1 Year Blogiversary: Part 3 — Blogging Brightly Leads To Burnout
by Jenners • 11/05/2009 • Blogging, Lessons Learned • 34 Comments
To celebrate this blog’s one year blogiversary today, I’ve been writing a history of my blog broken up into several posts.Today I present the final installment.
Blogging Brightly Leads To Burnout
AKA If You Fly Too Close to the Sun Wearing Wax Wings, Your Wings Will Melt and You’ll Fall To Earth (Or I Start To Overdo It and Risk Blogging Burnout)
As I got into a blogging rhythm and began to develop a loyal following, I entered My Golden Age of Blogging. I posted regularly, and my number of followers and comments kept increasing. I was thrilled. I redesigned my blog, started my own meme and was reading and commenting on close to 250 blogs on a regular basis.
I kept this up for about 3 or 4 months and then one day when I sat down to write, I didn’t feel like writing anything. Then we went away on vacation, and I came home to something like 2,343 unread blog posts in my Google Reader. I felt overwhelmed. Blogging wasn’t that fun anymore.
I was tired of reading blogs that I didn’t really like just so they would visit my blog and leave me a comment. I was growing tired of running over to SITS each morning for roll call and then getting a few comments that all seemed to say the same thing “Stopping by from SITS.” (Nothing against SITS, but I personally found the experience a tad overwhelming.) I was tired of feeling pressure from something that had once been a fun and creative outlet for me.
It was at this point that I seriously contemplated giving up blogging altogether. But Mr. Jenners reminded me that I was putting this pressure on myself. “If you are only reading blogs to get a comment on your own, what is the point? Just stop it.” he said. “Just read the blogs you really like, and write when you feel like writing. And stop dinking around with your layout and focus on content.”
As much as I hated to admit it, Mr. Jenners was right. I was starting to lose my focus. My crack/blog addiction was starting to affect me negatively. I needed to scale back and find a healthy medium.
It was at this point that I started posting less. The pressure to post almost every day was getting too much, and I realized that I actually preferred blogs that didn’t post every day myself (so much easier to keep up with). I realized that if I wasn’t really enjoying a blog, I could stop reading it. The worst that would happen was they might stop reading my blog. I realized that I would rather have a small group of readers who really wanted to read what I wrote rather than a large group of readers who skimmed my posts and left generic comments hoping I would visit their blog in return. I realized I wanted quality comments versus quantity, and I wanted to build meaningful relationships with the regular readers of my blog.
So I cut my blog roll down to about 100 blogs (split between personal blogs and book blogs). I started posting about two to three times a week (unless I really had something to say). I stopped trying to grow my blog by frantically joining every meme I came across. I got much more relaxed about blogging and began to enjoy it more. It became fun again, and I found that I still had a lot to say once I took the pressure off myself.
And that is where I’ve been ever since. I post when I have something to say, I only add a new blog to my blog roll if I really like reading it, and I don’t pursue new readers with a maniacal gleam in my eyes. If I’m busy in my real life, I take a blogging hiatus and don’t worry about whether I’ll have readers when I get back. This change in attitude has made all the difference and is why I think I can keep this sucker going indefinitely.
It amazes me that I’ve been doing this for a year now, and I still feel excited about it. So, to thank you all for your wonderful support in the past year, tomorrow I’ll announce a giveaway. (As I mentioned before, don’t get too excited. It really isn’t anything all that special.)
And, because my mom is coming to visit for a few weeks, I might be taking a short blogging hiatus so I can focus on my visit with her. I know you’ll be there when I get back, and, if you aren’t, well, that is OK too. I’m still going to do my thing and be happy.
thank you for your honesty. it was very
helpful.
i have wondered about deleting people
that i have followed and no longer want
to visit. is that a terrible blog transgression
to delete a blog?
your blog is giving me such great info!
thank you.
ps. don't read mine, pretty boring.
I chuckled in some parts reading this post because I have done the same thing! I have had that "maniacal gleam" in my eye as I fervently read & comment on blogs just so I can get a comment back- whether I liked or disliked reading their blog.
I have found posting once a week more fun-it gives me more ideas on what to post and less pressure. And I read & comment on blogs whenever I can and read mostly blogs that I really like.
This was a great series of posts that all newbie & veteran bloggers should follow.
