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Blogging is awesome. I am not sure what I would have done with myself this past year if I had not discovered blogging. It has been very healing and therapeutic, and I also feel like I have been able to help others as well.
Blogging can also be addictive. It can get into your blood, and many of us use the phrase “we have drank the kool-aid”. There are SO many options when it comes to blogging, it is easy to be overwhelmed AND to get distracted.
Many of us can get overwhelmed with the everyday running of our blogs and with all the options that are available. With WordPress and Blogger (and Blogger’s recent mishaps). And then there are plugins and widgets and sidebars and RSS and Feedburner. Not to mention monetization, if that is your goal. And then there are options for promoting your blog, and collaborations with others.
Again, it can be a tad bit overwhelming.
Blog Conferences
And speaking of being overwhelmed, as I write this, many of my friends are preparing to attend Blogher in a just a few weeks. This sounds like an awesome blogging conference, with over 3k attendees! I am not attending this conference, but I did just attend TypeACon in North Carolina last month, as well as Blissdom last January, so I do have some experience in this subject overall.
Many of us attending conferences are content with certain areas of our blog. There may be a few things we are looking to change, but we usually don’t go to a conference looking to do a major overhaul after we come home.
Ah, but then we get to the conference and we attend some really awesome sessions. And we talk to some really awesome bloggers. And we connect with some brands eager to work with us.
And we get distracted by the SHINY. Whereas we were content with something when we arrived, now we just have to try this new awesome theme/plugin/widget/affiliate program. We see how others are doing things, we look at their blogs and hear their stories and now we want to be like them. We want to try what they are doing.
The latest and greatest. That will solve ALL our problems, if we could just try this and it work for us.
I encourage you, whether you are attending Blogher or not, be careful to not get distracted by the SHINY. Yes, it is true that you can and will find some great ideas and opportunities while researching. And definitely you will learn about new things at the conferences, I mean, why else do you go? (except maybe for the awesome bloggy FRIENDS you get to see, and all the SWAG!)
Just don’t let yourself be swayed by everything.
Take a long hard look at your blog.
Ask yourself these questions:
Why am I blogging?
What is my purpose?
What am I hoping to accomplish or build?
Who is my audience?
Focus on YOUR blog
Once you answer these questions in your mind or maybe even on paper, it will become easier to know what SHINY new things to look at, and which ones you can admire, but say “That is great, but it isn’t for me and my blog”.
And maybe, just maybe, you can make it home from conference without being overwhelmed. Or, maybe it IS just inevitable, but at least you won’t feel like you have to implement everything you learned!
One of the very best things you can come home from conferences with? New friends! And… opportunities for collaborating. Collaboration (working in conjunction with other bloggers in a variety of ways) can also be a SHINY, but it can also be just the thing you need.
So, whether you are going to a conference or not, becoming confident in what you want your blog to be will help you to avoid every new SHINY that comes along, and that overwhelming feeling that can come along with it!
Do you find yourself overwhelmed with all the options in blogging? Are you easily distracted by the SHINY?
LOL, stay focused! RT @MamaBritt Getting distracted, OH SHINY! http://t.co/RJ787Dg via @womanonajourney
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I am going, know I’ll be distracted, but so excited to reconnect with so many bloggin’ buddies. That’s what the conferences are about for me.
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Getting distracted, OH SHINY! http://twrt.me/u09qo via @womanonajourney
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good point, but I have to admit, I love the shiny! I am going to blogher, my first time- shriek! I am mostly hoping just to meet people I interact with online-in person.
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What a terrific post!!
Penelope recently posted..10 Ways To WOW Your Wife #Marriage
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What a great message Bernice. I have spent weeks in the recent past so distracted by the shiny (I should be doing, X, Y & Z) that I got behind on what I should really be doing — focusing on writing!
It gets hard not to second guess yourself when there are so many competing opinions and success stories in the blogosphere. Hopefully I’ll be better at maintaining a tighter focus in the coming weeks.
Jenny @ exconsumer recently posted..You’re Consumer Debt-Free. What Now?
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I am trying to find a balance to begin blogging and to develop and keep the passion to write great posts, but I have been finding it a struggle to really stay motivated as I can get distracted by many shiny things that coem along.I am however inspired at the dedication this blog has.I will try an absorb some of the energy
jim recently posted..edible arrangements
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Bernice,
This is in keeping with my bad habit of comparing myself to others, and coming up short! I am amazed at Moms on the blogosphere who successfully blog, write, home school and promote their businesses!
I know I should NEVER compare, but it is so tempting to do!
Mary @ A Simple Twist of Faith recently posted..Tackle It Tuesday #6: Meal Planning
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You are so right about the distractions of blogging!! And the addiction. And the relief & refuge it provides.
I am also addicted to reading other people’s blogs from start to finish, which is time consuming too.
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Good sharing. Those questions are definitely things that popped out the most when people are thinking about starting their own blog, or when they reach the peak of boredom in their blogging activity.
Andrew Walker recently posted..NewVistaLive Coupon Code
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Sometimes I get distracted by the shiny, but I recover fairly quickly! LOL… Mostly the shiny that attracts me is something that I want to add to or improve on my blog. I’m getting a handle on the shiny stuff that’s not going to do anything for me, but keep me distracted. This is a great post!
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Definitely in the overwhelmed stage already — without ever attending a blogging conference! Thanks for the reminder to keep the focus – I so appreciate being able to learn from your experience!
Elizabeth recently posted..Frame of reference is everything when it comes to measuring success.
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I do get distracted by the shiny. I love trying new plugins and some are really helpful and some are just a waste of time. Thanks for the reminder of what really matters!
Sheridan recently posted..Baby Born 90 Minutes after Baking Cake!
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I will be attending BlogHer11 next week, this is my first BlogHer conference and am SO excited to connect and meet other bloggers. The ‘shiny’ will be fun also…everything in moderation:) And you are so right about blogging becoming an addiction. It totally is for me. I love the sense of community I’ve gained through blogging! Thanks for the great post:)
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Those SHINY you just mention will be able to give you additional goals to undertake. But it is really a distraction because it is better to do things one step at a time.
kamille recently posted..dating for men
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Hi, Bernice,
the way you are describing the state of being overwhelmed with blogging and trying out anything new out there is fun and clever. It shows bloggers from a unique perspective that everyone is aware of, but just avoids talking about. You had the guts to post the truth about it!
Shiny, glamorous things, all new, tryouts…it’s all there. No wonder why people get addictive to their blogging jobs.
Kristina L. recently posted..Coward Shoes Coupon Code
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Overwhelmed with all you heard at #blogher11? Here is a post for you! Don’t get distracted by the SHINY! ~ http://ow.ly/5XdTk
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