Consistency in your daily writing is not something you owe to anyone else. Taking the time to write is a gift that you owe yourself. And while success in writing is the dream, the goal is to get better, both in terms of skill and in terms of balance.

Trust me, when it comes to the daily blogging, article writing, SEO driven work -when it’s not for a client- I can be a little lackadaisical. If you check the dates on my blog, you will now that I have missed a few days here or there. I am not going to torture myself over it, but those days certainly give me moments of pause.

I must rationalize why I was distracted. Or I must excuse a busy day or an interrupted schedule. The problem is that this kind of thinking becomes easier over time, floating to the surface like oil. It becomes quick to excuse the omission. While I certainly don’t think a flogging is in order, it does make me rethink priorities.

As easy as the excuses are, I have to examine the losses as well. It’s not just another opportunity to practice, or to scale the SEO ladder, it’s a commitment to the craft and to my own well-being. If I miss a day, no big deal. If I miss two, I can start to physically feel the ramifications of the loss.

I did not get into this work because I like it. Writing is as much a need for me as it is a professional passion. Maintaining consistency in that work helps me to know myself. My own mental and physical health suffers when I am not being creative, when I am stuck in the drudge.

You are not writing for your audience, big or small; you are writing for yourself and inviting them along for the ride.