Blogging Can Consume You
Filed Under: Blogging Rocks!, Thriving
We were on vacation last week. Amusement parks, family gatherings, tubing, waterskiing, horse racing, cavern touring, and eating and drinking way too much. I thought I’d be eager to get back to my computer (while I was able to leech off the wifi at a friend’s office once, I had to struggle with dial up the rest of the time and it wasn’t worth doing much more than checking my email), but instead I’m finding it tough to resume my blogging habit. I’ve been home for five days, and over and over I’ve sat down at my computer, frowned, and gotten back up to do something else. Laundry, cleaning, playing Toontown or other games with the kids, or watching High School Musical 2… again (love that “Fabulous” song Ashley Tisdale sings!).
While I love blogging and hope to continue to make money and grow my blogs, I’ve been thinking about how blogging consumes me. There’s simply too much to read. Too many wonderful bloggers to follow. And not enough hours in the day. Too many times, I’ve sacrificed other things for blogging. Things that shouldn’t be sacrificed, things that are important for bringing balance to my life. I love blogging, but I love some other things, too.
During vacation, I thought about homeschooling and some new plans I’ve made for the fall. I took lots of photos and developed some scrapbooking layouts in my head. I also thought about our January 2008 trip to Disney World and how much I need to PLAN. After spending over $200 at an amusement park (I still think I dropped a few $20’s somewhere… I don’t see how we could have spent that much), I see that planning is essential for successful vacationing with kids and keeping your costs down.
Now that I am home and looking at the 117 blog feeds in my reader, I’m not feeling any pressure to catch up on them all. Some I am even going to delete. I might miss out on some excellent posts and conversations, but I won’t miss the obsessive feeling I get from trying to read/comment everywhere and always falling short.
And I won’t miss out on this:
PHAT = Parenting, Homeschooling And Technology. That about sums up my life at the moment. 
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Angela, Mother Crone | Aug 25, 2007 | Reply
Good for you! I found this out early in my blogging. I limit myself to 40 feeds. In doing so, I can easily manage my reading and commenting in an hour a day. Any more, and I am taking away from homeschooling, real-life friendships, and most important, my family, While blog friendships and discussions are importatn, anything that takes so much focus away from our young families is not positive!
Elizabeth | Aug 27, 2007 | Reply
Your kids are so cute! As for the blogging thing, I hear you on that. I am going through my whole blogroll and visiting everyone on it for the first time in months. I have felt so guilty about it, logging in to my blog and looking at the list, thinking how much I missed knowing what was going on with everyone. So today I decided to make it my priority. Why must there be so many fabulous blogs?!
Braden | Aug 28, 2007 | Reply
Lately, I’ve been uninspired to post via my blog. Between work, being a husband, Daddy, and other family-related activities, I just have not the time. I try to visit my daily blog reads via the awesome Firefox extension called “Morning Coffee,” though (yours included).
That said, how do you find the time and inspiration to post to your blog? Where do you get your ideas?
Sometimes, I just want to give up and shut down my site altogether, although I do have quite a bit of people who still “check in” via my site; and for that, I am most appreciative of those individuals.
Perhaps I am looking at this the wrong way. Maybe I am trying too hard? Any advice you can give would be most appreciative.
By the way, your site layout is incredibly easy to read, and navigate in. I’m also most jealous of your theme; it’s very, very professional looking.
Best –
Braden
motherofbun | Aug 28, 2007 | Reply
Awww. Love that photo. Yes, trying to catch up puts alot of pressure on a blogger. And it takes the fun out of it. But it sounds like it was a great vacation.
musing | Aug 28, 2007 | Reply
I hear you! I’ve gone from blogging every single day to once a month or so to a few times a week. At one time I updated multiple blogs. Now, I barely have time for one. It will probably always be that way and that’s okay. Living comes first, then blogging about it.
Carmi | Aug 30, 2007 | Reply
I think it’s a conundrum that all busy parents face: there’s so little free time, yet we have so many demands on that time. Blogging merely adds another huge time-demand component to the already-large pile.
I’ve done similar ritual cullings in the past. My reading is way down. I still post a new entry to my blog every day, but that’s never been a major time-consumer: I write fast, and a quick entry is cathartic for me, a time-out from my regular, more sober professional writing.
Thanks for reminding us, yet again, what really matters. No worries: I’ll keep reading you.
musing | Aug 30, 2007 | Reply
Me again. I wanted to add about reading other blogs—I treat them like I do in person friends. Bloggers I have a relationship with (I comment on their blogs, they comment on mine) I read first. If I have time then I read other blogs.
Karen | Sep 5, 2007 | Reply
I had the exact same revelation this past summer - I totally get it! There are way too many blogs and not enough time! Glad you had a great summer with your kiddos - they are only young once!