Why “Failing Ahead of Time” Kills Your Food Blog Growth
You’re sitting at the stove ready to whisk together something new for your blog, or you’ve planned a complete overhaul of your brand identity and then just before you begin you decide it’s “not going to work” or “too much work.” That moment when you choose not to move forward is what I call failing ahead of time.
In your food‑blog journey the recipe doesn’t always involve thriving from the start. What matters is your readiness to do the work, feel a little uncomfortable, stir in courage, and publish the first version of the dish. Because in the blogging business not trying ensures you don’t get the results you want.
What Failing Ahead of Time Looks Like for Food Bloggers
You commit to launching a new recipe series or content pillar…and then never schedule the posts.
You plan a blog redesign to improve conversion…but you stall at the first sketch, telling yourself “It’s too big.”
You decide to build an email‑marketing funnel…but you freeze when it’s time to write the sequence.
You tell yourself you’re waiting until “everything’s perfect” before publishing new content…so you publish nothing.
Every time you stop yourself before you even begin, you guarantee a zero outcome. It’s comfortable, in a twisted way because you don’t risk failure. Yet you also forfeit possibility.
Remember: blogging isn’t static. There’s no turnkey formula. What works is your readiness to become someone who acts, someone who builds and learns.
Why We Choose to Fail Ahead of Time
1. It’s easier to believe it won’t work.
If you don’t try, you cannot fail and you cannot be proven wrong. Sound familiar? That hedged bet keeps you safe from disappointment, but also safe from growth.
2. The project feels too big or unknown.
Maybe you envision the overhaul, the new funnel, the next‑level content, and you get intimidated by the scale. You stop at “I need to plan it all first….”
3. You don’t see yourself as a bold risk‑taker.
“Who am I to …” you ask. “What if people don’t like what I do?” Or you tell yourself “I’m not that innovative type.” Yet the person who is willing to show up imperfectly is the one who moves the needle.
4. Comfort with the known beats the unknown.
Even a mediocre status quo becomes “comfortable”, but comfort is a cage. You’ll never know the possibility until you step into the unknown.
Your Mindset Shift: Become the Food‑Blogger Who Moves Forward
Your thoughts create feelings which inspire actions that create results. Then you use your results to prove your thoughts correct.
Old Recipe:If you think “I’m not cut out for bold moves,” you’ll feel cautious, you’ll act minimal, and your results will be minimal. They’ll reinforce your belief that you’re not cut out for bold moves. Your Identity remains consistent.
But you don’t have to run this old recipe. You can choose a new one.
New Recipe:Think, “I am a bold blogger who makes bold moves.” Feel confident and courageous. Do the bold thing. Get your result. Then, watch your brain reinforce your new, bold identity.
Because here’s a secret: success isn’t really about getting a specific result, it’s about believing you’re a successful person. When you see yourself as a successful person, you see the success more easily. Failure just doesn’t feel the same. It becomes something that happened, rather than a reflection of who you are and it won’t be something you chose before you even begin.
Practical Application: A Simple Recipe for Action
Choose a comfortable, somewhat easy project: a new recipe, a lead magnet, an email welcome sequence.
Break it down into three actionable steps today.
Set a deadline (even if it’s tomorrow).
Journal the thought: “When I follow through, I will become …” and finish that sentence with a powerful identity.
Repeat this until you see yourself as someone who follows through on simple things. Someone who does what they say they will do.
Then repeat the process with a more complex project.
When you approach the new project with your stronger, bolder identity, you will have no need to fail ahead of time because you will be someone who succeeds.
Want help applying this to your blog?
Why This Plays Out in Food Blogging More Than You Think
In the food‑blog space the barrier often isn’t lack of ideas, it’s inaction. Because there’s always another recipe, another redesign, another funnel. You might feel pressure to get it just right. But here’s the delicious truth: your audience pays for you doing the work, not you polishing forever.
When you choose not to move forward you reinforce stagnation. When you choose to act you begin the cycle of results: stronger identity → positive feelings → more action.
Final Thought & Your Next Step
Imagine your blog a kitchen where new dishes are always being created. You don’t choose to skip making the soup because you fear it won’t taste good, you choose to cook, taste, refine. That is the mindset of a food‑blogger ready to grow.
Today ask yourself: What one thing will I stop failing ahead of time about? Then, with the mindset of the creator you are becoming, pick the first small step and do it.
When you’re ready to turn this into your personalized recipe for success,
Let’s map the next level of your blog together.
FAQ
Q 1: What does “failing ahead of time” mean in food blogging?
A: It means you decide in advance not to act because you believe it will fail or because the work feels too big so you ensure that you never get the outcome you want.
Q 2: How can I stop myself from doing that?
A: Break the project into tiny steps, commit to finishing one, and adopt the identity of someone who does what they say they will do. Ask yourself: Who do I need to be to follow through?
Q 3: Will acting imperfectly hurt my blog’s credibility?
A: No. In fact, publishing imperfectly and iterating builds trust, shows authenticity, and allows you real feedback. Perfect waiting doesn’t serve growth; imperfect doing does.
