I am totally addicted to blogging. I’ve asked hundreds of people if they have a blog, and about half of the people who say no tell me that they tried starting a blog and weren’t able to remain disciplined. They’d blog once or twice a month because they “couldn’t find time.” Personally, I interpret this as “I couldn’t find the time for sex.” In other words, once you try doing it, you love doing it. Once you get into the habit of doing it, you’re addicted. And no, I do not plan talking about my sex life via my blog.

First addictions

With honesty, my blog didn’t start because I believed in the idea of meeting and engaging my readers through emails and AIM. I read Richard Yoo’s blog, I loved hearing about his travels, and I thought that by blogging I’d be able to influence people in the same way that he influenced me. I don’t know him very well, but as a result of having known him and his blog, I’ve decided to start my own. I decided to apply to TED and now I’m going next year! Hopefully my blogging can and has influenced you in some positive way.

Schedule time to blog

Blogging doesn’t take a very long time. You just need to sit down and do it. Schedule a time for yourself, whether it be over your lunch break or right before you sleep. If anything, it should be something you look forward to in your day! If anything, the biggest time waster of my day is talking to people I met from my blog. Last night alone, I spent close to four hours speaking to many different people who I met through blogging. Trust me, it’s worthwhile!

Stockpile on rainy days

In the rare event that you have nothing better to do with your time, stock up. I’ve blogged as many as five times in a given day, publishing each post on a different day. You won’t always find time to blog, so write your thoughts down when you have time.

Ignore the money and stats

True bloggers don’t need money or crazy statistics to influence them to blog. If I ever had ads or sponsors, the money made would go directly towards funding the trips and conferences I frequently attend. I often get emails from people asking how to attract more readers. Well, firstly, write good content! Secondly, write content that Techcrunch.com won’t write about! And thirdly, blog for the sake of blogging. Ignore the statistics until you can fully understand the importance of ignoring them. I looked at my statistics yesterday, but I don’t care if I’m getting 30,000 page views a month or 100,000 page views a month. I’d even be happy with 100 page views a month!

And as always, extend a helping hand. Encourage readers to email you, and you’ll meet so many amazing people. I get so many, but I try to reply to everyone! So on a final note, I love to hear from you, so feel free to email me about anything – whether it be about tech, business, or even your personal life. :)

Jessica Mah is a 17 year old entrepreneur, blogger, and sophomore at early collegeBard College at Simon’s Rock.

She loves chatting with fellow students, readers, and entrepreneurs, so don’t hesitate to email her or message her on AIM! Feel free to subscribe to her blog or stalk her twitter.