On Time: A March Review Of The Blogging Challenge…
“Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to sight then it is swept by and another takes its place and this too will be swept away.” Marcus Aurelius
On Time: A March Review... Le Temp on Blogging
Congratulations go out to all of my fellow bloggers for completing the first quarter (25%) of the Daily Post Challenge! January 1, 2011 now seems like only a blink away when we embarked on the blogging challenge. We were eager and excited to start posting on a variety of topics. Many of us just wanted to see if we could stay the course, while others wanted the discipline of committing to a writing schedule.
It has been an arduous task for some, an exhilarating experience for others, and simply wearing for the rest of us. The fact remains that by midnight today, we would have completed 91 days of writing with 274 days to go. How have we fared? Thrived? Survived? Personally, I would like to see the creation of a 26 hour day… or as someone said in our forum, a time freeze. But let me not get ahead of myself.
Based on the responses to the poll shown below, 161 respondents shed some light on the question: What’s been the hardest part of the challenge? I must admit that the first time I read the poll, my gut reaction was to choose either #1 or #9. If #1 – not getting distracted included; things that hampered or interfered with our efforts at making sure we were meeting all our other daily obligations, managing our time and responsibilities effectively, staying committed to honoring our blogging buddies, and feeding the hungry post a day monster, then I would throw my lot with the 43 voters who selected that choice.
If #9 8) – Reviewing and responding to comments meant; struggling with making sure we were visiting all our blog buddies daily, reciprocating to the feedback we receive, and finding ways to make new blogging friends while writing meaningful content to attract meaningful comments then my lot would also be cast with the 11 voters who picked that one as the hardest thing. But what is it really about? Determinism: Cause-and-Effect? A propensity for suffering and pain? The joy of completion? All of the above and the answers below? Perhaps… 😉
You’ve now completed 25% of the challenge! Feedback for us?
1) Not getting distracted 26.71% (43 votes)
2) Starting a post 16.15% (26 votes)
3) Completing a post 2.48% (4 votes)
4) Finding writing ideas 28.57% (46 votes)
5) Making edits to drafts 1.86% (3 votes)
6) Learning to use WordPress.com 8.07% (13 votes)
7) Finding the courage to hit publish 3.11% (5 votes)
8) Finding images and links 6.21% (10 votes)
9) Reviewing and responding to comments 6.83% (11 votes)
“It’s not because things are difficult that we dare not venture, it’s because we dare not venture that they are difficult.” Seneca
On Time: A March Review of the Blog Challenge ... determinism
As I think about the 91 days of blogging that we’ve completed so far, I have to say that it has yielded many rewards and definitely some struggles. I’ve enjoyed the feedback from my fellow bloggers, and like a moth to a light, each day, I am drawn to my laptop to add my voice and my words to the project and then seek out my fellow blogging thespians to share in the drama of their posts; their collective stories.
Time and its cumulative distractions have been my biggest nemesis. Add to that my obsessive nature of constantly editing my posts, and the fact that by the time I finish commenting on my buddies blog posts, I find myself falling behind on adding replies to comments on mine, and you get a better sense of my personal challenges. Quite often, I feel like I’m in a chase to beat the clock and, at other times, the process becomes all consuming or sublime. But venture out I do, and with each step, each effort, I make friends with the difficult parts of blogging… it is not easy and I’m a work in progress. Aren’t we all?
Like many of you, I have stayed the course and found ideas in unlikely and familiar places; the daily post and plinky included. Images and links have often come from Wikipedia and Zemanta, and by hook or by crook, I finish the posts I start even if I have to add more content after the fact. There is a bit of determinism, a propensity for pain, the joy of completion and more. But, at the end of the day, what I’ve enjoyed most is seeing each post published and rejoicing with my buddies when they publish theirs. 🙂
What other things have been a burden or hard for you on the Daily Post Challenge? What are your thoughts?
Positive Motivation Tip: The more effort we make, the more results we get. Even Old Mr. Time steps on his stool to applaud our effort and remind us to stay in the race.
Related Articles
- or not – Day 60 and Counting (whatsbuggingmetoday.wordpress.com)
- Want more Plinky prompts? Looking to connect with other writers? (plinky.com)
- Fortitude: An Important Blogging Lesson I Learned This Year… (eof737.wordpress.com)
- Rhapsody in Ten Takes: Bidding February Adieu… (eof737.wordpress.com)
- (A)nnouncing an April A-Z blogging challenge (staceyarcher.wordpress.com)
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: Le Temps by Charles van der Stappen via Wikipedia Willow Path to Determinism via Wikipedia
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
I have enjoyed the challenge thus far and meeting all of my blogging buddies. What’s hardest for me is finding a topic to write about when I don’t like the daily suggestion. Also not having enough time in the day to read and respond to comments and read and comment on my buddies posts. I do take advantage of the scheduling feature when I have extra time so I can have a few posts at the ready.
