I sobbed uncontrollably at the thought of ending my blog. I debated in my mind if it was worth it. The long hours, the hard work, all the tasks that remain undone. The guilt of spending too much time on the computer, the fear of saying good-bye to something I truly love, the skepticism about balancing priorities. I wondered, is it so wrong to want it all?
To put this into context you should know I was having a bad day. A long, long day at work filled with meetings and reports, conference calls and a “to-do” list that just keeps growing. School bus arriving in only a few hours, dinner not prepared, homework to be done and all those after school activities. A blog post that still sits in draft, family and friends that need and deserve return phone calls, a husband with his own hectic schedule, a birthday party to plan, kids with sniffles, laundry piling up, a floor that needs desperate mopping, a refrigerator that needs constant replenishment. A report due to my boss in 2 hours. I don’t think I need to continue. I know you get it.
I seriously debated turning the lights out on my blog. Something needs to give.
I wondered who would notice. On Jan 18 many blogs and websites went dark in protest of SOPA/PIPA. I admit to enjoying this day off. Lord knows, I got lots of laundry done that day.
I understand better now why they say most blogs fail. I understand now why most blogs fail after only a few months. This is extremely hard work and time consuming.
But I love it. I absolutely love it.
I quickly decided that I will not fail. That’s simply not my style. Not to mention, I don’t want to say goodbye. That would not be fair to you. That would not be fair to me. I was just having a bad day.
What I decided was that I need to look at things differently and impose some guidelines and rules for myself. Here is a short list of what I came up with. I’m hoping you will offer some additional new suggestions.
#1 – I will better regulate my posting schedule
I’ve heard many bloggers say that it’s wise to post blogs same day each week. This way your readers know what to expect from you. I’m going to think about this and come up with a plan that works for me (and hopefully works for you too).
#2 – Finding “me” time to write
I need to do a better job to allocate dedicated time to write. Period.
#3 – Automating my tweets
Tweeting is a huge part of how I stay connected with my readers. Many bloggers think that automating your tweets is not a wise move that it takes the human factor out of blogging and sharing. I disagree. If I am not tweeting then I lose the opportunity to reach many new readers. By automating my tweets I can still circulate my content and have that circulate at hours I can’t sit in front of twitter (which is generally 9-5 Monday – Friday). I have selected Hootsuite as my platform.
#4 – I will stop being so darn hard on myself
Yes, there are many things I want to change about my blog. I’m going to instead make a list of priorities and balance them out over the year 2012 so that I can feel accomplished and that I’m tackling things one step at a time. From following many other blogs out there, there is a continuous stream of new knowledge. I tend to be too impulsive in my implementation of many new features. Instead, I promise to write them down and prioritize.
#5 – Social Networking
I have decided it’s time to be selective. There are just so many social networking sites out there that I love. However, my sidebar is getting too crowded. Kludgy Mom recently warned about this in one her recent blog posts that I really appreciated. I will be more selective about which I spend most of my cycles with and determine in six months if a change is warranted. I realize this may come with an impact. I’m willing to accept that.
My hope is that by implementing a few minor changes it will enable me to continue to do all the things I love to do.
Do you have any other suggestions? I sure hope to hear from you!
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About Melissa Potvin
Melissa Potvin is the founder of the Girliemom brand and blog. Melissa has over 15 years working in Information Technology. Her career has spanned Professional Services, Mergers & Acquisitions and Global Operations. Melissa has 3 daughters ages 8, 10 and 12.
Like you, I am trying to regulate my time. Smiles! Donna
My Life. One Story at a Time. recently posted..Highway to Vengeance by Brian Springer
Hi Donna, Sure is good knowing I’m not the only one. Do you have any other techniques for doing that?
Hi there. WheeeeW! Sounds like a busy schedule and you are right and just to be a little easier on your self : ) Usually, but not always it seems to be our “expectations” that cause these type issues. Maybe look again at your goals for your blog, which it seems you really love, and see if possibly your expectations there might be what is causing you a lot of your stress. Sometimes just making slight adjustments in timeframes for our expectations can help us immensely. BTW…I am learning as well. Keep it up. You have a great blog : D
Teressa/NashVegasGal recently posted..Technology a wondrous thing, right?
