I've come to realize, after a year and a half of purposeful blogging, I need to get organized. It's getting tougher and tougher to sit down in front of the computer screen and fire off a blog post. First of all, it's super hard to think up a topic off the top of my head. Sometimes I'll get an idea for a post while I'm cooking or driving or showering, but I don't write it down and the *poof* I forget what I was thinking about. I've seen a flowery fancy blog organizer advertised on the internet. These must be for Mommy Bloggers. I don't mind a flower or two, but this one was certainly flowery to the nth degree.
Another organizing tool I would like to begin to use is a calendar of some sort to remind me of special bloggers I'd like to link-up with on certain days. Often I'll finish my post and hit Publish, and then *facepalm* I've forgotten to add the link to their blog and have to edit my post. Or worse, forget to link altogether.
One blogger told me she has a "dummy blog page" where she writes drafts of potential blogs and then copies and pastes them to her real blog page when she is read to publish. The header for her dummy page is DO NOT PUBLISH in giant red letters. I don't know if this would work for me. I think it may have been helpful when I was working on redesigning my page. I know I went back and forth and back and forth on what I liked and what I didn't like. I even scared myself when I thought I'd deleted the whole thing.
I'd love to hear any suggestions my blogger friends or readers use to organize their blog and blogging time. Some of you have such gorgeous blogs.
191. Organic local strawberries (these cannot be compared to grocery store berries)
192. Knowing I will be ON VACATION at this time next week
193. An "attaboy" from my boss (rare and far between)
195. It's Friday (just sayin')
196. Knowing I'm making lamb stew this weekend (we love lamb stew)
197. I've started walking again and it's a good thing
Another organizing tool I would like to begin to use is a calendar of some sort to remind me of special bloggers I'd like to link-up with on certain days. Often I'll finish my post and hit Publish, and then *facepalm* I've forgotten to add the link to their blog and have to edit my post. Or worse, forget to link altogether.
One blogger told me she has a "dummy blog page" where she writes drafts of potential blogs and then copies and pastes them to her real blog page when she is read to publish. The header for her dummy page is DO NOT PUBLISH in giant red letters. I don't know if this would work for me. I think it may have been helpful when I was working on redesigning my page. I know I went back and forth and back and forth on what I liked and what I didn't like. I even scared myself when I thought I'd deleted the whole thing.
I'd love to hear any suggestions my blogger friends or readers use to organize their blog and blogging time. Some of you have such gorgeous blogs.
191. Organic local strawberries (these cannot be compared to grocery store berries)
192. Knowing I will be ON VACATION at this time next week
193. An "attaboy" from my boss (rare and far between)
195. It's Friday (just sayin')
196. Knowing I'm making lamb stew this weekend (we love lamb stew)
197. I've started walking again and it's a good thing
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| SuperBlogger |
I have a list of future topics in Word and a few unpublished drafts in Blogger. Mostly, though, in blogging as in life: I'm a hot, piggy mess.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe you can manage three children (one, a future black belt) and a husband and manage a home and a blog and take pictures and help Em out with her blog and be a hot mess. No, I cannot believe this is close to truth. You aren't planning to move into a bus, are you? Now there's a hot mess. :)
ReplyDeleteHa. Well, here's the thing: we make space for the things most important to us. Evidently, a clean and organized house is nowhere near the top of my priority list. Also, I haven't combed my hair, today.
ReplyDeletei keep a notebook in my back pocket...as i get ideas i scribble them down..and then i write about them...thats about the best i got...smile.
ReplyDeleteI am usually not that organized about my blog, but I've had to be in that current A to Z challenge, so that I can schedule my next day post at midnight. I sometimes jot down my good things when I think of it, but otherwise I'm stuck staring at the screen and going over my last day for everything that happened to me. :) Love it when there's something glaringly good.
ReplyDeleteMy goal is to post M-F, but I don't always reach that goal. It has a lot to do with my daughters. I don't like them seeing me on the computer too much and some weeks I don't get a lot of alone time. But one thing that helps me is having a notebook and a pen in the kitchen, in the car, etc. Basically, I have a notebook and a pen handy everywhere in my home. So whenever I have an idea, I can write it down. Because the same thing happens to me, I forget the ideas that pop in my head sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI keep separate handwritten journal handy, where I write down what I am going to post before it hits the screen, but that is mainly because my access to the internet is limited. Although at a glance this may seem like a handicap, I've found that it can often be an advantage. Sometimes, the pen is quicker than the keyboard.
ReplyDeleteHandwriting doesn't work for me - you should see my hand-writing. Or maybe you really shouldn't! You couldn't read it. Since I started working, it's harder. Soccer season came - and it became more challenging. I have brainstorming drafts in wordpress. I also use word for drafts, too. However, I am NOT a planner. I don't plan a month out, though I have things in the hopper I want to get to. I think the key to be comfortable in your writing rhythm, how your messages evolve and trusting your process. BTW - I've started sending e-mails to myself at work during lunch. Be YOURSELF I think is the key!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking all about blogging and then I read lamb stew and all I could think about was, I want your recipe. We love lamb! Anyway, there's a blog post idea, your lamb stew recipe. :)
ReplyDeleteI just blog when I have the time and schedule the posts. :)
ReplyDeleteI also began blogging about a year ago. I completely appreciate your issues with organizing time around blogging and the rest of life...let me know when you figure it out. I could use some suggestions as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog...keep it up!
-Paula
"Thinking Matters"
www.drpauladurlofsky.blogspot.com