Angry Birds, the addictive game taking over iPads and smart phones is a time suck for sure. If we’re not careful those tricky little birds keep us up all night and have us past our train stop during the morning commute. Yes, Angry Birds certainly has a way of keeping us from what we’re really supposed to be doing, but if we’re going to spend our spare time challenging the levels, we might as well take some lessons from it.
1. Sometimes You Have to Shoot High
How boring would life be if everything was within reach, wrapped up in some sparkly package? Sure, we can always go the convenient, safe route and have some convenient, safe life but that’s not interesting and it only leads to the lackluster. Lackluster job. Lackluster pay. Lackluster routine.
To truly experience life at its best we have to venture out of our comfort zones and take a chance. When we reach for the stars, we get stars in return. Blog content should go beyond. The posts that truly do well take a chance. That isn’t to say we need to be controversial, but we do need to research our niche, stay on top of the latest developments and remain original. Quick posts are fine now and then, but providing in depth tips and thought provoking discussions means we have to go beyond the fifteen minutes to write 500-worder.
Do you want to stand out or simply exist?
2. Obstacles are Simply…Obstacles
There’s always a way around a cement block. You can blast your way through, look for the weak spot, or go around it, but to give up simply because something is in your way is silly. Goals are more rewarding when we push through the challenges that would ordinarily keep us from obtaining said goals. Don’t be a wuss. Identify your blogging goals and then do everything you can to achieve them.
3. If You’re Going to Steal Eggs, Expect the Birds to Seek Vengeance
There’s no room for unoriginality in the blogosphere. If you regurgitate someone else’s writing or flat out steal content or images, you’ll quickly learn it’s not tolerated. Your community will call you on it. Your fellow bloggers will call you on it and sometimes even your host will call you on it. Be yourself and let your personality shine through. Very few bloggers every profit from stealing someone else’s stuff and very few people stick around a blog that doesn’t ever have anything new to say.
4. Friends Rock
All bloggers get by with a little help with their friends. Guest blogging, sharing links and commenting are just some of the ways we show support for each other. We collaborate on content and side projects, bounce around ideas and commiserate.
Do you know what makes the most successful bloggers so successful? The support of good friends.
5. There Are Tools and Apps for Every Occasion
The beauty part of blogging is that anyone can do this. Granted, it takes dedication and study, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Especially because there are more tools now than ever to help you along the way. In the early days of blogging we sort of had to figure it all out for ourselves. Nowadays, we still have to do a lot of work to get noticed, but the tools, apps and plugins to help us to become better certainly take a lot of the stress out of blogging.
What are some lessons you can take from Angry Birds and apply to blogging? I bet there are more than we think!