I am still trying to catch up on blog comments and have decided to start at the top and go back to the beginning and catch all the comments I missed. I plan to respond to every comment left on m blog… I appreciate comments and owe each of you a response… my apologies. 🙂
I started blogging in about the third week of January – never did it before. All of a sudden, I found myself posting daily -without responding to an overt challenge. But I’ve come to challenge myself – almost daily from nothing but luckily I’ve had a few guests posts. I don’t think I could do the whole year every single day unless the demands of my life were different.
It is an amazing challenge. Will follow you all the way through because I absolutely love your blog!!
It’s weird how you posted that quote about time. I’ve been thinking about a post involving time for a little while now.
TY dear and I have missed your daily missives since you went to do battle in court. I pray your client gets a resolution that is satisfactory… Thinking of you and looking forward to when you come back to blog again. TY! 🙂
Time is the great teacher and strict disciplinarian but you met its challenge.
You continue to add your voice and pace yourself on the challenge.
I like that you take advantage of the prompts when needed and use them in a helpful way.
Your writing has gotten more fluid and you have stayed committed to great content.
Kudos to your fellow bloggers and to you too!
B
TY for the feedback… it hasn’t been easy but I’m s stubborn type… All that effort and commitment isn’t going to waste. I realized pretty early in the game that FOCUS is imperative; no matter what and that perfection is NOT required. TY! 🙂
“The more effort we make, the more results we get.”
frizztext: today I’ve posted no. #291, not #91 – I did more than the rule demanded – because it has been a great fun for me. And you, Eliz, inspired me often more than some official topics to write a little article …
I’m glad you will complete the challenge with tons of posts. Do pace yourself though as even the muse likes a little mental vacay. TY! 🙂
For me it’s distraction – staying focused!
I only post 3-4 times a week but my posts seem to take ages to write as my mind wanders. I seem to have a short attention span… I then remember half way through a sentence …I’ve not read xx blog for a couple of days and hop across to see what’s going on and read their posts and comments. I then see xxblogger in comments and hop across to their blog and so on. Back to my post…err where was I?
Ping and other email come in…and off I go again!
Congratulations to everyone who posts everyday I admire your stamina 🙂
PiP
You haven’t done badly yourself PiP. You have hung in there too like a trooper. I’m still enjoying the ride and have come to realize that just focusing on getting each post out, tiny daily steps, has kept me going. The support has been phenomenal. TY! 🙂
So far I enjoy my blogging.
I want not to worry about my blog.
This challenge isn’t my job.
If I will not have any idea to write about, I will have a rest.
I think that the key to continue is not worrying about our blog.
Exactly, the less we worry, the easier it gets. I focus on getting a post written, no matter how terrible it looks in the beginning; then I work on the rest… one step at a time. TY! 🙂
274 days to go! Wow–when you put it this way, the year seems to be flying by–for me, at least. I find my muse comes from the photos that I take. They either stir a memory or allow me to vent on a current issue. I do find, however, that days pass when I haven’t been able to read blogging buddies’ posts or peruse PW for interesting posts. So, I haven’t found any difficulty as of yet.
The photo challenges have been a life saver. I find it easier to write when I have an image added to my post. The quotes get me juiced too.. Every tool we use that helps us write is a gift. TY! 🙂
Congrats Elizabeth on your 3 months of daily blogging. I know it’s a lot of work, but I can see that you inspire many to follow your footsteps. I am getting used to reading your post each morning on my android while sitting on the front porch, so I hope you keep it up!
TY BB! I love your support and that hat makes me jealous as I do love the diva dram of it… I appreciate your feedback and it all helps me stay the course. Phew! It’s been a long year. 🙂
Kudos for your work and the encouragement you give us! I cannot name a hardship but my friends might as my conversations are laced with raves about so many who are now part of my everyday. I vote for the twenty-six hour day!
THANK YOU!
I vote for the 26 hour day too! But upwards and onwards anyway. TY for your feedback Chris and keep on blogging 🙂
Since my blog requires me to look at the blogs of about 75 daily painters, I find that if I am not around the house (internet) or am having trouble with my wi-fi then it is very difficult, sometimes impossible even, to post. I so admire everyone who has taken on this challenge!!! Keep up the good work everybody!
We admire you too Rosa and you have been very generous featuring other artists on your blog. I have seen so many wonderful pieces of work to fill many homes and walls. TY! 🙂
I’ve been writing at least one post a day since February 2010. My biggest challenge is NOT posting more than one post a day.
Some people call me verbose.
I prefer prolific. 😀
You are prolific and that is fantastic… One post a day is great for me as I don’t want to fry quite yet… other things in the cooker too. I’ve enjoyed the process and learned a lot along the way. TY! 🙂
I honestly don’t know how you do it. I have a hard time reading what I want to read every day, forget about posting every day. I’m more of a follow your gut kinda girl I guess. So I post when it feels right.
I admire you all for the fortitude! Godspeed.
b
TY Barb and Godspeed to you. You are no slouch either and what I have found is that people have made decisions on how they will tackle the challenges. I did make mine when I committed to do it. I have another blog and wanted to also add content there as needed…
Then there is family, life, other writing projects and I knew that the less stress I imposed on myself, the better… It seems to have worked. TY God! 🙂