When I first started blogging, I read (unfortunately, I don’t remember the guy who said it): post at least once a week to be a good blogger, 3 times a week to be a moderate success, publish 5 posts a week to be a going concern, and then (I remember this exactly): post several times a day, 7 days a week, to change the world.
I’ve been trying to unlearn everything that guy said — it’s great advice, but not for me. There are days when I feel like I’m on fire, when I can post a couple of times. But then there are days when I don’t want to post anything. I just want to enjoy the silence. On those days, I just wanna get as far away from my computer as I can. Sure I take the day off. But the thing is, in the back of my mind I can still hear that guy’s nagging voice telling me, hey, you gotta write a post. You gotta put up something — anything. Just do it now! It’s what you gotta do to be successful!
Anyway, the reason I even mention this topic is that one of my long-time blog pals recently stopped blogging. She felt that she couldn’t sustain it. I would quote her reasons for quitting exactly but her blog has been disconnected. But I do remember the gist of her farewell message. She said she could not keep up with regular posting and correspondence with people who commented on her blog, and she felt bad about it. I fully understand. When we impose a lot of rules on something that’s supposed to be fun (for example, by binding post topics to a rigid weekly schedule), we feel bad when we just can’t deliver.
I realize that consistency is a requirement for blog success (whatever success means to you), but consistency doesn’t just mean posting regularly every day. It can mean posting with consistent quality. It can mean posting with consistent excitement and enthusiasm. And it can mean being consistently true to yourself and posting only when you feel like it.
I miss you, i-zilla the great.
