1. My computer is really slow. I probably could have written 5,500 posts by now if my computer was faster!
2. How to get readers. If you want people to read/comment on your blog, you must read/comment on other blogs. For the first 9 months of my blog, I don't think anyone read it but my mom! Then I realized that no one was going to know I had a blog unless I started commenting on the blogs I read.
3. How far I wanted to take my blog money-wise. I have determined that I don't want to have a ton of advertisements or sponsored posts on my blog. It's just not who I am. And I already have one full time job and two part time jobs. I do not need another job!
4. I have a bad memory. There are a lot of posts I don't even remember writing. Like this one. And this one. And this one. I guess that is to be expected when you write every damn day!
5. Privacy. Gradually, I started to learn what was off limits for discussion on my blog. Mainly, it's work related stuff and Paul related stuff. I'm an open book, but not everyone in my life is, so I have to respect that!
6. Not everything is worth posting. I have several posts that have been in my draft folder for over a year. They will probably never be published. One is called, "What's on my fridge?" If I am really hard up, maybe I will post it someday. If you see that one, it means I'm out of ideas!
7. How to schedule blog posts. For over a year, I did not know how to schedule blog posts in advance. I always posted them first thing when I got up in the morning. Now that I know how to schedule posts in advance, it makes my life so much easier! I often have 5-6 scheduled at a time! What can I say, I am a planner!
8. Picmonkey is fun! As you can tell, I love creating little images to go along with my blog posts. I am in no way an artist, but you don't need to be to make fun images via Picmonkey!
9. There are people out there who "get" me. I love the friends I have met through this blog! All the runners, teachers, athletes, lifters, moms, crazy people out there... You are so cool! I love reading your thoughts every day.
10. Blogging is time consuming, but it is fun. I love to write and I love to share. Some could say blogging is a mindless waste, but I enjoy it. It makes me happy.
What sorts of things have you learned from blogging?
I'm an open book too, but Adam is a much more private person which is why he is almost never on the blog. I wish he would let me write about him more/post more pics, but I get that he likes to remain private. Luckily Cecil is a ham and just starts posing whenever the camera comes out! :)
ReplyDeleteI have learned through blogging that I sometimes like strangers more than people I know in real life. Before I started blogging I used to spend a lot of time on Facebook getting mad at people for their dumb political opinions. I would always wonder how we were friends in the first place! Now my life is stress free because running bloggers tend to keep politics off the blog and instead we just talk about running! :D
I too wish there was more Adam on the blog, but that is because I find your life entertaining and interesting, and since he is a big part of it, I want to know more! But I understand his feelings as Paul is so similar.
DeleteI put politics on my blog but I have a feeling it doesn't bother you since we usually share similar politcal opinions!
Ohh you're right! I guess I don't mind politics as long as the feelings being shared are in line with my own feelings!
DeleteOne of my favorite quotes is, "it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it" from Aristotle. I need to work on that I guess :)
I have only been blogging for about 8 months. Getting readers has been the big struggle for me. It's happening, but veeeeeery slowly. Like you, I have learned that I need to put myself out there and "make the first move" by commenting and reading others' blogs if I want to get readers. But what I've really learned is that you need to stick with it and never give up. For every 10 blogs I comment on, maybe one or two of them will reciprocate. It just takes time and I'm trying to be patient!
ReplyDeleteI've also learned that engaging with other bloggers via reading and commenting is just as time consuming as the writing itself, if not more, so I need to make sure I carve out time for my own blog AND for others!
Congrats on 550!!
Reading other blogs IS time consuming! Because I don't want to comment with just something flippant like "ooh looks fun" or "yummy dinner" you know? During the week I don't have a ton of time to read other blogs but on the weekends I tend to catch up!
DeleteI totally know what you mean. I'm much more of a quality over quantity person when it comes to this stuff. Yes, I want to attract new readers to my own blog so there is that element to my commenting, but I also want to have enough respect for the blogs I read to give them responses that are actually thoughtful and meaningful and more than 4 words. If I give one of the flippant responses you mention, I feel like that's a dead giveaway that I'm just commenting for the sake of commenting and barely even read the post
DeleteGreat post :) I've only been blogging for about 2 weeks, so I haven't learned much, but I definitely agree about the reading/commenting on blogs. It's pushed me to find new blogs that I would have never come across otherwise though :)
ReplyDeleteSame here! I mean, I am at the point now where I don't think I remember how I came across certain blogs, but I am very thankful that I did!
DeleteIt totally is a journal. :) That is why I enjoy doing the weekend wrap ups... I can peek back and see what I was up to. :) Plus it is good to write down race recaps and reread them to learn later
ReplyDelete#10 definitely!!!
ReplyDeleteI blogged every day for a year and a half but last spring I decided I needed to cut back - it has made my life a little less stressful. I figure since it is just a hobby for me I shouldn't turn it into a chore.
I'm glad that I found your blog even if I missed a bunch of those early posts!!!
I am glad I found your blog as well! If it ever gets too stressful, I will definitely cut back as well. I am so all or nothing though... It's the runner in me. ;)
DeleteAgreed! Blogging is definitely time consuming but we wouldn't do it if we didn't enjoy it. -L
ReplyDelete550 posts? You are so inspiring! I'm lucky to get out one or two a week... I probably should make it a higher priority. Anyway, I've enjoyed all your posts (that I've read... I haven't read all 550).
ReplyDeleteThanks Cassie! :) I just wish my computer were faster as blogging and uploading pictures and stuff would be even LESS time consuming then!
DeleteI need to learn to write my posts ahead of time...but usually I just like to write when I'm in the mood and have something to say, so pre-planning for the blog doesn't work for me! Someday I'll take the time to do it though lol.
ReplyDeleteYour way of doing it is probably the way most people do it. You just gotta do what works for you! And clearly it is working for you. I like the way you do it because it feels like you are talking right to us. :)
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