switching it up

Posted: November 16, 2010 at 8:00 pm

If you have yet to notice, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Today’s reflections came in the form of blog stuff. You all know my commitment to this blog. It serves as my special space and I truly hope to continue building and writing Faith Fitness Fun for a long time to come. I put my trust in God’s plans, because they are the best for me and my family, but I certainly have dreams to continue blogging years from now.

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For that reason, I enjoy putting effort into my blog. I love sitting down at my netbook and allowing the thoughts I want to express transform from mental ramblings to a cohesive post to share. In the time I have been blogging I have found my voice, my niche, and my greatest interests to share. I have also figured out a posting schedule that worked well for me. Yet, that must change. Part of the beauty of blogging is the flexibility, right?

Things have gotten busy in these parts and I need to cut back a teensy, weensy bit – aka go from two posts/day to one. I prefer writing two shorter posts, but I’ve realized that does not suit me best right now. Part of me fights doing so because I want to do all I can to make this blog what I desire. Then again, I have to remember that forcing things and adding extra pressure do not fit this blog either. Which is why as soon as I felt the need to pull back, I have decided I will. I like having a schedule and that schedule has to adapt to current needs. I knew I would have to cut back after baby B arrived, so I guess I’m just doing so a little earlier.

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I hope this doesn’t come across as me trying to justify anything. I actually wrote this with the intent to help organize my own thoughts about my priorities and time. I also wanted to give you all a heads up and share that we have to blog in a way that works best for us individually. Sometimes its hard to give up that control of trying to do what we think we should do, instead of what we know would work in our best interests. So cheers to a slight change, but one that keeps Faith Fitness Fun true to itself, and me true to myself.

Also, while on the topic of blogging, the NEXT button for Google Reader is my hero! ADD IT if you haven’t already. Click for a video how-to.

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  • Do you follow a posting schedule for blogging? I enjoy having a schedule to keep me organized, but will adjust it as necessary.
  • Have you started using the Next button yet if you use Google Reader?

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57 Comments to “switching it up”
  1. It makes perfect sense to cut back to one post a day. I post once a day and can’t imagine doing two. Kudos to you for two posts a day! You’re a rock star!

  2. I do one post a day on the weekdays, but I only post on the weekends if I have something great I want to share. I also don’t pressure myself to post everyday during the week. I like sharing when I have something to share, I feel that if I force it, it does not come out well.

  3. Perfectly understandable to want to cut back. Even posting once a day is a little much for me, so I often take a day off here and there or only post when something comes to mind. My schedule now is post at night when I have something to say or not post at all, if nothing comes to mind. I’ve been pretty happy with this concept.

    Oh yes, the next button is a Reader lifesaver.

    • Tina says:

      I like that. No pressure at all. I don’t typically feel pressure because I usually have PLENTY to say and before the timing was right for two, but things have gotten a bit busy.

  4. Good for you for figuring out what works best for you, your life and your schedule!! I usually do 4-5/week – usually 1 on M, T, W, Th and Sunday!

  5. You should absolutely feel free to scale back if you need to! You don’t want blogging to become work, do you? I love the Next button. Maybe it’s uncouth to say, but I know that many bloggers make a modest income from blogging and I would hate for my pageviews to not get counted toward their total because I saw their posts in Reader and not on the site (where the ads are.)

    • Tina says:

      I didn’t even think about that! That’s a good point. I love being able to SEE the blog outside of reader and just scroll through with the click of a button instead of having to endlessly scroll down the screen. That’s good thinking about the giving a pageview credit as well. I know I appreciate each one I get.

  6. Melodie says:

    I wish I had more time to blog!! I feel like I just sit down and type to quickly that things do not come out right 🙂

    I think you posting once a day is a great idea 🙂 You have a full plate right now!!

  7. I love your blog and I’ll read it three times a day or once a week, Tina! We are totally supportive of your schedule – it is one of the beauties of blogging!

    I like to stick to 5xweek, M-F. It’s clean and simple and works well with my life.

  8. I think it’s totally natural for you to cut down to one post a day, you need to take time to get ready for this baby and to do the things that you need to do. I’ve had no time to comment on blogs, which makes me sad, but I have to have time to actually live.
    I try to post once a day 5-6 times a week. It doesn’t always happen, but that’s okay too.

  9. Elaine says:

    I agree with everyone! You are a busy mama, and about to be even more busy! We will look forward to your post a day!!!

  10. Astrid says:

    I blog every night. Since I am at school most of the day, there really isn’t another time to blog. And there is also the fact that I don’t think I have that much to say. I do love your blog, Tina. I will keep reading whatever you decide!

  11. I give you tons of credit for doing two a day, and can understand needing to drop down to one post a day! No matter when you post I’m happy to read! Personally I post only a few times a week- I’m still struggling with what to post and finding time to get it all in.

