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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.
Do you remember the buddy system? When you were a little tyke in school or on field trips and paired up with someone else so you wouldn't get left behind by yourself. So you would focus on your buddy's well being instead of getting distracted by shiny things. Well, it would be mighty helpful to have that buddy these days in the blogosphere. To keep you on track so you could have extra time to spend focused on your real life buddies.
Who says you can't have that buddy system? I read a post recently by Anne Wayman at About Freelance Writing sharing how her Accountability Partner helps her reach her goals, keeps her inspired, and provides a great support system.
Now, some of you might be thinking..."but Molly, isn't Andy your Accountability Partner?" Uh - no. The Bumbles partnership in the blogosphere goes a little something like this:
Me = "Honey, I need your music post for the blog."
Andy = "Stop nagging me!"
Andy = "Are you going to turn that laptop off and come to bed?"
Me = "Stop nagging me!"
So as you can see - although this is a joint venture, we don't do the best job supporting each other and making sure we stay on track. When you are too close to the process, it can come across as nagging. The buddy system works best when you are able to use a little tough love - from afar.
I would really love to have a Blog Buddy - someone to touch base with each week for 15 minutes to report what my goals are for the upcoming week and to report what I have and haven't accomplished. And then I would serve the same role for my Blog Buddy. As Anne's post says - commit to a recurring conversation about your goals and check in with each other honestly about your level of accomplishment. Provide each other with encouragement, suggestions and every now and then, a kick in the pants.
Your goals can be about a specific project you've been meaning to write about, or making headway on book challenges. It could be a desire to learn how to re-design something on your blog or a commitment to keeping your blogging time to a specific limit, so you have more time for your family, job, friends or hobbies. Or maybe it could be taking steps towards a new career, weight loss, returning to school or new ways to raise your family.
Whatever it is, a Blog Buddy would be there to help. Who doesn't have time for 15 minutes a week to share, listen, motivate and accomplish? I'm hoping at least one of you does - Andy would thank you.
Do you want a Blog Buddy? Visit our topic in Bumble Town to discuss and find your match. You can find Bumble Town at the bottom of our blog or by using the **Chat On Our Forum** page link beneath our tabs.
12 comments:
that is a great idea!! i want a blog buddy! i'll volunteer to be yours if you don't already have one.
excellent idea!
I would love to be your blog buddy! And you would get the best end of the deal as I never have any goals...the posts just plop out willy-nilly without much planning (except in a few instances). As you know, I'm all over the place and have no sense of direction. Blog Buddies....I love it! :-}
I have to give you credit for always coming up with ideas. You are definitely a high-achieving Type A blogger! I'm like Susan, I just plod along with not too many goals except for my reading challenges. I could definitely come up with a list of things I SHOULD do (ahem...tabs) but I am afraid I would stress myself out!
I participated in a blogging buddy system a while back.It was like a secret santa system. I had someone but she had someone else.
The idea was more to encourage the blogger, leave comments etc.
O never did finf out who mine was but I think I know now.
Susan & Sandy - you should be each other's Blog Buddy. Jehara offered for me and I accepted. Perhaps goal isn't the right word. Basically - you share your To Do list with another person to improve the likelihood of you actually following through with the items on the list.
So Susan might have on her list:
#1 - write 1 new post idea
#2 - visit 1 new blogger
#3 - take photos of baby fox for potential follow-up story
#4 - practice new cake technique from class
And Sandy might have something like:
#1 - Begin book club selection
#2 - Chart how to fit ARC's into existing book challenges
#3 - Walk x miles
#4 - Find book apps for new i-phone
Something like that. I'll be posting further in our forum about the concept so if you have questions or want to refer other people, send them there.
Trish - that is a nice system you participated in. Encouragement is one of the easiest things to do for someone else.
that's a good idea--
My daughter and I kind of do that for each other, sharing ideas and experiences. She goes a long way to helping me meet the goals I've set for myself too. She's a real good support system. Among my bloggy friends I'd have to say you are the most supportive and helpful and then Jenners. I really appreciate it. I've also started following a blog that gives tutorials on photography. He has left me some constructive statements on what I do well and where I need to improve as far as my photography goes. I really appreciate it. I do need to work on the time limit thing. Right now the computer virus is keeping that in check. About 3 visits and it shuts down on me =( You are my first visit today :)
Another good idea. I love your Bloganon. I always learn something new.
I have to check out now the href link. I can't seem to get it to work. I know you had a tutorial so I'm going to find it now.
Help!
Not with this but with the href link.
I'm trying to make one for an exact page in my blog and it's not working. I can only make one for my main blog, but not pointing to one post.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
I would be a horrible blog buddy this week :(
Sorry I have been neglecting you, my darling Bumbles. My cat of ten years had an emergency and we had to take him to the E.R on Sunday and then to his normal vet Monday where he remains.
Hopefully we can bring him home tomorrow. I am terribly lost without him :(
It's a good idea. But since my return to work after knee surgery, I barely have time for blogging anymore. And in fact, I find myself slowly losing interest in it too. I hardly read, comment and post these days.
Came over here to see your thoughts on blogging buddies and after this I will go down to the forum to check it out.
I haven't had a blogging buddy long and I am not sure that the person is the right fit, but it REALLY has helped me pinpoint my goals and the feasibility of them. Just talking with another blogger, bouncing ideas off of them, getting to know their working style and their knowledge base has been a big boost.
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