Amen, sister! This is exactly how I feel about blogging. If it is about everyone else, it is not fun anymore!
Congratulations on your 1 year Blogiversary!!
I'm starting to feel the same way you were about blogging. To many blogs, not enough time. Lately I've spent so much time on the computer blogging and doing memes, I've gotten WAAAAAAY behind on my review posts. I think it's time to back away from the computer and concentrate on reading and reviews. That is the reason I started my blog after all.
Enjoy your visit with your MOM!!! Tell her a bloggy friend said hi!
Congrats on your 1 year anniversary!!
I'm glad to hear your Mom's coming for a few weeks!
Hope you guys are all doing well!
My Little One would like you tell your Little One she misses him and hopes to see him soon!!
I think we're in agreement here. If the blog every becomes a chore, and I post only because I think I should, instead of because I want to writer something thoughtful, goofy or silly – then I'll quit.
I feel guilty sometimes that I don't leave a comment on every blog I read, but I don't think that what I think is all that interesting, even to myself – why would I put it out here for everyone to read?
So I only post comments if the mood strikes – and I absolutely felt like SITS was like a junior high popularity contest.
That was a very interesting post. I've come to much the same conclusion.
I'm definitely keeping your blog on my favorite reading list!
Have fun with your Mom.
You couldn't have posted this in a more timely manner. I'm on the cusp of the burnout mode myself. And while I always post on a daily basis, I think I'm going to be cutting back in December… only because I signed up for the NaBloPoMo thing for this month – which might be why I'm feeling the 'pressure' when it didn't seem to bother me before, because if I didn't feel like posting one day, I simply didn't.
Oh yes, the bloggy burnout. I think my blog path has followed very closely along with yours.
Now I post when I have something I want to say – not because I have to. And I comment when I can and when I want to – not to get repayment comments in returns.
It's good. My blog belongs to me, I don't belong to it.
My one year blogiversary is also this month and my google reader list is growing…your post has been very encouraging to me, thank you.
I don't know why but I thought you had been at it longer than a year. I hope you enjoy your mom's visit and yes, we'll be here.
You are so zany – I always love coming by and seeing what you're up to.
Well you already know about how burnt out I am right now! (If not, check your email for the long rant I just sent you.)
I need to post a note somewhere near my computer to remind myself not to stress so much about things.
I had a pretty good handle on everything for a while. I had stopped accepting review copies over the summer and it did me a world of good. I started accepting them again in the fall and am right back where I started. I think I need more self-control.
It looks like you have found a really good balance though, and I envy you that. I'm still working toward that goal.
You should teach Blogging 101! I like Mr. Jenners advice about worrying about content. Sometimes I do think we get more focused on attracting followers and comments. Didn't we just start this whole blogging thing to talk and share?
By the way, I love how "you do your thing" and I'm glad that you're happy:)
I love that you've found your happy medium. I love your blog and no matter how often or how little you post, I'll be here.
I know a lot of bloggers have guest posters when they're gone to keep their traffic up. But honestly, I could care less about that. When I'm away from my blog, my blog is dead to me. I like it that way.
I really enjoyed this little series!
Awesome post!! This should be required reading for all new bloggers! I experienced this same thing…I finally feel like blogging again now that I've backed off a bit!
You always rock my socks off, Jenners!
I just post during the weekdays, an occasional weird weekend one.. but lately I have been feeling like even five days a week is too much.
Some weeks there is so much stuff I want to say, but the weeks where the isn't.. you are right, those that matter most will still be there.
Thanks for sharing your journey. And I always appreciate your comments on my blog, but even if you didn't I would keep coming back as I love your posts.
I feel like we went through our cycles around the same time with blogging, so obviously I was nodding my head in agreement with everything in this post. Sometimes I even write a post just for me now, and don't worry about the comments. I said sometimes here, I am not perfect. I am also doing nablopomo, which is every day… but just for one month- (and I don't really think I will make it, we'll see).
You know, I have been blogging for almost 3 years now and I have been post everyday for almost 1.5 years. I keep wondering if I am ever going to have this bloggy burn-out of which you speak. I am hoping to just skip it all together.
It's bad when blogging starts to feel like a job, isn't it? I could identify with everything you said in this one. And I haven't been at it that long.
Thanks for your post. I needed to read that since I've been going through the same thing. I'm glad you're still here.