Thanks Teressa, I belive you are right. I impose very strict standards on myself and easily get frustrated if I can’t meet my own goals. So, I do think I need to take it down a notch, with myself, so that I continue to love it as much as I do. I appreciate you took the time to write and I am grateful for your kind words. – Melissa
admin recently posted..The Truth Behind the Blog
I think it can be so easy to get overwhelmed with everything. And, for me blogging can become somewhat addicting, in a good way, but the work it takes to build your site and stay connected can become a drain. I post once a week, on Sundays. I enjoy that schedule and it’s worked very nicely for me and my blog. It also gives me time than to network and grow. I spend my time on one mommy blogging networking site where I get a lot of support and learn a lot at. This cuts down on spreading myself to thin. Great to find you on Twitter. I look forward to reading more and seeing how you deal with a problem I think all of us mom’s deal with! Thanks!
Kathy Radigan recently posted..Mommy Blocked
I think one blog post a week is sufficient. Many blogs I follow do that and the content is interesting and carries me through the week. Similar to manic mommies podcasts…..once a week if.
-love your blog!
yes, i have decided in my mind that once a week should suffice. I’m living thru the guilt right now of not doing more…. I think this feeling … soon shall pass. Thanks for your thoughts and for reading girliemom!
admin recently posted..The Truth Behind the Blog
Please do not quit your blog. I LOVE Your blog! I enjoy reading it and getting tips. I completely understand the whole taking too much time. I have that same issue. Keep up the good work…..PLEASE.
I did nominate you for Versatile Blogger. You can check it out at http://www.momlifelessons.com/.
I look forward to many more posts, even if they are not quite as often!
Mom Life Lessons recently posted..Thank you!
OMG. an award! To little ‘old me? I’m completely flattered! you rock ! thank you. I promise i will not stop. just trying to manage my time better and that ultimately for me meant less about the actual act of time management and more about placing realistic goals upon myself.
Thanks for reading girliemom!!!
admin recently posted..The Truth Behind the Blog
Found your blog via Twitter, I think many bloggers go through this. I have been blogging since 2008, and the way I stay sane is to do what feels right to me. Unless you are trying to monetize there is no reason to do anything other than what feels right for you. If that means you blog only once a week, so be it. I am on the mind it’s better to blog 1-2 posts that you love a week than to throw something up for the sake of having something up.
As for using social media in conjunction with the blog, absolutely limit what you do. There are simply too many platforms to be on for a blogger unless this tied to their job. Personally I love twitter so a lot of effort and time is spent there, but I have a job and lifestyle that makes tweeting throughout the day fairly easy since most of the time I am doing it while doing something else.
Good luck to you!
Blackgirlinmaine recently posted..To feel, to emote….oh eff it
Thank you so much for your thoughts. I really appreciate you took the time to write. One thing I found recently is Hootsuite which allows me to automate my tweets. This allows me to keep my content rotating. To keep things fresh I will often “live”tweet with personal thoughts whenever I get the opportunity which is normally evenings and weekends since there is no opportunity for me to tweet 9-5. Your note made me realize that I am not alone in my endeavor to keep blogging and that it’s okay to just apply some boundaries around how much is “right”. So, thank you.
admin recently posted..February 2012 Beauty Report
Hello Melissa, I am a member of the Blogaholic group Follow Me I Follow You. I decided to hop around group members blogs instead of joining a blog hop this weekend. Following you on GFC.
Enjoyed the post. I have an Etsy website, a book review blog and a Handmade craft blog. I stay pretty busy between the household chores and blogging. I made a comment to my husband the other day about being tired and he laughed and said “You poor thing you have it so hard blogging all day. ” Bad move buddy!
He drives a big rig and is gone all week. All of our kids are grown. I told him “Well I guess I could lay around and watch TV all day if you think that would be better.”
He had no response. With my blogging I get free patterns for my sewing, free books for reading/reviewing and a shop that cost me very little run. All I pay is my free time. Download free coupons to save on groceries. I don’t spend a lot on my wardrobe or makeup, don’t use much gas in my car, not to mention saving wear and tear on the car. Also I get to visit with my four grown daughters and grandkids that live in another city miles away.
So long story short I do not feel guilty about my blogging.
Patricia recently posted..Host Swap – Amanda at School House Scraps
Hi Patricia, first be sure to subscribe via email since I will be taking down GFC this week. So, we can stay in touch and you won’t miss posts!
haha. I am glad you don’t feel guilty. I am trying to get over this myself. So long as it makes us happy then this is all that matters!
Second,I understand what you mean about being tired and maybe your hubby does not realize how much we put into our blogs and the effort involved to keep them going, fresh, with good well written content. My sister just started guest blogging for me as well on the Twilight series and I told her if she spends less that 2 hours writing a single post then she didn’t spend enough time. We shall see how long she sticks with me
admin recently posted..It’s Nice to Dream