Nathan Hangen

Nathan Hangen – Blog as if Your Life Depended on It:

Blogging isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
Simi… http://bit.ly/cBBdGC

RT @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It:

Blogging isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way of life.
Similar … http://bit.ly/cBBdGC

Blog as if your life depended on it – Post every day or risk failing – http://ow.ly/24Von

"The Greater Good" RT @nhangen: Blog as if Your Life Depended on It #bloginc http://is.gd/d9aaG

Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/dbv7hv Blogging.alltop

Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cwhwGf

RT @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV (see if you can discover the TRUE message)…

I'm getting more and more curious… what are you cooking up?

I'm not a huge believer in the fake it til you make it, but I do believe in writing everyday! If you write everyday, eventually you'll end up posting everyday. It might not happen right away but it leads to daily posts.

It doesn't even have to be writing. show a photo that aligns with your beliefs! and talk about it. There are so many ways to keep the posts growing.

Overall I do really like this post. Word up and congrats again on the iPhone App!

I'm about to fall into a trap after following your bait, but here goes … I do blog with passion and humour and openness. I offer both myself and quality content and I post regularly. Yet my numbers, comments etc never seem to go up no matter what.

If today's explanation for why this should be so is that I don't post every day, then so be it. While I'm certainly not giving up blogging, I do wonder if I ought to give up reading about it. It might just be starting to feel as if I'm picking up the stick for someone to beat me with.

I'm about to fall into a trap after following your bait, but here goes … I do blog with passion and humour and openness. I offer both myself and quality content and I post regularly. Yet my numbers, comments etc never seem to go up no matter what.

If today's explanation for why this should be so is that I don't post every day, then so be it. While I'm certainly not giving up blogging, I do wonder if I ought to give up reading about it. It might just be starting to feel as if I'm picking up the stick for someone to beat me with.

Conformity, it's what everyone else is doing (posting everyday, numbers, more “me too” content)…so that must be the ONLY way to do it.

Wh…What's that? I hear the scratch of record-player needle in the background, and familiar music I used to hear in History class playing…

Nice addition Nate.

Conformity, it's what everyone else is doing (posting everyday, numbers, more “me too” content)…so that must be the ONLY way to do it.

Wh…What's that? I hear the scratch of record-player needle in the background, and familiar music I used to hear in History class playing…

Nice addition Nate.

The point isn't just post frequency…but why.

Why do you do what you do? Were you told how to do it? Are you sure that's your way?

Then what…what do you want. What do you expect to happen. What do you need to happen.

Take a step back.

Writing every day is far different from posting every day…wouldn't you agree? Why give your best away?

It's coming my friend

Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV (via @nhangen)

Hey Nathan,

Loved the post. You bring forth an extraordinary idea here, one that ties straight back to one's essence. And it's the first time I see this tied to blogging.

Great philosopher Alan Watts, during his lectures, used to discuss the essence of living entities by their “production”. Incidentally, Jesus referred to the same idea when he said: “A tree is known by its fruit…”

But back to Alan Watts…

This guy was hilarious. If you have the chance to pick up one or more of his lectures, do so. From what I gather, you invest in your spirituality and enjoy reflecting on life.

So Watts said that the reason you call an apple tree an apple tree, is because that tree “apples.” In other words, the essence of the tree itself lies in its action.

It doesn't apple so that people can eat the apples. It doesn't apple to be different from other trees. It doesn't apple because it's a part of a strategic plan. It doesn't apple because it's thinking about ROI down the road.

It doesn't care if people eat the apples or not. It doesn't care what other trees think of the apples. It actually doesn't have the option to do anything but “appling.”

Because “appling” is what an apple tree does. It apples because it has to. It apples because it has no other choice but to express its suchness in that specific way, in that unique way unmatched by pear, orange, or peach trees.

We blog for the same reason. Because we have no other choice but to blog.

That's how you know the blogger.

RT @nhangen: Blog as if your life depended on it – Post every day or risk failing – http://ow.ly/24Von

RT @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV

@nhangen gets more sarcastilc everday. I love it http://is.gd/d9lyP

RT @kbloemendaal: RT @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV

That's it! I am posting twice a day! Maybe 3x!

Awesome post. I feel this way when I read some bloggers. Always the same crap…

I'm always working on my site daily. But that doesn't mean I'm posting. In fact, I'm not. I'm tweaking, getting pictures ready, editing, doing research, writing, everything else but posting. Posting I stick to every other day… If I can. That allows me to keep my content detailed, strong and fresh.

I'm leaving soon friend…I hope you come along.

You know what's interesting…you call me Nate. Very few do…mostly close friends.

I take this post personally….but in the best possible way.

You know, and I know, that I could/should/ought to be posting everyday (or something damn close to that) and I'm not. Can do all the talk about being time-poor and multiple commitments etc – but the fact of the matter is that I hear that siren song in my head. Every. Single. Day.

To blog. To write. Full stop. And I don't answer often enough. And it tears me, a little bit, every day that I don't. Apart from the creative pull, and the urge to share my ideas and passions, from a business point of view it just doesn't wash.

I'm a lot like Richard here – I'm working on ideas a lot – researching, taking notes, finding & tweaking images etc. But delivering on that work…? No. Not often enough. Before I move it up to the next level, I have to get the fingers moving on the keyboards, and deliver on all the content that's washing around in my head. You can't read it in there, right?

RT @nhangen: Blog as if Your Life Depended on It ##digitalempire http://is.gd/d9aaG

Ahhh, but Tracy, you aren't as far away as you think you are…read in between the lines…keep breathing…and keep pondering. You're in the right place

how so? I'm a bit confused. Writing everyday doesn't translate to giving your best away. But yes you should lead with your best.

