by Skellie
Another exciting month for Skelliewag.org has drawn to a close. It’s been great to see a number of new faces around the place and it’s a pleasure to welcome almost three-hundred new RSS subscribers into the community.
On a personal note, this month has taught me something I wish I had learned seven years ago: beginning your blog or website on something you ‘think’ will be popular (but is not necessarily your passion), or a topic you feel you can grow into, is one way to ensure you burn-out when the going gets tough.
As a blogger or webmaster you will experience periods of adversity and without a driving passion, not just for your topic, but for the site you are building, it will be difficult to pull through them.
I should clarify that this period of adversity, for me, was nothing too serious: merely a matter of being snowed-under with work. It’s not surprising that studying full-time, working two part-time jobs, five or more long blog-posts a week, blog consulting, simplicity reviews and guest-posts here and there would get the better of me eventually.
I’ve been quieter than I’d like in terms of posting and comments these last few days. To explain my absence, I have largely been writing the last 3,000 words of over 9,500 words of assessment with due-dates in the last two weeks.
I cite these personal examples not in an effort to make excuses (a more sensible person would have completed the assessment in small chunks rather than leaving it to the last minute, nor would they have taken on so much optional work!). Rather, to illustrate that any serious blogger or webmaster should expect to encounter periods where the tasks they’re faced with seem overwhelming.
In those situations, it’s only the passion you have for writing on your topic (and dedication to a great community) that will see you through. When attempting to make money online, build a flagship blog, or achieve any other goal, the long-haul will require that what you do is, at times, a labor of love.
Perhaps the most important principle in successful, long-term blogging is not just to love your topic, but to learn to love your blog — in the same way an author might care for their novel, or a painter might treasure a portrait as they add layer after layer of detail.
On a more practical note, I’m developing a considerable backlog of simplicity reviews. If you have a review waiting to be done rest assured that it will happen soon. I hope to cut a big dent in them tomorrow.
Another thing September has taught me: I really need to work on the ‘Done’ part of GTD!
My five favorite posts in September:
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11 Comments, Comment or Ping
Ankesh Kothari
Do you ever sleep Skellie?
(Btw - loved your idea of a monthly round up.)
Oct 2nd, 2007
Lynnae @ Being Frugal
My goal this month is to work on the “Done” in Getting Things Done, too.
Find some time to relax, OK?
Oct 2nd, 2007
skellie
@ Ankesh: Sure. Do I sleep enough? Probably not.
@ Lynnae: The “Getting Things” part is easy — too easy. If only tasks could be completed in as much time as it took to be lumped with them!
I do need to get some relaxing in before I start writing the book… Then I doubt I will get any at all for a long time ;).
Oct 2nd, 2007
pablopabla
I won’t be surprised that you will get at least 1000 RSS subscribers by year end especially when you keep churning out thoughtful posts like this. What I liked about your posts is that it shows a great amount of work put into each and every one of them. That shows your passion, Skellie! Kudos to you!
Oct 3rd, 2007
skellie
Thank you, as always, Pablo :D.
Oct 3rd, 2007
Michael from Pro Blog Design
Congrats on another successful month Skellie! It’s nothing other than to be expected. Great ideas, great articles and great comments. What else was likely to happen?
Oct 4th, 2007
Mason from SmallFuel Marketing
Congrats on more RSS subscribers. I agree with pablopabla that you’ll have 1000 subscribers before you know it.
I’m gonna have to try and catch up (yea right).
Good luck with the work!
- Mason Hipp
Oct 4th, 2007
skellie
Thanks Michael, as always :). I would absolutely say the same for you.
@ Mason: You already have a site with fantastic simplicity going for you — let’s see if a content plan and traffic strategy can really kick things off :D.
Oct 5th, 2007
marguerite manteau-rao
Skellie,
I just discovered your blog, and you made my day!
The older I get, the more real I want to be. Life is too short trying to be someone else. And as you so well say, it’s exhausting.
I have got this green blog that I feel pretty passionate about. An (almost) hourly account of my life as a Green Girl Wannabe. Not the sexiest thing, no gossips, no business tips, no sex, no gadgets. Just random thoughts, rants, snippets from my life with Green Guru (my husband), comments on stuff I read here and there, flashes of insights. It ain’t got to make you richer. Seeing all those trashy blogs do so well, got me thinking. Should I? Should I get dirty, and entertain? My friends think I should, keep on sending me links to such and such blogger, who maybe, could, would use my services as juicy green blogger in residence. Nah!
Now, you get some sleep, girl . . .
Oct 8th, 2007
skellie
@ Marguerite: Welcome to the community :D.
My advice would be to work out what you want from blogging before you decide what approach you want to take. If you want to get popular fast, then ‘getting dirty’ might be one way to do it. But if it’s not what you enjoy, it will show, and it probably won’t work. Always stick with what you love writing — once you do that, success will generally find you by itself.
Oct 8th, 2007
Susan
Skellie– I’m glad I happened upon your website today as well as this post and particularly your ‘comment in a comment’ to Marguerite. After 6 long blogging years I’m conflicted, too, but I should really be following my passion.
Btw, I’ve also subscribed to your feed!
Oct 9th, 2007
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