When we started our blogs, all of us had the same passion. The excitement and motivation of creating and publishing content was palpable.

What happened a few weeks later? Where did that motivation go? This excitement has somehow changed into: “I have a blog nobody reads. I’m tired updating it, and I wonder if it is even worth it.”

We have all been there.

We get distracted by life, our children are sick, and we can’t work on our blog the ONE free day we had, or we arrive home exhausted from work and cannot write the first sentence for a new article.

I know that I have. Since I started my blog Nerd Fitness 14 years ago, I can count on my hands and toes the number of times I have sat down and written simply because I felt motivated. Writing was often the last thing I thought about. Here I am, a professional blogger (750 posts published, the majority of which are over 2000 words) and a published writer!

I don’t say this to boast but rather to prove a fact: I did not rely on motivation to stay on track, but instead, I put in place a superhero system to ensure I stayed on course.

We all know that superheroes can have a significant impact on our lives. Ask Darren!

I will share with you today a 4-step method that will help you crack the code to becoming a superhero blogger. This system will allow you to stop relying solely on motivation and instead use solid strategies to save the world… or take it over.

Hack your Batcave and Win!

Hacking my Batcave was one of the best ways I learned to create discipline instead of relying solely on willpower and inspirational ideas.

Bruce Wayne (AKA Batman) is the only superhero in the world who does not have special powers. He cannot fly, teleport, or regenerate. He’s just a guy who uses gadgets and gizmos to fight crime.

It’s time to think about our own Bat Cave (our surroundings) to stay disciplined like Bruce Wayne.

You can set up your Batcave in your home or office, at your kitchen table, or anywhere else you work. Ask yourself, will this Batcave bring me closer or further away from my goal of becoming a successful blogger?

We are all products of our surroundings. Everything around us pulls us in a specific direction. The TV in your living area tells you to “watch me!” “I have reruns stored on my DVR!”

Facebook says, “Check me” while you are at your computer. Quick! You may have received more likes for that cat video.

It’s time to implement systems that will work for you if you want to be a successful superhero blogger. Willpower, or the ability to tell yourself, “I’ll write and not do the amazing distractions around me,” is a limited resource. The more you rely on this, the more likely you will fail.

Stop relying solely on your willpower. Create a lifestyle that allows you to blog regularly.

Start by removing the obstacles that prevent me from writing.

• Cancel cable. These shows are worthless anyway.
• Place your TV in the closet. You should keep your TV far from where you are writing.
• Install Freedom. to your computer. This will block websites that waste time until you have written 500 words.
• Turn off all notifications and uninstall social media apps.
• You can also find other ways to reduce the distractions that you face.

Then I reduce the number of steps that separate me from the habit I want to develop:

• Write first thing in the morning before checking email. (Don’t keep the tab for Gmail open!)
• Before I go to sleep, I open a blank document on my computer so that when I sit down, it is the first thing I will see.
• I have a 500-word daily goal. No matter how good the content is or whether I’m motivated to write, 500 words are my daily goal.

Your environment should work with you, not against your writing.

Superman: Know and understand your Kryptonite.

Superman is the next superhero we will be looking at.

This guy is faster than a bullet. He can jump over tall buildings with one bound and shoot lasers from his eyes. Many on Earth consider him to be a god.

KRYPTONITE can undo Superman despite his unique powers and abilities. The bad guys can use this glowing green mineral to stop Superman.

If we are not careful, we all have our own Kryptonite that could prevent us from becoming Superhero bloggers. We need to not only recognize our Kryptonite but also prepare for it.

We’re not going to depend on willpower, but we are going to kryptonite-proof our lives so that we can work on our blog daily.

It’s essential to identify your Kryptonite: something you can barely stand. It was video games for me: I bought NerdFitness.com but did nothing with it over two years because I was busy playing online video games with my friends. I never “found the time” to compose.

My computer broke, and I could not afford to repair it. I decided that I would play video games once I had made my first $1 through my website. Over the next 18 months, I worked from home and wrote articles for Nerd Fitness. The site eventually made money by selling ebooks. Then, I began to enjoy playing games because I knew how to do it.

What’s your Kryptonite, and how do you combat it?

• Are you tired after work and want to sit on the couch? It’s okay. Write before you leave for work.
• Do your children make you kryptonite to others? No, I don’t think they are glowing green. But I’m sure it takes a lot of work to concentrate on building a blog and side business when you have a family and kids to care for. Wake up before your kids do. Getting up at 5 AM might be necessary to have 90 uninterrupted minutes of writing time before your kids jump on you.
• What is TV? What are video games? Remove negative people from your life. There is life without Netflix, TV, or Fallout.

Perhaps your Kryptonite lies in self-doubt. Are you afraid to publish something because it’s not perfect? Or are you afraid of what others say or that nobody will read it? Seth Godin put it best when he said, “Be judged or ignored.” People will say whatever they want about you, so why not get them talking?

You can prepare ahead of time by knowing where you will lose energy. Make sure to do the essential things before it happens.