Writing everyday could mean writing your own ebook, writing premium content, writing blog posts. I don't think you need to post to the blog everyday. You can still be working on your blog behind the scenes by writing everyday.

How is writing everyday far different from posting everyday? I agree a post could be a photo like I do on http://www.nuwomb.com or on my tumblr accounts. It could also be a video post, or a simple link. Most blog posts are in the form of written content.

A blog post everyday doesn't mean you deserve success either. Do great work – work from a place that had deep meaning, for reasons far greater than yourself and amazing things will happen. Blog post or no blog post – work to serve everyday and amazing things happen.

Exactly what I'm saying. Put your best in a notebook, and wait for when the time is right. It doesn't have to be a blog post. I write for me, it's always been that way. The problem is that at some point I forgot that and tried to write for someone else…that's when my life and my writing suffered.

Wow you're blowing me away……….and I love it.

Wherever you're going, I'm there.

Thanks for shaking us out of apathy.

I could hear Dorie singing in my head when you said, “Just keep swimming.” Because of my daughter, I've watched Finding Nemo over 50 times in the last few months, ha.

Reading this series is so refreshing. I'm not sure if I completely get it but I know that I'm sick and tired of reading blogs that keep telling me what to do and making me feel bad because I'm not doing it their way. I think blogging is an excellent tool for personal growth, but I'm getting tired of reading blogs about blogging because they make me self-conscious and like I'm doing it wrong. I just want to learn for myself. So, I've taken to deleting blogs from my RSS reader that keep regurgitating the same bull.

Btw, I just got your Zazen app. Gonna check it out today. It'll encourage me to take breaks throughout the day!

Been trying to figure out how to come along, hence my new project we discussed. Like you said on my blog one day “There has to be a better way”. Well, there is. And it seems like you have found it….

(PS: I know you weren't able to, but if you know of a good match, I would like to JV with someone on my project. I think it will take 3-6mos of hard work to put together)

Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV says @nhangen

I don't buy it. Why put yourself under so much pressure to write every day. You should write when you have something to say, or something to add to a topic. The important thing is to write to a patten so your readers know when to expect fresh new content.

Reading: Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV RT @robbsutton @nhangen

RT @JennyDeVaughn: Reading: Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV RT @robbsutton @nhangen

Reading Blog as If your Life Depended on It: http://bit.ly/aTkjci

Reading Blog as If your Life Depended on It: http://bit.ly/aTkjci

Reading Blog as If your Life Depended on It: http://bit.ly/aTkjci

Blog as if Your Life Depended On It: http://bit.ly/aTkjci

Blog as if Your Life Depended On It: http://bit.ly/aTkjci

Blog as if Your Life Depended On It: http://bit.ly/aTkjci

Nathan,

I think the spirit of this post spot on, but I'm not sure I”m 100% on board with posting every day. Actually, let me take that back. I think that you should post every day for the first 6-8 months of your blog. That's really the critical time frame in my mind that determines whether you will make it or not. Additionally, by doing that you'll end up having so much content and be invested in it, so I as a result you won't stop. I think once you get to that point you can shift focus a bit from quantity to quality. While that should ultimately be the goal everyday, we may not all have a masterpiece inside of us every single day.

RT @JennyDeVaughn: Reading: Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV RT @robbsutton @nhangen

Hey Nathan,

I certainly see your angle on this. Matter of fact…it almost mirrors a revelation I recently posted about. While i think posting, even daily, at the beginning of a niche venture or site is a good thing (for several reasons), I think once you have some eyeballs coming to the site and people know it's there…it's definitely not a requirement. Actually…just the opposite. Let me explain:

I believe if the content is good enough, people will come back without there needing to be new posts every day. I just know that if I'm to achieve MY dreams…I have to do them my way, and it is NOT typing a blog post, (or 2 or 3 every day.)
Like I said on my post, I actually think that at some point, that HURTS you because you are taking away from the time you could be creating value for yourself and for your readers (but most importantly….the PAYING customers who want to give you money so you can help educate them.)

Brandon

ah okay! thats cool! I just wanted to clear it up and stuff.

Excellent…most excellent.

Because it is your duty to the blogosphere.

Don't deviate…follow the stream.

I prefer to go against the stream…..

RT @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV

RT @BigGirlBranding @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV

At first I was going to say that I don't agree but then I thought about it for a while. We can spend hours and hours trying to come up with what WE think is going to be killer content only to have a disappointing response.

Blogging is only one method I use to brand myself but my most successful posts have come on an idea out of the blue that I acted on because I really just knew I needed to blog that day. I think putting yourself into the mindset of “I have to blog every day” will force you to drum up more creativity than you might if you blog say, once a week.

Great insight!

RT @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV

I must say, I don't write every single day of the week but I do write three times a week and completely love it. I also think that you should really only write when you actually have something of value to add. Of course, a good trick I've learned from past experiences to keep on writing when times are tough is to write everything down when inspiration hits so you have something to go up on days you have nothing to say.

Good thoughts here!

Hi Nathan,

It occurs to me that blogging is like exercising … when you consistently exercise, results follow. With blogging when you consistently create and post content, the audience will follow.

Nice post!

Have a great day,
Susan

Article by @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://dld.bz/k47h

RT @nhangen Blog as if Your Life Depended on It http://bit.ly/cc3RGV

Walking As If Someone's Life Depended On It. Literally! Wednesday night I had the opportun… http://reduce.li/m3x4x5 #depended

… and keep commenting every day as well, Nathan.

Comments and blogs go hand in hand. One without the other is meaningless – and futile.

It's very easy to fade into obscurity and oblivion without engagement – so keep the conversations going!