Thursday, August 13, 2009

ON BLOGGING ~ Juggling Act...


I was going to skip posting today. Purely because I am a procrastinator and spent too much time visiting commenters and sites in our reader and checking e-mail. By the time I decided I should probably write something I realized bed time was fast approaching.

How does that happen? I never know which to do first, create the next day's post or visit all of the kind people who took the time to visit the current day's post. Which is more important, content or commenters? Such a balance we strike in the blogosphere.

I only have about 3 hours a day to jump into this world. That's why I brainstorm and outline a month's worth of posts. A loose schedule of ideas keeps me organized and reminds me what I am supposed to be working on. Not work exactly. For this is not work. It is fun and I wish I had more time for it. I wish I had more time for all of you too.

I try to stop by while I'm eating lunch at work at my desk - so forgive me for commenting with my mouth full. But then I get caught up in all the interesting people I come across and find myself in danger of abandoning my job in the real world. So I set the blog aside and get back to work.

Our little spot here is still new so I think it is important to keep those posts coming so that people keep stopping by. If we receive a comment from someone new once a day and attract one new follower or subscriber a week, we're happy Bumbles. But that isn't going to happen if there isn't anything new for people to read. So the posts come first, and then if there's any time left, I go visiting. So if you don't see me during the week, don't be offended. I'm just saving you for the weekend.

12 comments:

Sandy Nawrot said...

See there! You didn't have anything planned, and you still pull an awesome post out of your hat! When I started blogging, I swore I would not get caught up so much that I would feel I had to post daily. Well, you know where I am on that. Luckily, I am now ahead of my posts by two or three weeks. Sometimes it is a drag to be an overachiever, huh?

Karen, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry" said...

I don't put pressure on myself to have to post something every day. In fact, I'm trying not to post every single day on my blog where normally I do because I think sometimes people don't visit every day and then might miss one of my better posts. It's funny though, it seems the dumber posts (in my opinion) get more comments than those I spend more time on. My pet posts usually do very well.

I just don't have time to visit and comment on as many blogs as I'd like to every day so just do what I can. I've been using my reader lately so I get to blogs that have posted new content and have pretty much given on trying to do a certain number of Entrecard drops each day.

Sandy Nawrot said...

BTW, I was so focused on responding to your post, I forgot to tell you that I've given you some love over at my place!

Margot at Joyfully Retired said...

This blog post is so timely for me. I have been going through the same dilemma. I spend so much time visiting, reading and commenting on other blogs that I then have no time for my own blog posts or my own reading. It's become an addiction and GoogleReader is just feeding my addiction. (Let me read just one more!)

Did I just attend my first meeting of Blogger-Anonymous? I feel better already.

Penny said...

I love your blog ;)

I don't have this issue because I have like 3 people who read mine. And one is my husband and the other, my Ma.
ha ha ha ha.

:)

ashramblings said...

It is all a question of balance between posting, reading and commenting- isn't it just! I'm only following a handful of blogs yet so I'm not faced with the problem to a great degree but I can see it coming. I do use the feeds so I don't necessarily visit every individual blog in person, only by proxy. As for how often to post, well I think that depends on what type of content one's blog has. If your audience gets used to you posting every day you're setting an expectation level there. Great hint about keeping ahead of your own blog by prepreparing some blog posts - I must remember that.

J. Lynne said...

I'm pretty sure no one reads my blog so my only problem is trying to find time to read and comment on other people's blogs. ;) I just can't figure out how other people have time to do that, have kids, clean their homes, run errands, cook 5 course meals, post photos of the kids with samples of the meals, knit for charity, and work 9 to 5.

kayerj said...

I post and read comments if the grandkiddies happen to feel like an inside day. If it's an outside day I usually post and read in the wee hours of the night.

your blog is always interesting, and plenty of archives to surf through if you miss a day. I see lots of people will link back if they are missing a day.

Kathleen said...

What a great post. I'm in a similar situation...trying to keep up my blog and working a job at the same time. It's my lunch hour right now and I'm reading your blog! I subscribe to your blog and always enjoy and look forward to reading it!

bermudaonion said...

You're right - it is all a juggling act and we all just do the best we can.

ashramblings said...

I had to come back and post this link, sent to me by an ex-colleague. It is his thought on why people blog but it includes a short video conversation clip between two well known professional speakers about blogging http://elnblog.com/2009/08/why-you-should-blog/ which touches on personal and professional reasons to blog

Beth F said...

Very timely post. I have to get onto some kind of schedule. I just can't read everyone's blog every day plus write blog posts plus work and plus have a life!