Personalized Blogging

I've taken the last few weeks off from blogging, and I think it was a great decision.  I had previously been adamant about keeping a rigid posting schedule (3 times a week) and I got burnt out.  I became focused on meeting my self-imposed deadlines, and the quality of the blog posts often suffered.  So after taking a little breather, I think I'm ready to start writing about things that I care about, and hopefully that will translate into a more enjoyable experience for me as well as for those that read this blog.

It looks like it will be a busy fall for me, and there should be plenty to write about.  Next week I start my final term for my MBA program, and the schedule should be pretty challenging.  I also will be taking on some new responsibilities at work, which will give me an opportunity to expand my base of knowledge.

I'll try to write at least one post each week, but I don't plan to force it into my schedule when it just doesn't fit.  More than anything, I just want to make sure that my blogging experience feels authentic and worthwhile.  Anything else is a waste of your time and mine.

Gone Fishing

When I started blogging at the beginning of the year my goal was to post 3 times a week, no exceptions.  Well, last week I posted on Monday, and that's it.  When it came time to write posts for Wednesday and Friday I just didn't have it in me.  I felt like I had nothing at all to say, and I didn't want to write a boring, meaningless post just to stick to an arbitrary schedule.

I've written before about some of the difficulty I've had keeping up with my blogging schedule, and until now I've always maintained that blogging on a regular schedule was important enough to me that I would continue, even when I didn't really feel like blogging.  The difference now is that the quality of my blog posts have been going down (in my opinion, anyway), and that means it's time for me to take a step back and rethink my approach.

I need to rethink a few things about how I approach blogging.  For now I expect to post on an ad-hoc basis, most likely once a week.  Hopefully a few tweaks can help me feel a little less burnt out.

Does Blogging Quantity Decrease Quality?

I received a comment on Monday's post that I should consider abandoning my rigid blogging schedule of posting every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday at 6am.  The idea is to focus on quality posts and not worry about quantity.  I agree that quality is critical, but isn't quantity important as well? 

I think blogging on a schedule has merit.  If I were doing anything else business related on a schedule it would imply improved quality (better focus, earlier shipping times, etc.).  I try to have the same focus when it comes to blogging, and thought I admit I've posted a few dull ones here and there I think the schedule ultimately helps me remember that this is something important to me.  Otherwise I'd just post whenever I felt like it, and it would quickly cease to be a priority.

Do any other bloggers keep to a schedule?  Any that don't?

Blogging Failure

My blogging goal for 2010 was to post 3 times a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 6am.  I typically write each post the afternoon or evening before it's scheduled, and when I get up the next morning I paste links into LinkedIn groups and on bizsugar.com.  For six months I posted on time without fail, even while on vacation.  My schedule had never been broken.  Until today.

This morning I realized I forgot to write a blog post.  I should have over the weekend, but it was gorgeous out.  I took care of regular weekend chores (grocery shopping, laundry, etc.), but mostly I tried to avoid the indoors.  A little outdoor dining, a walk downtown, a mountain biking trip... blogging never crossed my mind.

I'm disappointed that I broke my streak (I'm kind of obsessive like that), but it was a great weekend and I'm actually glad I didn't try to force blog writing into it.  Plus I'm still getting this up on Monday morning, so I'm not too far off the mark.  No harm done!