Jackie
I SO could have written that post. I just love the way you are so REAL. You tell it like it is and you are yourself! YOU ROCK!
Happy Visit with Your Mom and you can bet your sweet tush I'll be here when you get back!
Well I'm glad you didn't quit.
Every Monday morning I mark everything in my google reader at read and start over. And I don't follow that many blogs.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to another year!
Such great advice. I have been doing this for a year as well (stay tuned for a giveaway later this month!). I agree with all the phases you have. But I never once thought that I could blog every day. Didn't even want to. And surprisingly even when I only blog once or twice a week I still get new followers… today I am up to 178 and I am not sure how that happened. I just keep doing my thing. But I mostly agree with the quality v. quantity on comments. I made it my goal to read a new blog every day and to make a comment. But not just a "Hey, nice post!" sort of thing. I really want to add to the ongoing conversation. I think that is what makes blogging so special. It is not about how many followers you have but what you have to say. And if anyone is reading that is great. I am starting to have some really loyal fans who write such insightful things, the post I just did about dentists really touched a nerve (pun intended). I got paragraphs from people! That is inspiring to me. And so are you. Have a great time with mom. See you in the blogdom soon. Enjoy the day! Erin
Happy Anniversary Jenners! Hard to believe its been a year.
I never really got addicted to the number of comments thing I was addicted to blog surfing in general. I found some really awesome blogs this way so sometimes on Friday nights I blog surf and find some real keepers. Right now in my google reader I probably have 200 blogs. Some I have tried to delete but they keep reappearing (totally ticking me off btw, they won't go away). But I have a "favorites" section in my reader. My top 25. If those people post I read it and each morning over coffee I check in to see if any of my favorites have updated (most don't update daily). Then throughout the day when I have a moment here or there I check out my "next favorite group", lol. I swear it is a system that works
Pace yourself and keep blogging. We'd miss you too much if you stopped!
Enjoy your visit with your mom.
Stopping by from SITS! Great Post!
Haha, congrats on 1 year Jenners, I'm still a few months away from it, although every one seems to think I've been at it longer *hush*.
I agree with the difficulty of keeping up with blogs you don't necessarily like. Like for instance, there was some blogger from camden nj of all places, writing a bunch of nonsense, I mean c'mon!
Nothing clever to say other than AMEN. Happy Vacation with your Mom!
I think I am rapidly approaching the burnout stage. I love what you said you did and I think I am going to follow and do what you say!
This is my favorite 1 Year Blogiversary post yet! In the beginning it was really hard for me not to follow everyone who followed me first… it seemed rude not to! But I learned quickly that there are a lot of really great people out there who are just totally on a different wave length than me, haha. It was equally hard for me not to comment on every single post written by every single person on my blogrolls, but that led to burnout faster than anything else, especially when I didn't have time to get to it every day. Now I'm more of the mindset that if you're going to post 17 things in one day, or in one week for that matter, don't expect me to comment on them all! Sheesh! (I love your 3-4 posts a week method, it fits my schedule much better.)
I keep hearing from so many people how easy it is to forget why they started their blog. Some do it to document their weight loss, or to create something their kids can read later, or to keep in touch with family on the other side of the world… and then comments come along and it becomes an agonizing quest for more and more attention. I think your solution works perfectly. If you don't like something, just don't do it.
I know EXACTLY what you mean. That's how I felt last year when I quit my 1st blog. And I felt like I'd overshared myself and was just "blah" to writing. When I started a new blog, I changed how I felt about comments and readers, too. And I don't get the SITS thing either, it comes off as insincere IMO.
good advice–I've hit that burnout and have been wondering why I'm blogging. My blogiversary is in a month. I'm going to think about the things you said today–reevaluate, and make a new plan. Thanks for your timely posts. I hope you enjoy your visit with your mother. How are you all doing? I find the holidays are a a time when I really miss my dad.
Way to go!
Congrats on one year.
I am having a bit of burnout right now too. (I've probably said that in the last 3 or 4 comments I've left too. Apparently, my comments are also suffering burnout. lol)
This was a really interesting series of blogs for me as I am new to the blogging world myself. I can relate to some of your experiences, especially in Part 2. Gives me hope that someday I will be able to stop incessantly looking at the number of comments/visitors. Dare to dream.