Our 200th Post! A Look Back on What A Style Blog Taught Me

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Happy 200!

This post marks the 200th published post on Style Files. Two hundred may seem like a random number.

Frankly, it kind of is. What makes it meaningful to me is being in a place with my style blog to recognize how far it’s come!

Me posing in my first look for Style Files

I didn’t even notice when we reached 100 published posts. I was too busy managing the endless daily tasks required of sustaining a blog to pay attention.

Now, I know better. I know how to operate Style Files optimally. And I’m able to pause, reflect and admire how far we’ve come!

Here are some lessons I learned.

Batch Tasks

My attention shifts often. It’s not that I have a short attention span. It’s that I have too long of an errand span.

When I’m in the middle of a task, I remember something else I have to do. For fear of forgetting, I address this new task immediately. Which makes me abandon the task I was in the middle of and sometimes completely forget to complete.

I simply have too much to do to focus on one thing for too long.

Blogger works on laptop outside cafe — Image courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio

After a few months of this anti-productivity, I realized I needed to batch my tasks. Meaning use one chunk of time to address one area for the day. Instead of jumping from task to task at random.

I now devote say an hour to exclusively checking emails for the day. Then 2 hours to writing, uninterrupted. Then 1 hour on social media, uninterrupted.

You see the pattern.

Batching tasks allows me to focus and give my best to each area.

I once read it takes around 20 minutes for your brain to adjust to a new activity. From my own burnout experiences, I believe that’s true.

I also believe the best way to be in line with human nature and not burn out, is to batch tasks.

Boredom is natural. It’s also surmountable.

I love writing about fashion. I love sharing beautiful clothes and statement pieces. I love coveting new designer drops. I love everything related to personal style. Hence the existence of this style blog.

However, I’m human. Sometimes I’m not inspired by what I’m writing. I love the subject, the topic may be interesting. But, I’m just not in the mood that day.

Man bored in conference room — Image courtesy of thirdman

Two hundred posts in, I’ve realized that’s okay. It’s natural to want some variety in your daily activities.

I found even on my most lazy days, if I gave myself time limits I could get work done.

I would tell myself I have to write for 15 minutes. After a slow 15 minutes, I would look at the clock and give myself another 15 minutes.

I usually stop keeping track after my third 15 minute chunk. By that time, I’m engrossed in what I’m writing.

While this method may not work for you, its principle is valuable. Consistency is everything.

It’s rare to find people who are disciplined and consistent. The mark of someone who has both those traits is in how long they can sustain something they’ve made entirely on their own. With virtually no benefit beyond their belief in building something larger than themselves.

You just have to remember why you started this. And consider all the people who started something they never completed.

You’re not that person. Boredom will not keep you from achieving your goals.

Keep writing, keep building.

Plan Ahead

When I started Style Files, I wasn’t a great planner. I wrote a post nearly every day on subjects that interested me.

That was my entire writing strategy.

You could call my strategy a waste of valuable time, which it was. I would prefer to call it a misguided notion from which I learned.

Running a style blog or any kind of blog requires copious planning. Planning your next post based on keyword research. Planning your next social media video based on trends. Planning your next plan!

It’s all about staying prepared so you’re not scrambling for a post or video at the last second. Scrambling leads to miscalculations and bad calls.

You want to avoid those at all costs since your time and brand is valuable. Only put out content that’s high-quality and optimized for best results.

I use Google Sheets for planning my blog posts and Instagram reels. For the blog posts, I do keyword research and divide my posts by category then plan. For the Instagram reels, I have a list of audio clips I want to use then plan visuals for each.

I refer to and add to these spreadsheets daily. I credit them for changing my unorganized ways!

Final Word

Style Files has been in operation since September 2021 and the amount it’s grown is inspiring.

Although a lot has changed, one thing that hasn’t is the care poured into each post. I’m proud to host a style blog devoted to helping us all shop better.

Here’s to a lifetime of more content!