5 Ways to Come Up with Writing Ideas When You're Struggling.

I often feel like I've exhausted the topics I write about.

This is an unhelpful mindset to have because there's no such thing.

There's always another lesson, another perspective from that same lesson, or a different angle you can write about.

When you're struggling, you need to make an extra effort to find something that speaks to you.

With that said, here are five ways to find inspiration so you can continue writing.

1. Think of what you're struggling with.

There's nothing more powerful than sharing the lessons you've learned from the struggles you've overcome or are in the process of overcoming.

The reason we're able to relate to one another is because we face similar obstacles daily.

When we read stories of how someone overcame a challenge, we get inspired to continue with whatever we’re facing.

It doesn't have to be the exact same thing. As long as it's relatable, that's all you need.

And odds are, since we're all facing similar struggles every single day, you will find an audience that can resonate with what you're dealing with or dealt with.

2. Think of what you're working on.

It doesn't have to be about one thing or a specific area of your life.

I've written about working on my health, improving my home's health, my finances, my relationship, and my personal development journey, among others.

There's plenty already going on in your life to inspire a couple of blogs, if not hundreds.

So think of the recent changes you've made and the results you've gotten so far or the result you're hoping for.

Even if those changes don't yield the results you were hoping for, that's still something to write about and share.

This leads right to my next recommendation.

3. Think of a recent change that happened in your life.

Not all changes happen the way you hope or expect.

You can write from the perspective of facing an unexpected challenge or adjusting to an unexpected change, what you've learned so far, and how you plan to pivot now that this has taken place.

A recent change in my life has been my work schedule. Since I work in an industry with a high turnover (as a server and bartender), people come and go quite often.

This recent change has meant more work for me, which leaves less time for writing.

This very change is what inspired me to write this blog.

Now that I have less time to focus on writing, I thought about a few ways to expedite the writing process to continue publishing at the same rate.

These five ways have helped me these past couple of weeks to develop writing ideas and follow through with my plan to publish at least ten blogs per month.

So look at your life, the good and the bad, and allow yourself to be inspired by it.

4. Get inspired by browsing this very platform.

There are thousands of writers and blogs on this platform that help me get inspired.

I either write about a similar topic from my perspective, or an idea gets sparked by reading something unrelated.

For example, I wrote a blog about how we're putting unrealistic expectations on ourselves.

It was inspired by reading a blog about how life changes when you retire. I'm nowhere near retirement age (I'm twenty-eight), but when the author spoke about purpose and work and how much of our identities get tied up with what we do for a living, I got to thinking, and the idea was born.

Don't overcomplicate the process.

Browse Medium and click on a couple of blogs, read as much as you'd like, and if something gets you thinking, start writing.

An idea will definitely come to you if you start.

5. Do not give yourself an out.

I've been implementing this strategy lately, and I must say it's working.

Yes, there's resistance because I'm not used to pushing myself to this degree, but that happens with all new things.

The strategy is simple — keep writing and thinking until you find a topic or idea and write it down.

Once you focus on this one idea that you're satisfied with, you can begin working on an outline, and now you've got something.

I only let myself shut my laptop or get off my desk (unless it's to use the bathroom) once I have an idea for my next blog and write a rough outline.

That way, the next time I sit at my desk, I'll have something to work with.

This strategy also expedites the writing process. I spend less time sitting at my desk wondering what to write about.

Takeaways

Whether you're struggling with something or working on something and you're excited about it.

Whether changes, expected or not, have happened in your life or you want to be inspired by someone else's experience and perspective, these five strategies can help you if you're struggling to develop writing ideas.

Best of luck!