A few months ago, I hurt my ankle pretty bad and was forced to walk around in crutches for about a week. I have to say that this was the most difficult thing I had to do in a long time due to how much I walk around in school all day.
With all of these hardships I have to face, like blistered hands or bruised armpits, I had a thought while sitting down with my foot up trying to figure out what I wanted to write about today. I figured that somehow the crutches I have been walking with for a few days now have taught me some things about life, and how much we all take for granted in life. Maybe somehow this situation can be tied into blogging.
The two topics seem very far apart, but I believe that after you read my post you will see how blogging and walking with crutches really are alike. I put some thought into these reasons too, because I know many people will think this seems like a silly thing to write about!
1. I Have Become Stronger, Physically and Emotionally
Walking around on crutches is definitely going to help me build my arm strength, but I’m not going to focus on the physical part here.
I feel that I have grown stronger emotionally in the sense of understanding. I understand now how lucky I was to walk normal, and can’t wait to start walking again without crutches. The thing I took for granted before is now something I cannot do without difficulty, and I know that once I have it all back that I will be more careful with the decisions I make.
The Lesson in Blogging
Just when you think you reach the top, or are doing well, at any instant you can fall down and lose it all. You may have it all, traffic, comments, the will to even write, but it just takes one thing – one injury to make it all go away. Sooner or later, you may need some extra support to get by.
Stay consistent, just because your blog is doing well now doesn’t mean it can’t do any better. Look for ways to make anything better, no matter how good it looks now.
2. Getting Something You Really Want Comes by Doing Hard Work
My new goal for the next week of my life is to successfully get from Point A to Point B. I have to work harder to achieve that goal due to my temporary handicap. Like blogging, it takes time to get to where you want to go. In my case, it takes extra long to get to where I want, and where I want to be is harder than ever to actually get there.
The Lesson in Blogging
You have to put extra time into things you do on your blog if you ever want to reach your success. Everything you achieve on your blog is really achieved by you doing hard work. When you post, when you advertise, when you tweak your design – there’s a lot of work being done there.
Just know that whatever work you do on your blog will eventually lead you to your very own Point B.
3. There is a lot of Disappointment
At first, I have to admit that walking with crutches would be pretty fun. I’m in pretty good shape, so I didn’t think I would be tired out by using them. They always looked pretty cool to use, and I guess I always wanted a chance to walk with them. But damn, I regret that!
I thought not only would it be fun, but maybe there would be some perks to having crutches. I get to leave class early, people hold the door for me, I’m allowed to be late to class. Sure, that’s all great, but I was disappointed. There were all of these high expectations for something, but in the end it just blew up in my face. The benefits as a student definitely did not outweigh all of the negatives there was too.
The Lesson in Blogging
Blogging is full of disappointments. So many things backfire on you, and so many things don’t live up to your expectations. Take a post for example, it’s likely that in your opinion the post you just wrote was the best thing ever. But you only receive a little attention for it. It happens to everybody, and you can’t say disappointment hasn’t happened to you.
Let’s use this post as a case study. I’m pretty positive that this is the only post out there relating blogging to crutches, so that means this is a unique idea. Let’s see how far it goes!
4. A Technique For Receiving More Attention
Every day I am asked these questions “Oh, maaan Alex, what did you do this time,” or “Hey bro, let me see your crutches for a minute,” and of course “Way to go dude.” Yeah, that’s how we talk. 
I’ve been getting stopped in the hallway “crutching” to class to explain how I sprained my ankle. People who I haven’t talked to since Middle School are asking about my foot.
It’s like this addition to my body is attracting all of these people to me because they’re curious to get the inside scoop. Now what does that sound like?
The Lesson in Blogging
I think it should be obvious here that by making changes to your blog, that can make a difference in your traffic and exposure. If you write a really unique, controversial post on your blog then people will probably come to your blog in greater excess. That’s because of the curiosity they have and are interested in hearing what you have to say.
Utilize social media sites more, they bring in a lot of traffic from people who don’t normally visit your website. Make the best out of all your traffic sources, and create something innovative to fuel that curiosity of others to get them to your blog!
5. You Learn to Adapt
I have had these crutches since Saturday, and obviously walking normally and walking with crutches requires a completely different process. I had to learn how to adapt to the new way I walked, how to get up and down stairs, open and close doors,and again, getting from Point A to Point B.
