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?

I had a great question from Katy at The Singing Runner about blogging. She asked:

I have a fitness/welness blog, but I am having difficulties in getting more people to read it. I blog more for myself but do you have any tips on how to get more people to read? Anything in particular I should write about?

I am not an expert blogger. I still feel I am learning and growing as much as the next person. I do love blogging, though, and believe that since starting Faith Fitness Fun I have learned some ways to make a blog more appealing to read. I recently shared some of these “tips” as a guest post for Lisa. I think they are a good start and have certainly helped me.

1. Include pictures. You don’t need to own a dSLR camera or have an overwhelming knowledge of photography. Pictures, no matter what their quality, make a blog more appealing to the eye. Just because they don’t look like Angela’s, doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of posting. All of my pictures certainly don’t look as good as my favorite one I’ve taken…

2. Keep things brief and easy to read. Long-winded posts do not hold a reader’s attention very well. Proof read your posts to see if there are any areas you can shorten. You don’t have to cut yourself off from sharing all you intended, but be mindful of readers. You can also chop up longer posts by adding in pictures, bullet points and lists, bolded sections, etc where applicable. Always ask yourself if you would read that post if you found it in your reader.

3. Be open with topics. Blogging as a healthy living or food blogger does not limit what  you can share to your workouts and meals for the day. It’s your blog and you should never feel like you can’t share something valuable to you.

4. Have fun! Every post does not have to carry a serious or inspiring message. People enjoy the light-hearted posts just as much. Don’t pressure yourself to write something you don’t enjoy writing. It will show in your post.

5. Let people know a bit about you. We all feel comfortable sharing different levels of personal information. No matter what your privacy threshold, find some way to make your blog personal. I always like having a face to a blog.

6. Write what you know. If you can divulge an encyclopedia of fitness information then share with your readers. If exercise tips are not your forte, but cooking is, then dish out the recipes. If you have a way to put together inspiring posts, then let that be evident in your blog. Don’t follow trends or what others post. Write what you know.

7. Ignore stats. Those pesky numbers can affect your blogging negatively. When you get caught up in the numbers, you may post simply for the sake of posting. All that will do is stress you out and make blogging less fun.

8. Participate. Comment on other blogs to show you care about them as well. Reply to comments on your site so they get a sense of discourse and relationship from your blog. Showing that you are a genuine person makes you and your blog more appealing.

9. Have a message. People should be able to easily see what you hope to share through your blog. Whether it comes in a tag line, in your about page, a blog description page, or a regular theme among your posts you need something to distinguish you.

10. Make it appealing to you! Post in whatever manner works for you. Write in a way that feels true to yourself and “find your blogging voice”. Enjoy what you write. Blogging for many of us is a hobby. Don’t make it work. Don’t make it a pain when it doesn’t have to be. It can be whatever you make it!

• What things have you learned since blogging?
• What makes a blog more appealing to you?