  12. I try to stick to a regular blogging schedule but as a mom-life often gets in the way! I’m starting to figure out what works for me though. I think it’s perfectly acceptable to scale back when you need to.

    • Tina says:

      Yep. We have to adjust to life. I knew I would be cutting back once baby B arrived anyways…so no biggie to do so now. 🙂

  13. Karen says:

    I would read your blog even if you only posted once a week! I think that altering your posting schedule is part of balancing the many demands on your time. You are making the decision for yourself and that’s what matters!

    Love the Google Next button – just discovered it this week, not sure how I lived without it!

  14. Nichole says:

    You have to do you! I’m glad your taking real estate of what’s best for you and the fam:)

    I love Next button!! ooh la la

  15. Natalie says:

    I do a daily post but I usually end up doing it at night which is hard for me! I’d like to transition into two smaller posts earlier in the day but it might not be feasible.

    I usually can only check in with blogs once per day so many times I am only able to see the latest post! It sounds good for you to balance things out a bit.

  16. I was reading along and was waiting for you to say you’re no longer going to blog and was like “Nooooooooo, I just found your blog recently!!!” but yay you will still be around!

    You need to do what works for you. I work 40 hrs and have a dog so I can’t even imagine what your time constraints are like once you throw kids into the mix.

    • Tina says:

      Oh yea, I’m not going anywhere. As long as nothing unexpected pulls me away I plan to be around for years to come. 😀

  17. I completely understand cutting back. Sometimes I wonder if the reason I don’t post is because I feel like I don’t have the time to sit down and do a post justice (like the one I want to do about talking with your friend Jenn, the life coach. I have another session with her tomorrow and still haven’t blogged about the first one!)

  18. I am trying to set a schedule for myself. I feel like I am addicted to blogging because I can truly be myself on here. However, it does cut into a lot of time.

    Right now, as I am trying to still find my “voice” and gain readers, I feel like it is important to keep blogging at least 2x’s daily. Maybe as I grow as a blogger, I will cut it down to one. 🙂

  19. You already know how I feel about the blogging thing :).

    My favorite thing about the “next” feature is the fact that now I never have to go into my reader page. It’s liberating not knowing how many “unreads” I have. Stress free blog reading!

    • Tina says:

      I loved our chat yesterday to share both our perspectives. 🙂

      And oh yes…being able to scan through what you have time for is SO nice with the Next button. No pressure to get to unread.

  20. Danielle says:

    Great insight as always! Thanks!

  21. Hahaha I love the cartoon! Im still figuring out my blog schedule and tying to find my niche. But I love it, such a fun way to share your life 🙂

  22. I’m so excited about this next button!! I hadn’t heard of it. Off to try to make it work…

  23. I agree that you need to do what’s best for you. If blogging gives you too much pressure or is too stressful, what fun is that?! I have a loose schedule I follow, but flexibility is key.

    I’ll be downloading the Next button now!

  24. chelsey says:

    I blog once a day – after dinner is done and the dishes are cleaned. Sometimes if I have a review to do, I’ll write two posts in one night and schedule the review for the following day around lunch time.

    I <3 the Next button! I've been using it for a couple months. It's my hero!

  25. Heather says:

    I try to post once a day Sun-Thurs. Fri and Sat are my “off” days – I like to have them to regroup and get my thoughts together!
    I need to get this Next button – I keep hearing about it! 🙂

  26. Lee says:

    I usually blog once a day but somedays I don’t blog at all. Either I’m too busy or I have nothing to say!

    I don’t know about this next button. Have to check it out.

  27. Sarah says:

    I don’t follow a posting schedule. I’d love to! I just don’t feel like I can (without putting too much unnecessary pressure on myself) during this season of my life. I hope to do so in the future!

  28. I completely understand needing to cut back. I started posting 2x a day over the summer because I feel it just works better for my schedule, and my writing flows better with shorter posts. BUT, it is a lot to find time to sit down twice a day. My blog is my baby, though I know I wouldn’t have nearly as much time if I had real babies!!

    I didn’t even know there was a Next button!! So cool!! Is that just for PCs?

    • Tina says:

      It goes with the bookmark bar in whichever internet browser you have. You may have to adjust your internet settings/bookmark settings to where it always shows the bookmark bar though. I love it! It makes it so easy.

      And I feel like this blog is my baby too. I love it dearly and really do strive to put as much as I can into it because I do have hopes for it. I try to remind myself that I have plenty of time, so cutting back for awhile won’t hurt overall. At least I hope not. It’s all about faith!

  29. I need Google Reader in my life. I need to explore it more.

  30. Jess says:

    We will still loving reading your blog posts even if you do just post once per day – heck, that is way better than most bloggers can muster, this blogger included!

  31. Hey at least you tried it out and now you know for sure what works best for you 🙂 Gotta do what’s right for your life at the time, right?

  32. Ela says:

    I love your candid clarity. It totally sounded like you were arranging your thoughts.