The Lesson in Blogging
Blogging is a lot about adapting to new things. Take for example traffic trends, or design trends. They are always changing, and you should always do your best to keep up with them. Twitter has become a “must” for any Internet Marketer to utilize, so everyone hopped aboard the Twitter train. As a result, Twitter has been the leading source of traffic for many bloggers out there since Google.
When your traffic starts reaching new averages, you obviously have to learn how to keep them going above that average. Same goes for comment averages, and so many other numbers.
6. It’s Very Bothersome and Tedious, But It Will Pass
My first day of school on crutches sucked. My High School is split into two buildings, and the gap between them is about a 11/2 to 2 minute walk. I hated to go to building to building because it was very hot out, and it required more work on my end. I have to go back and forth four times a day, and I absolutely hated it.
The Lesson in Blogging
Blogging is very repetitive. If you think about it, everything you do today for your blog is probably something you will do tomorrow. Whether that be write, promote, design, etc, you’re just repeating in a loop.
That all gets really annoying, and at first you won’t like to do it all. Over time though, you just get used to that repetition and just go on about it like it’s nothing. At least, I have.
Do You Get It?
Do you understand that when you really think about it, you can relate blogging to almost anything? I hope you have learned a thing or six from my experience on these crutches. Let me know what you thought of this post, as I really put some good time into it!
The Discussion
Leave a Comment Read Again?I definitely know how bad using crutches is… but you definitely turned it into a great post.
I find that the repetitiveness of blogging is sometimes the difference between the great bloggers and everyone else. The great bloggers consistently turn out great articles for their readers. They don’t use fluff material to keep their blogs fresh!
Seth W’s last blog post..Best Of Series: Writing
Yeah, it’s not fun man!
I seriously do my best to never half ass articles no matter how I feel. When I wrote the post about posting out of free will or obligation, I was feeling terrible. I was annoyed, it was kind of late and I just wasn’t in the mood. Yet for some reason the article was like 1,500 words which is way longer than normal.
Maybe when you really don’t want to write, you pump out the best?
Alex, you never cease to amaze me. When I read that you were going to compare using crutches and blogging I wasn’t sure how that would work out. You nailed it. You have given me a whole lot to think about and new way to look at recent events that have happened in my life and how to approach my re-entry into blogging.
Hard work and disappointment happens both in life and in blogging and its how we deal and overcome these obstacles that will truly make us stronger and better bloggers.
This was an inspirational post that I really needed today. Thank you.
Take care of that ankle.
Glad I surprised you Jen.
I think I surprised myself a little bit too. When I first thought about it, I was just messing around because I was bored. But I put some thought into it and it actually turned out to be pretty cool!
Cool post. It does seem like you can relate everything back to blogging. As you said, every blogger will experience disappointment at some time. The ones that succeed will be the ones you persevere and keep moving forward.
Tycoon Blogger’s last blog post..Addicted to stats? Promote your blog instead
There’s probably more disappointments on the road to your success than there could be wins. But if you can learn to cope with them and build upon them, then I think you can find those wins more often.
Honestly what you said is right.Bloggers tend to face lots of disappointments. Specially in the case of MMO or IM. Good post Alex.
Harish | Blogging Kid’s last blog post..List Building – Why And How ?
Thanks Harish, those niches are really hard to really succeed in and it takes a special kind of blogger to make it there.
Very inspiring. I remember how annoying those crutches were. I had to use them for 3 weeks then I got surgery and had to use them again. Very unique post. Who would have thought we could learn so many lessons from crutches.
Jake| Web Journey’s last blog post..50 Tips to Improve Online Writing
That sucks Jake! I’m almost done on them, and can’t wait to start walking normally again!
[rq=1219,0,blog][/rq]The Wonderful World of WordPress and How I Came About to using it; The WPstory
Hey “dude”!! (ahahaha..
) congratulations on your web corner! you did an awesome job, and with passion and lots of hard work, comes a lot of good things.. 
By the way, imagine the kind of lessons I could give having two reconstructed knees and one drop foot… take some time to drop by on my corner… keep it up!
.-= Daniel Pereira´s last blog ..Building up my Home Gym .. Start! =-.
Forget all of that, let’s go with more serious injuries and tie those into blogging! I think having a “What I learned from a near death experience that helped me be a better blogger” would be ridiculous!
