I shared with you three ways to overcome the fear of blogging in retirement: facing your fears, finding your voice, and focusing on your value. These are the same methods that I used to overcome my own fears and become a successful retirement blogger. By following these methods, you can also overcome your fears and achieve your blogging goals.
I hope you found this post valuable and fear-reducing. Your feedback is crucial for helping me improve and create even more impactful content. Please take a moment to share your thoughts and perspectives in the comments below.
I’m always looking to engage in discussion and connect with other passionate people. The more we interact and support each other, the more we can collectively encourage positive change. If you liked what you read, spread the word. Together we can build a thriving community dedicated to Mastering Blogging for Retirement. Now go ahead and add your voice to the conversation!
