I feel her pain and am in the same boat. I started this blog with some thought as to content and purpose but I did not have posts planned out yet. I just figured I love to write and how hard can it be to write at least one post every week. Oh, how I was wrong. I forgot to think about how time consuming putting meaningful posts together would be.
I also did not think about all the other demands on my time. Like the wife, the kids, work (wish I could quit this), college (2 classes at a time) and the household duties. Things like paying the bills (wish I could quit that, too), mowing the lawn, fixing everything. What about the other hobbies I have that I don’t have time for. Like photography and travel.
So, all of these demands on my time that I didn’t think about when I decided to start this blog. But, I really love writing and family history so blogging is a way to put the two together and also get some much needed writing practice. Plus, I get a great feeling when I can finally hit that publish button after working on a post. However, truth be told, blogging is strictly self-imposed time.
All the other demands on my time have a higher power that I must answer to if they don’t get done; my wife, boss, or professor. And most of those things-to-do have specific deadlines to meet. With the blog, I am only answering to myself so when something needs to slip because I’ve run out of time, it is the first to go.
I’ve written a couple other posts on time management (Genealogy Time Management and Focus) but just can’t seem to pull it all together. Every thing else other than the blogging time is working pretty well. I need to figure this out because I will not fail at this blog.
I am curious how all you other more successful bloggers fit the post writing into your busy schedules. Please leave me suggestions in comments.
Thanks for reading - keep diggin’ up that family.
Chris
I would like to thank Cheryl of 1ancestry2littletime for the inspiration for this post.
Photos by me.
Chris,
ReplyDeleteFirst, sleep is overrated. Cross it off the list. Heck, while you're at it, go ahead and cross off paying the bills too. :)
Seriously though ... don't beat yourself up. Blog neglect happens more than you think. I'm sure there are many fellow bloggers out there who will agree when they say that they are grateful for some pre-scheduled posts because of time constraints. I know I am.
I just finished school (as of yesterday), so trust me ... it will end, eventually. The grass won't need mowing in the winter. The school activities have to take a break at some point. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. When all else fails, set aside 15-30 minutes every couple of days to work on the blog (while dinner is cooking, etc.). You don't have to complete a post at each sitting. Heck, you don't even have to be at your computer! I have been known to set the alarm on my phone to remind me to work on the blog. Sometimes I use the note app on my phone, or take it "old school" and use a pen and paper. Either way, it still counts.
Don't give up.
Many of us "manage" it by not being where you are at this point in your life, Chris. Our children are grown, the research, writing and blogging are part of our profession, or we no longer work. I rarely quote the Bible publicly but Ecclesiastes 3:1 is right - To everything there is a season.
ReplyDeleteWe all prioritize and none of us can do all that we wish or even should most days. Your children will grow up, you will finish school and have more time to pursue this passion or others. For now perhaps the goal is one post a month. Do it when you can or when it calls so strongly that you are able to put something else aside (sleep does come to mind, but I also found it easy to ignore various practices and work while waiting in the car).
Jenny and Susan, thank you both for your advice and encouragement. Jenny, congrats on finishing school, that is great and I'll be there one year from now. I think I will try your little bit at a time suggestion. I just have to get over feeling like I have to finish a post when I start it.
ReplyDeleteSusan, thanks for reminding me that all of us are at different stages of life and different commitments. I may complain about all the time I don't have for blogging but I wouldn't change the rest of my life for anything, especially the time with the kids at this age.
Thanks again to both of you.
Chris
Blog neglect is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you work/study/have young children. The blog will still be there when you get back to it, and when you post again, it will show up in the readers of your followers (I follow it, so the post was right there in my reader today). One thing I did when I was still taking my daughters to activities and school events was to bring some materials with me so that I could write posts while I was waiting for them. Keep a list of ideas that occur to you and scribble down notes when you think of them. You could start with some very modest blogging ambitions (maybe a couple of posts a month) and increase the number of posts when school is done, or during months when there aren't a lot of activities, etc.
ReplyDeleteGreta, Thanks for the encouraging words and I do think I'll try bringing some stuff to their practices to do.
ReplyDeleteChris
These ideas might help: http://wetree.blogspot.com/2009/01/jump-start-your-genealogy-blog-52-ideas.html
ReplyDeleteAmy, great ideas and thank you very much. I have added that site to my bag of tricks for idea generators. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteChris