Why is it So Hard to Press the Delete Button?
Apr 17, 2012 Blog Content Leave a comment
Posted by
Allison
If you’re anything like me, you probably have quite a few blog post drafts waiting to be finished and published. Some of them might be weeks or months old. Some of them might be over a year old. Having half-finished drafts, just waiting to see the light of day again, can be hard on your blog.
Now don’t get me wrong – I love a good draft. I often outline my thoughts while traveling, waiting at the hair salon, etc. and go back to flesh out the posts later. I even recommend that people who don’t consider themselves good writers start with an outline, and having those outlines waiting for you can increase productivity.
But not all drafts are good. And the bad ones need to go. EXTERMINATE! Sorry, had a random Doctor Who moment…
We’re scared of that delete button though.
- What if we later realize the post idea was perfect and we want to publish it, only to remember that we’ve deleted the entire thing?
- What about the time and hard work we’ve already spent on the draft?
- What if parts of the post could be salvaged to use for another post?
Only, our fears are irrational, as they often are in life. If the post idea really was perfect, we wouldn’t be contemplating deleting it. Yes, we may have put some time into it, but it’s better to cut losses than put even more time into a post that isn’t awesome. Parts of the post might be salvageable, but it would probably be easier just to rewrite those parts in order to make new posts flow and ensure the information is up to date.
In short, there is no go reason to not send that draft to trash right now.
Old posts hold us back. When they just sit around, they clutter our dashboard with thoughts of ideas that aren’t very good. And should they get published (often out of guilt), they often don’t help the reader; they’re just taking up space on your blog.
Stupid posts.
Get rid of those drafts today. Hit the delete button. EXTERMINATE! You’ll feel a weight lifting from your shoulders. Sometimes, you might look back to regret deleting something, but 99% of the time, it will only make your blog better. So don’t be afraid. Delete with gusto!
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- Run Though This Checklist Every Six Months for a Rocking Blog (blogworld.com)
Photo sources: Forwhomthebelltolls
