Confessions of a really new blogger

September 24, 2010

So I launched my blog this past Monday and announced it to the Twitterverse…got many retweets and congrats, and at least one blog mention (thanks again, Maggie!).

Now the reality sets in. I actually have to write this thing…it ain’t gonna write itself. After all, I don’t want to be like the bride who loves weddings and hates being married. I confess: this might be a big reason I haven’t started a blog before now. After all, it’s a commitment. Now that I’ve publicly said I’m gonna do this thing, I darn well better do it!

Sometimes, putting “it” out there, making it public, is a very good thing. I guess that’s why they tell you writing down your goals is so important. I think this blog is going to do some really good things for me.

• It will help me be more disciplined in when and how I write. Writing is hard work…just ask any writer who makes it look effortless (and there are a lot of them out there!). You can’t wing it; you can’t “mail it in.” Every writing teacher I ever had (not to mention every book in my writer’s library) told me the key to success in writing is to sit down and write. Regularly.

• It will force me to prioritize (or at least take a stab at it) what I want to think and write about. My really big challenge is that I have lots to learn and lots of things I want to learn, and lots of things I want to write about here. Even within the topic of learning – not to mention the peripherally related things that might end up on this blog. Ten minutes on Twitter and I’ve found 20 new websites to read…an hour on a live Twitter chat brings me new tweeps and a whole new set of links to explore. Simply by going through the process of prioritizing what’s important to this blog, I’ll get increasingly better at deciding where to focus, what to write about.

• It will help me refine my ideas. When I’m figuring things out, I’ll frequently “think out loud” (if you’ve ever been in conversation with me, you’ve likely heard me do it!). I “write out loud,” too…a sort of stream-of-consciousness process that helps me capture ideas and then mold them into something that makes sense (to me, anyway).

So even as I blog, I’m learning. Learning to be more disciplined, better at prioritizing, better at refining ideas. My big ‘ah-ha’ for the day…what was yours? Spend a little time thinking about it; you might surprise yourself.

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Sam Smith September 24, 2010 at 9:36 pm

Hi Kathi,

I think that getting out there and doing it is key. I wrote regular posts for about a year then stopped. It has been hard to get going again.

If you want some free blog coaching – I suggest copyblogger.com. These guys have great advice on titles, calls to action, etc.

Good luck on this new adventure. By the way, remember to have fun!

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Kathi September 24, 2010 at 11:03 pm

Thanks, Sam! I appreciate the comments…I’ve read Copyblogger (and been a big fan) since earlier this year when I was first getting serious about blogging. I learned a lot from them; still get their feed and subscribe to the newsletter!

I definitely plan to have fun with blogging; I think part of it is getting into the swing of regular and purposeful writing. So maybe my starting will help you get going again??!! Let me know when you do!

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Deirdre Reid September 25, 2010 at 7:53 am

Your confessions could be any blogger’s. It’s definitely a commitment, but one that you define. I like to take time every now and then to brainstorm ideas and jot them down so I always have fodder for blogging — something I’ve only been doing recently, so it took me a while to figure that out. I also schedule time to write and time to read other blogs of all types.

Blogging has become one of my most satisfying activities. I hope it becomes the same for you.

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Kathi September 25, 2010 at 9:56 am

Thanks, Deirdre! I like your idea of blogging being a commitment I define…most of us have so many commitments in life defined by others that it’s good to have one of our own to shape.

I’m reminded of something I once heard from Ken Blanchard, in a very small group leadership conference I attended. It’s always stuck with me (in fact, it’s what got me off my duff to earn my CAE way back when). Ken said the difference between “interest” and “commitment” could be summed up by this question: how many diets does it take to lose weight? Answer: only one, if you’re committed. I’m finally committed to blogging.

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Todd Lohenry September 25, 2010 at 8:42 am

Nice post! You’ll go far. I cross posted you here for my clients with commentary; http://e1evation.com/2010/09/25/confessions-of-a-really-new-blogger/

Reply

Kathi September 25, 2010 at 10:31 am

Thank you, Todd, for your comments and for sharing my post with your readers along with your own commentary.

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