Friday, October 3, 2014

Ways to prevent blogging burnout


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Through the articles I've written on Ahrvey, I've emphasized two essential things:  Blog about things that genuinely matter to you vis-a-vis whatever it is you're trying to accomplish and Blog in ways that are realistic and doable over time.  But When Blogging Becomes a Slog, as Steven Kurutz writes sensitively and straightforwardly, then perhaps you've gone off-track with one or both of these emphases. 

I have 13 Blogger accounts, plus 2 more book-blogs; 5 Tumblr accounts; and 3 Pinterest accounts.  Not to mention several social media profiles, too.  It's a lot to keep up with, and I admit to dips in my interest, motivation and activity.  But more than a year now, and I've kept up with all of them.  I have no where near the popularity or uptake that some bloggers have, such as those whom Kurutz writes about.  But what I write is meaningful to me and I keep a realistic pace.

I've had to adjust things, mind you.  When I launched five new blogs for Dr. Ron Art last year, for example, I wrote daily (five times a week), and I kept at it for four to six weeks, just so I had a good buildup of content.  Then I dialed it down to three times a week, three weeks a month.  Recently, because I shifted focus on priority projects, I've dialed it down another notch to three times a week, two weeks a month.

In addition to those two emphases at the outset, I suggest Keep a close eye on how you're doing vis-a-vis blogging.  Do not be so disciplined, and productive, and efficient, and gung-ho, that you lose sight of your waning interest and energy levels.  It's fine to adjust, it's fine to dial down.  But most of all, you must step back regularly, see where things are at, and assess where you're going.  You may need to take time off, and if so, then do so.  Life changes, shit happens.

The best way to deal with burnout is to prevent it, and the best time to do so is before you burn out.

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