I am a fan of good advice. I delight to hear it (especially when I ask for it), ponder it, and if it makes practical sense for me, to act on it. Not all advice can or should be adhered to, however. Below is one such piece that I choose to ignore.
Many well-respected bloggers and other thought leaders suggest unwaveringly that as a writer/blogger, the path to success is to find a niche topic and stick to it. If you are not already an expert on it, research, learn, and write until you become an expert. Then, the reasoning goes, you will begin to be heralded as a thought leader on that topic. People will seek you out for your advice in that area. Your readership could swell. Potentially book deals and speaking gigs could emerge from your sharply-focused area of knowledge.
That all seems well and good. I can point to numerous examples of folks who have made that formula work for them. I recognize the truth and the wisdom of such advice. But I Just. Can’t. (For the Millenials.) I’ve thought long and hard about it, and have decided that I am unwilling to focus in on a particular area. At least for now.
Yes, I would love to be acclaimed as a blogger, and make a living from writing blog posts. That would be a dream come true for me. But my rebellious side refuses to pick a niche and go with it. My problem is that I love variety too much. My interests and passions spread too far and wide to narrow my focus down.
The about page of this site goes into some detail about the scope of topics I typically write about. The following is a bit more detail about my approach to writing and life.
The categories of my passion
1. Christianity
First and foremost, I am a gratitude-filled Christian, enamored by God and His generous gift of reconciliation to Himself through Christ. This love for the triune God is at the core of my soul, and it colors every aspect of my life, for better or for worse. The most frequent topics on this blog are issues about living out biblical Christianity faithfully.
2. Self-Improvement
As one who is always seeking to do life more effectively, efficiently and in a way that maximizes joy and fulfillment, I am regularly reading and trying new things to that end. I get a thrill out of not only learning but sharing what I have learned with others. Thus I write blog posts on productivity, #lifehacks, etc.
3. Health, Fitness, and Recreation
Similar to #2, the pursuit of maximizing the quality of life through healthy eating, exercise, and recreation is a recurrent theme of my reading, writing, and doing. A good portion of my hobbies are movement-related. Preferably outdoors. I’d just as soon leave the dishes in the sink and jump on my bicycle, head out for a hike, or splash around a swimming hole whenever possible.
Likewise, I get great enjoyment out of running, lifting weights, and finding ways to increase the healthiness of what I eat. Since all these things are such a big part of my life, I’m bound to write about what I’m up to and what I’ve been learning.
4. Travel
Wanderlust consumes what is probably an inordinate amount of space in my brain. Thanks for nothing, Instagram. My burning desire to see new places cannot be quenched. I’ve had the good fortune of visiting numerous amazing locations, both domestic and abroad, and I have no plans to stop any time soon. Thus, a new trip means at least one blog post with pictures and stories. Perhaps multiple. The travel blogosphere is rather crowded, so I doubt I’ll ever pay the bills in that space. But that won’t stop me from documenting my adventures in a way that others might enjoy.
5. Humor/Random
Life is full of delightful ridiculum. I love to laugh, make others laugh, and enjoy the humor and absurdity that gets dished up regularly in the course of day-to-day living. In that vein, sometimes I’ll write something that has no point other than being silly.
Then there are random posts that don’t fit easily into any of those categories.
As you can see, my tastes are pretty far flung, covering multiple topics. As much as I acknowledge the value in narrowing it down, I’m not going to at this point. That could change down the road, but for now, I’ll keep writing about whatever I want. That being said, I’m always open to ideas to write about. What are your favorite subjects to read about?
Thanks for reading!
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