I've thought about blogging a lot--that is if I should do it or not. I was first introduced to blogging a few years ago when I became very interested in serious coupon use to save $$$ at the grocery store. (Man, you really can save lots of money, and the resources that are out there are awesome--but for this sorry momma--it takes tons of time--something I don't have a lot of!)
When I was pregnant with my third babe, I decided to start a blog dedicated to matching coupons to the sales flyers at my local grocery stores. But I quickly found out that this was waaaaaay too much work for me and my verbose writing style (and there were other people out there doing a much better job at this than I ever could). I wasn't interested in teaching people or making blogging my life. I just wanted to share my story.
So I decided to change focus and write more of a frugal living blog--one where I could talk about living a simple yet full life--one that keeps my spending in check. (If you are really interested in my bloggy past, you can check it out--sorry lots of dead links since I abandoned the original web address).
But I quickly found that I couldn't maintain the blog and my sanity and keep my bathrooms clean all at the same time (well my bathrooms still are not clean, but that's not really the point), so I threw in the towel.
By this point, I became really interested in reading weight loss blogs, and decided that I too could use blogging as a tool to lose weight. I thought it would be a great way to track my progress, communicate with others like me, and to find motivation. I totally, totally think blogging can be all of those things for me. I just underestimated how my life would change with a new babe (now almost two years old)--and I underestimated how little focused computer time I would be able to find in my life. So for the first 18 months of my little guys life, I tried to write here, I tried to figure out what I was really doing with my "mom" life and with MY life and what I really wanted. But I fizzled out. . . time and time again.
But life goes on and I am still here dealing with my lil old life and challenges. Since the last time I blogged, I have made a few changes. I have decided to re-join Weight Watchers, which I'm sure I'll blog tons more about in the future. In any case, I decided I would work their program, use all of their tools, and focus all of my weight loss energy on what they have to offer. I was excited to find out that they actually have a blogging tool available through their e-tools. I tried to use it, but have found ONE MAJOR FLAW for me and the way I work: you can't save drafts!!! You have to write and publish all at the same time. Or I could have tried to first write in Word and then copy over to the blog, but this seemed way too tedious to me, so I let the WW blogging go as well.
So I am now back to Blogger and my little old weight loss blog--and I'm going to give the writing a shot. I'm still contemplating how to use this best--like should I use it as a journal and ramble on and on. How personal should I get? Do I really want to post all of my dirty details here? Are you really going to bear your soul Jen?
And I've contemplated if I should stick with Blogger? Shouldn't I try Wordpress where I can get more serious about blogging? And shouldn't I buy my own domain name? And shouldn't I make my blog prettier and more professional and . . . ? And shouldn't I change the name of my blog and find that perfect name? Seriously, these are the silly thoughts that infect my mind and keep my from doing the real work, keep me in the little limbo state that has been my life up to this point. You know what that real work is don't you? You know. . . actually WRITING on this blog thing . . and moving your body. . . and going to the gym. . . and walking. . . . and eating some fruit and veggies now and then. . . . and getting some sleep. . . . and doing it over and over and over again. That's the real work, you know! That's the real meat of it. Write, Act, live!
So I'm a-writing --right here for a while. I'm excited to see where this takes me. I'm encouraged. I'm glad I'm here. So if you are a-reading, feel free to say "hey" and leave a comment. We've got to keep trying right? I know I do.
Thanks for your info. Very well explained about the weight loss. Once again thanks for your article.
ReplyDeleteKenneth Lee
HCG Ez Trim
Definitely don't let the blogging become a barrier or a chore. For me the bare minimum is posting a weekly weigh-in post; the are no excuses not to do it (it can take 5 minutes).
ReplyDeleteWith regards to what to blog about, I'm loving being able to look back to a year ago and read what I was thinking/doing. Sometimes I cringe, sometimes I smile, but it's all authentic (the good and the bad).
My blog was "semi-anonymous" until recently, in that no one I shared it with knew me offline. That allowed me to write without fear. Now that I've shared the site with friends and family, a lot the feedback from them has been on the "honesty" of my writing.
I would say pick a level of intimacy that you're comfortable sharing, then crank it up a few notches until you're scared and unsure. That's probably a good place to start :-).