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Friday, December 3, 2010

Friend Friday--Blogger Burnout

1. How many hours a week do you spend blogging? Has that number changed since you started blogging?

I try and limit myself to 2 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the beginning, it was probably more than that—just getting to know my way around the blog world. I can see how it could get totally addictive (see Vahni of Grit and Glamour's IFB’s article here), and really don’t want blogging to become the ONLY thing I do in life!
I’m now wanting to blog Mon-Fri-with weekends off. And maybe in the future, 3x’s a week, or ONLY WHEN I HAVE SOMETHING EARTH SHATTERING TO POST!

2. There is always more you can do, write, read, comment on... how do you limit your time spent on these tasks?

I’m usually pretty tired after a couple of hours—so my own clock tells me. Nonetheless, I do SET priorities—write my blog, visit my closest friends and comment, then branch out from there.

 3. Have you experienced Blogger burnout yet? How have you dealt with that?

Not yet, but I can see how it can happen. I have gotten stressed though—a late post, or pictures that didn’t come out, or trouble saying what I wanted to say. It’s tough to remain creative and fresh, and after a while you would ask yourself, why am I doing this?  I do feel that setting some goals for a blog is a good idea, along with a time frame to meet those goals.

 4. This time of the year is always a lot busier than any other time. Will your blogging change as a result?

Again, I got a head’s up from another blogger on IFB, and before Thanksgiving I started with pre-designing little quick posts that I could put up at a moment’s notice so I wouldn’t stress. It really helped. I’m sure the viewing numbers  weren’t there—and that’s something I just have to forget about a little over the holidays. It’s more important to enjoy the holidays.

5. Could you foresee a moment in which you are not blogging anymore? How would you identify that it's time to walk away?

I read a post from a blogger, (it could have been Pro-Blogger) who said he was very disappointed when a fellow blogger was closing shop. Come to find out, the blogger had gotten her dream job from her blog. Happy ending; the blog did what it had to.

When to walk? For me, when my blog has lost its creativity; when I don’t help people anymore; when the mojo is gone —time to pack it in! Have I met my goal? It seems like 2 years is a good gauge, and I can reassess it at that point.





8 comments:

  1. I like your comments. Sounds like you're finding a good balance!

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  2. Good answers. I post every 4 days, and I think for me is more than enough for me.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  3. I also have been helped by articles on IFB...these questions have helped me to gauge if I am out of line with what I am attempting to accomplish.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Sounds to me you're feeling satisfied and contented with blogging. Kudos to you for that x

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  5. Paula--I like how you describe the moments of doubt. When I am tired, especially, a little voice in my head suggests I am insane...and then I go snap another photo. I hope to do some soul-searching about this over the holidays.

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  6. thanks for the IFB link
    I still okay!

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  7. Hi Paula. Great insight into blogging. I'm blogging daily (yikes) just to get in the habit but mostly feel I'm talking to myself. Love your blog and will visit often.

    Thanks,
    Marzz

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  8. Serene~I just dont want to get too caught up in all the competition that I see out there...
    Sacramento~That is a good schedule and I hope to be there someday!
    Pam~Yeah, I just dont want to get too crazy with it!
    Devilishly~and you? Are you content?
    Terri~I think we all have to reflect from time to time...
    Silvergirl~IFB is great resource
    Marzz~thanks and I found very quickly that 7 days is too much-there is a lot of stuff out there that says you should blog every day--too much for me! Good luck, tho~

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