Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Burnout

I'm feeling a little up-to-my-eyeballs with the blog, if you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still very attached to this little hobby of mine, but even hobbies need a break sometimes.

I'm just sick of applying what (very) little technological finesse I have to figuring out all kinds of kinks in the system. Sitemeter, Internet Explorer, widgets, HTML, feeds -- it's all starting to sound like Charlie Brown's teacher in my brain. I'm tuning it out.

It's just that I have little time to blog as it is, and it's clear that the more you want to do with your blog, the more time you need to devote to it. I would love to be able to leisurely read my favorite blogs, think of something profound to say on my own blog, and then spend time crafting a lovely post.

It ain't gonna happen, my friends. At least not these days.

I tend to burn the candle at both ends by trying to blog early in the morning or late at night, but both methods leave me cranky and pressured to use my time to do other things around the house.

I know, I'm grumpy. And I know I've blogged about this before, but I still can't find a workable, long-term solution.

So while I give myself a computer time-out (just for a day or two), maybe you can leave me some ideas as to how to make it all work. I'm a big believer in systems and schedules (They don't call it German efficiency for nothing!), so maybe you can share yours.

How do you balance daily blogging with all of the responsibilities that come with running a household? Do you post sporadically when the inspiration strikes you? Or do you strive to post something daily, no matter how brief? Do you have a dedicated time of day for blogging? Do you write a whole bunch of posts and then schedule them?

Seriously, I need to know. Help a blogger out, would you please?

Something pretty to distract you from all the crankiness.

7 comments:

  1. I have no answers. I kind of have the same issues. I do want to post each week day, but I sometimes have a hard time coming up with anything worth writing. I do think a lot about what I will post when I'm on the treadmill. And I don't worry too much about when I actually get my daily post up, although I figure more people see it if I get it up early. When I'm really running low on ideas I participate in carnivals and memes. Regular ones like Tackle it Tuesday and Wordless Wednesday are good because you can join in one week and then skip it the next week.
    Enjoy your break.

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  2. First of all I tend to post when something comes to mind that seems worth taking the time to write. That said, there are days when a few things come to mind. On those days I write everything and schedule things to post on different days. The only thing I commit myself to doing every week is Food Friday where I post about food, cooking, and so on just because it's a subject I really enjoy and I know I'm going to have something come up to write about. Now, I'll admit I often write that post on a day other than Friday but it always gets scheduled to post on Friday. At the moment I have 3 or so written and waiting for their Friday to come along. Oh and I tend to just set aside a little time in the morning, afternoon, and evening to write. Only 15-20 minutes at a time which is enough to at least start a post and get the general idea down and then I can flesh it out during another time. That way I'm not trying to find a full free hour or anything in my day. Since there are days when nothing comes to mind I can go back and finish posts that I've already started but are still in draft stage and things like that or on days where I have a bunch of ideas I can start a bunch of bare bones posts to finish later. Hope that helps some. Enjoy your break :)

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  3. Anonymous10:33 AM

    I'm relatively new to blogging, but I've already seen how quickly it can consume way too much time. My new approach is: don't worry about how often I post...it doesn't have to be about something major all the time, it can just be short and light....and I've been trying to really limit my time on the computer in general..taking a few blogs out of my reader so I don't waste time ones that don't REALLY interest me.
    For me, writing on my blog and reading others is meant to be for fun, a way to relax, so I'm trying to do what I can to make it like that and not something more.

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  4. I could have written this very post. Life with a newborn in the home, two other kids and a husband and a blog requires a lot of time and energy.

    Lately I have been trying to post just once or twice a week. And during the week I try to figure out in my head what I want to write about it so it doesn't take as much computer time.

    As far as spending too much time on the computer reading other blogs? I still am trying to figure that out. I think I need to weed out my bloglines account, leave the computer off more often, and not check things so often.

    Good luck!

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  5. I decided from the beginning not to have sitemeter as I didn't want to start obsessing about who was visiting and who wasn't. My site is pretty simple, almost bare, but since I started blogging to organize my writing I don't need a lot of frills. I also decided that I don't need to post every day...a couple times a week is enough and doesn't make it seem like a huge chore. That doesn't mean I don't write, I just don't publish all the time.

    Blessings!

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  6. I took a month or so long break and I never looked back. I'm back to posting, but I only do it about once a week, maybe, ad only when the inspiration strikes. Yes, I'd like more hits and to have people stop by for more than 1 second (thanks for the added pressure, Statcounter), but I have other, more pressing things to do (like waste time on Facebook-or do laundry. Whatever)

    What you need to do is decide if you want to be Danielle Bean or Amy Welborn or if you're really OK with your blog the way it is. If you want top have a blog read by millions, you're going to have to schedule yourself serious time out of your day to do it. like as if it were your job. Because that's what it will require.

    On the other hand, if you're not really willing to set that much time aside, take a break for at least a week and ease back in.

    I like what Nicole said about writing extra and setting it to post later in the week.

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  7. I get up early and write my blog posts when I am fresh and everyone else is in bed.

    And I only write when I have something to write about. I started this blog to keep track of things my kids say or do that I want to remember and just general things that are going on around here. But if nothing is happening then I don't post.

    I only have two kids and they are 4 and 5 1/2 and when they are awake and are playing on their own, then I pop into the computer to read a few blogs here and there. And I only comment on blogs when I feel like I have something to add. I don't comment every time I read a post...that takes way too much time.

    Enjoy your break! Sometimes it just takes a few days away from the computer to really inspire you when you come back.

    As for me, I'm just waiting for school to start! :)

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Go ahead and say it. You know you want to.