    To me, two posts a day is a lot to keep up with, as someone who is very pushed for time indeed and wants to keep up with others’ blogs. I feel bad that I barely keep up with your two posts a day, and feel better that it would be easier to keep up with just the one.

    So, good for you, and I look forward to your new schedule!

    love
    Ela

  33. I try to have a new post up between 10-11 am each morning but I gave up blogging on the weekends. It’s a nice break from the internet! In the beginning I loved blogging and put a lot of time in to researching how to get more popular…but because I’m so busy with my real job I’ve been a lot more slack about getting popular and now just focus on blogging to blog. I also love it but you’re right, you have to do what works best for you! I love hearing from the people I already have who read it! I will leave the rest up to God 🙂

  34. Tracey says:

    I’m still trying to find my blogging schedule.

    My life is not very predictable these days and that makes scheduling anything a nightmare!

  35. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tina Reale, Tina Reale. Tina Reale said: switching it up: If you have yet to notice, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Today’s reflections came… http://bit.ly/cjd0Ae […]

  36. Dorry says:

    I follow a pretty routine schedule for posting on my blog. And once a day with Sunday off works for me. I think it’s important to keep blogging enjoyable and not a chore so I totally commend your decision to post once a day. To be honest, while I hate missing anything, it’s hard for me to read more than 1 post/day on my favorite blogs because I simply don’t have the time. I’ve almost given up on keeping up with the 3/day bloggers.

    I have no doubt that your blog will continue to flourish (who knows, maybe even more?) with 1 post a day.

    Love that you are always honest and take every aspect into consideration. 🙂

  37. All things in life must shift babe!

    If one post as day will allow you to bring yourself, your voice and your life to this blog…then by golly that’s what ya do! 🙂

  38. Julia says:

    Cheers to knowing what is best for you, and doing it!
    I always hate cutting back on blogging, but sometimes it is the right thing to do at the time. 🙂

  39. I think it’s great that you’re doing whats best for you. It’s not a competition, it’s not a race. For me blogging is a creative outlet, a hobby, so naturally it requires time and passion. But there’s nothing worse than reading a post that’s forced, right? So write what you love, write when you feel it, and don’t worry how often or how little you can post. Trust me, for you it will only keep your readers wanting more 🙂

  40. When it comes to the blogs I enjoy, I read them whether they post 3x a day or twice a month. I have most blogs on my reader, so I see when they post no matter what.

    The reason that I am posting 5x a day is purely that this fits into my life (I go to work 5 times a week, and I post before work).

    The way I see it, I want blogging to be fun both for me and the blogs I read. As a reader, I don’t want my favorite bloggers to feel pressured to write!

  41. I try to post once a day, and I have a hard time even keeping up with that! Good for you for allowing yourself to cut back and not put unnecessary stress on yourself. 🙂

  42. I like to post in the mornings, but if I dont have time, Im totally ok with that. Sometimes I schedule posts FOR the mornings, or even a few days in advance if I know one particular morning is going to be super busy. The scheduling function is pure genius!

  43. BIOCHEMISTA says:

    I am glad you love blogging because I LOVE your blog!!!! 🙂 🙂

  44. Rachel says:

    I try to blog every day Monday – Friday on my lunch break at work. My fiance can’t stand when I’m on the computer in the evenings/weekends since I spend all day at work on the computer, so I try to stay off the computer as much as possible and spend time with him, my other loved ones, or by myself without technology, when I’m not at work.

  45. Ryan M. says:

    It’s funny, I have been beating up myself for not posting enough and staying on a schedule. My 8-5 has taken up far more time that I would like but, after reading your post, I realize that I need to remember we all have to find that balance and that balance will change at different times in our life.

  46. Holly says:

    The “Next” button? Why do I not know about this? 🙂

    And as long as you keep blogging, we will all follow you. THAT much I can promise!

  47. I don’t have a set blogging schedule. I try to do one a week as once I am employed again I really won’t have time for more than that. Also, since I am kind of recipe/cooking driven there has to be something for me to post that is new whether a win or a fail. Sometimes I just don’t have anything new. 🙂

    I haven’t used the next. Got to go look at that. Congrats on deciding to do what is best for you and your family.

  48. Heather says:

    I have def found once a day works best for me. my schedule is so wacky i never know when i will be home so I know I can fit in once a day!
    I was wondering what you were talking about when you mentioned the next button for reader. must look into it!

  49. Melie says:

    The geek in me rejoices with the inclusion of the Linux Journal journal video.

    I really admire you that you can post every day and every day find something interesting to say and also touch very diverse subjects. I read blogs once a day, because otherwise my productivity suffers greatly, so your new schedule suits mine really well 🙂 I am currently writing 3-4 posts every week and mainly stick to running and workout posts. I guess that I would like to expand into other matters that I am familiar with and feel comfortable sharing. Your blog is an excellent example! So keep writing 🙂

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