Archive for » September, 2008 «

Sep

487968912 e2c10a8174 NBOTW Helping You Helping Others
Sometimes it’s hard for us to stay motivated. Our plates are so full with things to do, we keep adding more and it becomes a balancing act.

This weeks “New Blog Of The Week” (NBOTW) has help for you. In his post titled “5 Tips For Motivational Recovery”, he reminds us to

Look at the alternatives.

I find that often times the best medicine is a little shock therapy. In this case it’s a matter of seeing what lies in store for you if you decide to give up on your dreams. It can be quite scary if you really take a look at the mediocrity that is in store for those who give up and take the easy road. Look at the average on the street who is just “getting by” and see that this may be you in the near future. Remind yourself that this may be living but it is certainly NOT being alive!

In blogosphere as well as in life, most people enjoy spending time with their friends, their “community”. This blogger dedicated a post to this subject. In “10 Reasons Why Community Is Essential To Our Success And Well Being” he wrote (in part)

We need to be needed.

There’s often times nothing more satisfying than filling the need of another human being. Knowing that it is because of something we did, something we provided, that another person is better off, gives us a great sense of purpose and satisfaction. And it is being involved in a community that gives you many of these great opportunities

This is the first blogger I’ve seen who has dedicated a complete page to his community. It’s a place where you can show your photography skills by downloading favorite photos and/or pictures of yourself.

You’ve seen him here (in the comment section). Now it’s time to visit his home at “Motivate Thyself”. He is Eric and his tag line reads “Your Freedom Depends On It”.

As a footnote, Eric recently started a second blog based on the popularity of a series he started. With the addition of his second site, he’ll be writing more about blogging as well as showcasing new bloggers. His second blog is Up And Coming Blogger.

Eric, I wish you loads of success with both of your blogs.

Enjoy your reign as “New Blog Of The Week”.

Photo Credit: erikaflynn’s photostream

Category: Archives, New Blog Of The Week 30 Comments

Sep

Strike While The Iron Is Hot

Barbara Swafford

Last week we discussed how many of us are blogoholics and spend massive amounts of time blogging. Although blogging is a great hobby, it can interfere with our daily lives.

Decreasing the amount of time we spend blogging can not only improve our real life social skills, but can free up more time to spend on other goals.

Today’s Lesson

Like many of you, I need to become efficient in my blogging activities. Listed below are five tips I’ve come up with for streamlining our blogging routines.

Set a timer when visiting blogs in your reader

Although I don’t do this each time I visit the blogs in my reader, when I do, it makes me realize how fast an hour passes when I’m reading other blogs and commenting.

Answer your comments less often

If you’re receiving a steady stream of comments, let them build up before joining in. Often commenters will “feed” off each other and an interesting discussion can ensue.

Pick one or two favorite social networking sites

Each time we add another social networking site to our list, it eats into our blogging time. Use the ones you enjoy the most and discard the rest.

Write when creativity strikes

Bloggers often have spurts of creativity followed by dry spells. When creative juices are flowing, write several posts at once. When the dry spells hit, we have something to fall back on.

Post date your articles

For those using WordPress, we can take advantage of the post date feature on our WordPress blog. In WordPress 2.5.1, the option is under “Edit” of your “write” screen.

Today’s Assignment

How do you streamline your blogging time?

Can you add other suggestions to the list?

Feel free to join in the conversation, share your time saving tips, or let us know how ideas posted by others will help you.

Photo Credit: AMANITO’s photostream

Category: Archives, Blogging, Blogging Lessons, Comments, Networking, Posting, Save Time, Social Networking, Writing Tips Tags: Blogging, Blogs, social networking sites, time saving tips, Writing Tips 58 Comments

Sep

Updates – Time Tracking – Open Mic

Barbara Swafford

Hi All,

Another busy week has come to an end.

To recap the week:

1) On Monday we looked at how blogging can fill a void in our lives.

2) Tuesday Davina and her blog Loving Pulse were showcased as New Blog of the Week (NBOTW)

3) Wednesday was a day of gratitude. How we can thank others for commenting and frequenting our blogs was discussed.

4) Yesterday was a fun day. Everyone contributed their definitions of blogoholism (is that a word?) If you haven’t read all of the comments, you must check them out. We have some true comedians in the BWAB community, and they did they best to make us laugh.

This week I upgraded to the newest CommentLuv plugin. It took a few tries, but I now have it working properly.

My Friday Question:

How many hours a day (average) do you spend on blogging activities?

For me, at times it seems my blog is always on my mind, but having checked how much time I spend on writing/editing posts, answering comments, visiting other blogs and commenting, working behind the scenes, checking stats, checking/answering emails, and partaking in social networking , I average 8 hours a day.

And to think, I call myself a part-time blogger. Whew!

By the way, today is also “Open Mic”

The floor is yours. You know the rules.

Blogging questions, comments and concerns are welcome.

Have Fun!

Keep it Clean!

And don’t forget to either check the “subscribe to comments on this post” box, or subscribe to my comments RSS feed (upper right sidebar), so you can follow along.

Happy Blogging & Have A Great Weekend!

Photo Credit: wan fauzan’s photostream

Category: Archives, Blogging, Comments, Open Mic, Plugins and Widgets Tags: Blogging, blogging questions, Blogs, Comments, Open Mic, Social Networking 54 Comments

Sep

Signs of A Blogoholic

Barbara Swafford

2511198329 d42e6ec4b9 Signs of A Blogoholic

Last week I burnt my right hand taking a bowl out of the microwave. The only thing that would make it feel better was to keep it wrapped in a ice filled cloth or running cold water on it.

For over four hours I was unable to blog. I couldn’t do much of anything.

It killed me.

That incident confirmed I’m addicted to blogging.

Today’s Lesson

Let’s have some fun today and share what makes a blogoholic.

You know you’re a blogoholic when:

1) You reply to an email from your boss and say “thank you for the link love”

2) Your significant other wants to get intimate, but before you do, you sneak to your computer to check your stats.

3) Your neighbor comes by and asks you if you can help him with his (fence) post, and you reply, “Oh, are you a blogger, too?”

4) You’re at a local city meeting where they are discussing how to count the traffic that travels down a specific street. Your mind is on your blog, you hear the word “traffic’ and raise your hand and say, “I would recommend Google Analytics”.

5) You’re thrilled when you make $.03 on an AsSense ad. Celebrations begin when you make your first dollar.

Okay, I started it, now it’s up to you.

Today’s Assignment

Have fun and share your thoughts on how to tell if someone is a blogoholic.

Feel free to speak from your own experiences as well.

I’m looking forward to what you all come up with.

Photo Credit : derfel_ie’s photostream

Category: Archives, Blogging, Blogging Lessons 59 Comments

Sep

Sometimes Thank You Is Not Enough

Barbara Swafford

374268661 c63d40d3b5 Sometimes Thank You Is Not Enough

When we truly give from our heart, we never have a second thought of what we might receive in return. We give to help, support, honor and/or show our affection to others. When I blog, my goal is the same.

Todays Lesson

Today my heart is filled to the brim. Reflecting back on just the last ten days, I am honored to have been mentioned on twelve thirteen blogs. To show my gratitude and share the generosity of these bloggers, I am listing each link. I encourage you to visit their sites and drop them a line.