Three Questions I always ask myself before publishing content and why
So there’s a lot of talk around the water cooler about people copying others and using their language. Here’s a system I use with each and every single post I write and anytime I post in groups, answer people, etc. It’s a way for me personally to make sure that it is MY voice that’s being heard and not someone else’s language that I’m using because it’s the in thing at this moment in time.
- Am I using this word because someone else used it or because I heard the word and it resonated somewhere deep within me?
Marie Forleo’s one liner is “create a business and a life that you love”. It was phenom. Clear, concise, and on point. After she dropped this genius everyone and their sister started using something very close but just off enough that no one could get in trouble.
So how do you keep from doing this? Because let’s face it, it’s gross and gives me the willies when I think about someone doing that. Bleh! To use another word that everyone is using but seriously fits in this space and time…it’s inauthentic!
You have to sit down and you ask yourself if what you are doing is really you or is it just because you heard the word and liked it. Have you ever used this word in a sentence before this day? If not then it’s probably time to move on and find some word you DO love and DOES resonate with you. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with expanding your vocab just make sure you are doing it for the right reasons.
- I’ve been told that stories sell…so can I tell a personal life story that explains why I used this symbol, this color, or this word?
I can tell you a story about why my coaching sessions are called fireside chats and I want to tell everyone! I can tell you why I used the ampersand and why at some point in time I will get one tattooed on my wrist. It has deep and intense meaning for me! Because of this even if my ideas are similar to someone else’s it doesn’t matter because the reasons for using it are my own and I’ve thought long and hard about every single inch of my biz and it is completely and 100% Amber! Can you be inspired by others? ABSOLUTELY. I encourage it but use the next question and the first question to really figure out if it is you or just something you saw and liked.
- If I sit on this idea will it still resonate with me tomorrow, the next day, the day after that (you get the idea)?
It’s taken over a month, and if I’m honest this began brewing the day I bought my url over a year ago, to really nail down what I wanted to do with my site. It’s a long process and for a perfectionist like myself it can be a grueling one. So grueling in fact that I haven’t even begun to make the changes because I’m still stewing on these questions and finding new things that resonate with me.
The point is if you are truly passionate about your work then a piece of your soul and your heart has to be put into everything you do. Your branding, your language, your marketing. It’s so incredibly important and absolutely terrifying. At least for me. But in the end you will find people who also resonate with you and your message and that will be the best day of your life.