How to Overcome Resistance — Seth Godin

The Nugget

Seth Godin emphasizes the power of blogging as a form of generous, illuminating communication that benefits both the writer and the reader, urging creators to simplify their content to the essence and engage readers' minds by leaving gaps for them to fill.

Key quotes

"Blogging is inherently a generous act because it’s hard to justify it as a financial endeavor; you're doing it to illuminate."
"Comics work because something happens between the panels... what a blog post does is it says, 'Here's a sketch over here, and now I'm over there; you figure out how I got from here to there.'"
"If I can show up with something in your bones you know to be true or interesting or worth thinking about, but I can say it in a way that would benefit you if you could share it with your friends and colleagues, that’s a great blog post."
"The biggest benefit is I will be writing tomorrow because it’s Friday, not because I’ve written the perfect blog post."

To effectively write short blog posts, don't attempt to compress detailed ideas into dense sentences. Instead, simplify and provoke thought, leaving room for the reader's imagination.
Treat blog posts more as questions or provocations rather than comprehensive answers, which invites reader engagement and personal inquiry.
A blog can fulfill various roles, but one of its strengths is to serve as a regular connection point with readers, offering insights and reflections simplified to their essence.

Seth Godin attributes his consistency in blogging to viewing it as an inherent, non-negotiable part of his daily routine, much like eating lunch or taking a shower.
He emphasizes the character "Seth Godin" when blogging—a persona that stays true to a certain voice and perspective, ensuring a uniform reader experience over time.
For Godin, it's less about blogging perfection and more about the act of generosity and the discipline of regular writing. This approach reduces the noise in his head and satisfies his need to create and share.

Godin discusses how the cessation of certain projects (e.g., ending the Akimbo podcast) creates a vacuum that forces him to explore new ideas and projects, even though it might be uncomfortable.
His decision-making process for starting and ending projects is driven by the desire to serve his audience in the best way possible and to keep his work interesting and generous.
Godin’s ventures into pioneering new media spaces are influenced by rapid technological changes, which necessitate a willingness to adapt and try new forms of content creation.

📚 Remember: "Blogging is generosity in action." Create content with the desire to illuminate and share, not just to assert your knowledge.
🌱 "Simplicity is key." Distill your ideas to their essence to provoke thought and engagement.
🤔 Embrace the "Seth Godin" approach by adopting a consistent voice and persona in your content, ensuring a predictable and valuable reader experience.
🔄 "Create a vacuum." Don't be afraid to end projects to make room for the new, using the space to fuel creativity and exploration.

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.