.-= Alex´s last blog ..Maximize Your Earnings Through the Thesis Affiliate Program =-.
Little mate, I almost lost one of my legs being hit by a truck while peacefully riding my Motorcycle (near death experience?) .. and on a freaky and weird accident in November 2008 (Which I am still recovering from..) I snapped my knee (on the other leg…) that left me with a foot palsy that will never recover! I have more screws and metal on me as the computer mouse you’re probably holding… isn’t that hardcore enough for you?? you’re extreme dude!
(I have cadaver transplants too, but I was wondering if I should write this in here…)
Although all of this stuff hasn’t made me a better blogger directly, there are lots of stuff that come from experience and you can apply them in an everyday basis to anything on your life, even blogging!
You’re pushing me to make a blog post, don’t you? ehehehe.. peace!
.-= Daniel Pereira´s last blog ..Building up my Home Gym .. Start! =-.
I was joking man, it was hard enough tying crutches into blogging, what the hell is there to be said about a motorcycle crash? :p
Take it easy though man, sounds like you’ve been through a rough time!
.-= Alex´s last blog ..Maximize Your Earnings Through the Thesis Affiliate Program =-.
Wow !!
haha
Just chill man, Alex was just trying to explain Blogging with his experience. You can also tell that by saying “Hey see, I’m still alive.. your Blog is never dead !”
Have a chill pill, you should agree. This post was really cool !
.-= Enk.´s last blog ..What do you tweet about ? =-.
I don’t necessarily agree that success requires HARD work.
It is only so because we were conditioned to think so when we were growing up…
Igor
.-= Igor Kheifets – IgorHelpsYouSucceed´s last blog ..Tony Robbins Interviews John Reese Part 2 =-.
I suppose it depends in what aspect of “success” you are looking for. But talking about blogging, don’t you think it’s hard to hit success? Writing on a schedule, managing this and that for a long period of time. I do agree with you, some success is easier than it is to achieve in others, but I still standby by my feelings that blogging is hard work.
That’s the real life, being a blogger doesn’t mean you must blog all of the day, but live as a normal person.
.-= Reza Winandar´s last blog ..The Make Money Online Program System =-.
I love your comparisons.
A really nice and fun read.
I love the stories and can relate to them all!
Its amazing how such a simple thing as a pair of crutches, school life and blogging can all get together in a harmonious jumble
thanks
.-= brigid´s last blog ..What do Fascia, Bowen Therapy and Water Have In Common =-.
Glad you enjoyed the read!
Really good post, Alex. I love how you related crutches to blogging, and it’s not even a far fetch.
It also goes to show that there’s *many* things out there that can inspire your blog posts.
Hope it
.-= Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Top 5 Myths About Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter =-.
Very true Klaus,you would be susprised on how many topics tie into blogging.
The post is really really awesome. All the points were really realistic and great. I loved the point no “3″, about disappointment. really, very true !
P.S: How’s your ankle now ?!
.-= Enk.´s last blog ..What do you tweet about ? =-.
Months later, I’m quite alright!
.-= Alex´s last blog ..Young Blogger Interviews #2: Liane from Better Blogging for Bloggers =-.
Another grand slam post Alex. Sorry to hear about your incident but I’m glad you were able to gain something out of it. Amazing how hurting your leg can help you become a better blogger.
.-= Bilal´s last blog ..Using Twitter to drive massive traffic to your website =-.
Hey man, you never know what can make you a better blogger. Those crutches just made me realize a few things, haha.
@Igor Kheifets
Did your parents own a restaurant or make you do physical labor when you were a kid?
Just curious…
Pete
.-= Pete | The Tango Notebook´s last blog ..The Meaning of Tango – The Story of the Argentinian Dance =-.
Blogging = Walking on Crutches
Guess I learned another life lessons today. Thanks, Alex.
@ Pete lol
.-= Andi Putra´s last blog ..11 Ways to Optimize Your Pay per Click Web Site =-.
Haven’t we all?
Its amazing to read your post
I really do think HARD work is the only way to find real success. It is not enough to make money, because lots of crooks make money doing very bad things. Being an honest and decent person along with being respectable requires you to work hard. Especially online. The great thing about working online is that it can be so much fun! Then the hard work turns into something you really enjoy.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..6 Lessons I Learned From Walking On Crutches That Tie Into Blogging =-.
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