Sometimes we all just need a break. Things get busy, and it seems like we have too much going on. We lose focus. And once we get out of our routine, it’s difficult to get back into it. But, I am getting back into the regular posting routine. My goal is to write two or three posts a week, plus my weekend post where I share what other bloggers have written.
When I first started this blog, I thought I could do everything on my lunch hour at work. This strategy worked ok for the first couple months. But then I learned that to really have any success with a blog, you have to do a lot of networking with other bloggers. These are the folks that help improve your Alexa ranking, provide backlinks to your blog, and share advice and encouragement along the way. So, my lunch hours shifted from writing posts to commenting on other blogs, reading and responding to e-mails, sharing posts on Twitter, etc. My actual post writing was shifted to at home after our litle boy gets put to bed. All this adds up to much less time available to spend with my wife. At first I still tried to write 3 to 4 posts a week, plus my weekend sharing post. But, I simply can’t keep up that pace. Technically I could, but the post quality would drop off significantly, and I don’t want to write a bunch of junk.
I’ve heard a lot in the blogging realm that a large number of bloggers give up after being around for six months. Sometimes it’s because the blogger was hoping to make a bunch of money on it, and it didn’t pan out. Other times, they simply run out of things to write about. I’ve been at this now for a little over seven months. I’ll admit that this month has been a bit rough as far as the blog goes.
Now, I’m not in this to make a ton of money. I’ve made between $100 and $200 a month from the site, and that’s fine with me. The difficult part now is keeping the posts fresh and interesting. It’s not that I have nothing to write about, but I realized that I’ve stopped doing some of the things I used to do. I used to keep a list of future post ideas on my smartphone. During the day during conversations at work, reading an article in the paper, etc. when I would find something interesting I would make a note about it to serve as a reminder for writing a post. I haven’t done that in a long time. I’m going to start again. I used to read a lot more news articles, which are a great source of post ideas. I need to do a better job keeping up on current financial news.
The goal is to become more efficient… writing two or three quality posts a week without taking too much time away from my family. We’ll see how it goes and revisit the topic in another three months.
6 comments
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Z. Grubbs
October 23, 2012 at 9:13 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Keep up the good work! I enjoy your posts very much.
Justin
October 28, 2012 at 7:54 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks Zack! I’ll keep writing as long as people keep reading.
John S @ Frugal Rules
October 24, 2012 at 11:16 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’ve heard that same stat as well. When you add blogging on top of so many other responsibilities I can see how it could become burdensome and you don’t want it to become that way because I am sure it comes out as we write. I agree that we all need a break at times. It can be a great time to refresh and refocus on goals.
Justin
October 28, 2012 at 7:55 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Definitely. A periodic break is something that can be really helpful. It gives you time to step back take a look at everything.
My Money Design
October 24, 2012 at 8:02 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Justin, I know exactly how you feel! There were several months where I was asking myself “what am I doing”? There were a lot of times where I just didn’t feel like it anymore.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. The second your blog starts to take too much priority over your real life it becomes too much like a job and less fun that it used to be. I’ll admit I don’t go out to lunch with work buddies as much anymore, or do things at night (like relax) as much as I used to. It’s all very difficult. And a few times when the wife, kids, and job were really demanding, all the posting and comments and replies had to wait – sorry.
What has really helped is to take a break. I’ve cut back to 1 or 2 posts a week (aside from my weekend wrap up). If I feel like more or can produce more, than great! But if not, no one is holding a gun to your head. Like you said – you want to put out quality.
I like your smart phone idea. Its too bad that trick hasn’t kept up for you. I do something similar with an actual notebook. Sometimes I just tell myself “just think of some ideas – nothing more”. If you just ask yourself – what do “I” really want to read about when I go to other people’s blogs, you’ll find you may come up with a lot of good ideas. Or at least enough to get you started back up for a little while.
Justin
October 28, 2012 at 7:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it. It is important to realize that the blog is not my number one priority, and it’s ok if I don’t write 4 or 4 posts a week. I’m definitely going to get back into the habit of jotting down ideas on my phone when I come across them. That always seemed to help.