46 Comments to “Work and Blogging”

1. January 11th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
   Kian Ann said

   Blogging used to take time away from the things I used to work on, but after posting for a few months, I realized that… and so now I have a well defined schedule.

   So, everything is planned, I know how many posts I will be going to make everyday and I’ve made time for them.

   I think having a blogging schedule is part and parcel of owning a successful blog, isn’t it?

2. January 11th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Kian Ann,
   A time for everything and everything in it’s time . . . that sounds vaguely familiar.

   You have a fine plan, if you ask me.

3. January 11th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
   Kian Ann said

   Thanks Liz.

   It still amazed me how people like yourself keep up with your blog posts – I understand you blog at more than one place, and all the places you blog are pretty highly-profiled, so there is a little pressure to get the post up on time, right?

   How do you do it Liz?

4. January 11th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Kian Ann,
   The blog posts that I write for other blogs, say The Blog Herald, I draft on the weekend. I let them sit a few days and finish them the night before.

   The posts I write for my own blogs aren’t really on a pressure schedule. They’re timed to go up when they’re finished. I want them up by a certain time every day, but I choose to start with plenty of lead time so that I can finish earlier than I need to. Often they’re done the night before.

5. January 11th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
   Kian Ann said

   Wow. Now I know the difference between the master and a student.

6. January 11th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
   Mike Maddaloni said

   Yes and no. My blog is new, and the push that got me to launch it was the ideas swirling in my head. So rather than just thinking about it, I am writing it.

   Of course the writing and editing takes time (usually leave out a letter or two on the first press of the submit button) but anything good is worth the time.

   Overall, as establishing my blog is a key part of my networking plan for ’07, it is time well spent.

7. January 11th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Oh Kian Ann,
   I have no idea what you’re talking about.

8. January 11th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
   Char said

   I think this is a trick question. It depends on what your goals for your blog are and the reasons you are blogging. It also depends on the payoff for your time you get for the blogging – meaning what is the value of that time you spent blogging and did you get a reasonable return on your time.

   I have found another value to blogging – professional development. I consider much of my blogging and research time as professional development and the value of that is hard to put a price on.

   So back to your question. Some days I should be doing more client work (and house work) but I blog more. Other days (like today) I work more and blog less.

9. January 11th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Mike!
   Welcome!
   That’s what I find too. That my blogging often is my working. They can be hard to separate. But, sometimes I can put time I want to spend on one thing into the other and vice versa. It takes discipline to keep them separated when they need to be.

   Blogging is an addictive habit.
   At least for me. But then I’m a writer.

10. January 11th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Char,
    Oh no! I don’t believe in trick questions. Honest!

    I know what you mean though, exactly. It depends. Some of the “it depends” has to do with circumstances, some with viewpoint. :0

11. January 11th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
    Andrew Flusche said

    You mean, like right now? Yep, I should be doing other work right now.

    Honestly, blogging takes up differing amounts of time. It does suck up other work time a lot, but I try to be disciplined about it. Like today, I did good.

    Take care,
    Andrew

12. January 11th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Andrew!
    I find that when I should be doing other work, my brain is actually formulating what I’ll be working on when I quit blogging — that’s no rationalization. That’s real.

    Does it work that way for you?

13. January 11th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
    Andrew Flusche said

    Liz,

    I’ve experienced that before. You’re completely right that our brains can work on other things while blogging. A lot of time I use mostly my right brain when blogging. That leaves my left brain free to work on mundane other tasks. It’s a strange way to think about it, but I think it’s kind-of true.

    Take care,
    Andrew

14. January 11th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Andrew,
    Sometimes our brains need to park ideas . . .

15. January 11th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
    mayvelous said

    Blogging take time away from other work I MIGHT be doing.
    I don’t over blog and it’s not my first priority so the blogging time is quite alrite for me. Not affecting on anything much. When I free, I blog.

16. January 11th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mayvelous!
    You have always had such a healthy, fun attitude toward your blog! More people should get the joy from it that you seem to! I love when you stop by for that reason!

17. January 11th, 2007 at 11:25 pm
    HART (1-800-HART) said

    I don’t think I would ever answer this question, and answer it honestly .. because I truly think that blogging is part of my overall work that I do – despite that I’m not a problogger or proficient (and sufficient) at this. Being self-employed, you have to do whatever it takes to survive and make a living and I’ve included blogging in my plans just like many other hair-brained schemes that I have.

    Now .. if you were to ask “Does your [NON-SUPPORTING] blogging take time away from other [PAID AND SUPPORTING] work you should be doing? .. then I would also have to give the same answer. Unfortunately, I would be lying when I said that. Truth of the matter is that I do whatever it takes. If before blogging I was doing 60 hours a week working, 40 billable and 20 admin work .. I’ve shifted the 20 admin work to 20 blogging hours. And, to make up the 20 admin work hours lost, I’m losing sleep, working 80 hours a week to catch up.

    I would hate to think I am alone in the world and end up doing alnighters on Thursday/Fridays just to catch up or not get behind. But, as a consultant ..there are only so many man-hours per year that I can bill. The plan is to exceed that opportunity and reduce that 40 billable hours per week to 30 hours and take a day off, and eventually retire with something besides debt and a mortgage.

18. January 11th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi HART,
    I think you’ve just stated both the beauty and the dilemma beautifully. Yet the issue existed before the blog, didn’t it?

    I know you’re not alone. I suspect there are more like you than not. People who squeeze what they can out of the day in order to have a life they can call their own at then when are a few hours to kick back.

    I think you answered this more than honestly.

19. January 12th, 2007 at 12:45 am
    Jodee Bock said

    The beauty of being a sole proprietor (or “soul” proprietor) is that I get to decide what I “should” be doing. Feeding my soul is part of what I know I need to do and blogging does that for me. Now that I’m on my own, I don’t have a boss – but I also don’t have co-workers (or a payday) so blogging provides me some of the interaction I used to get in the break room or inside cubicle nation. Now that I’ve established a whole new community of friends and contacts, and have sort of figured out how to blog more efficiently, when I add a partner and grow my business, it doesn’t feel like something I have to sneak around doing – it’s become just a part of doing business for me. And besides – it actually gives me a chance to practice writing, which, last year, manifested itself as a bona fide book! Can’t argue with that result!

20. January 12th, 2007 at 1:00 am
    Michelle said

    It takes about as much time as a part-time job. I could give it more time if I had it, but I don’t Not with four kids. I dream of doing it full time at some point.

21. January 12th, 2007 at 1:30 am
    Rodney Rumford said

    yes and no. i takes away time from other tasks, but if blogging is in your blood you have no choice but to blog.

    luckily for me blogging is 1 aspect of my job that i enjoy and like to do. The problem is that I actually have too much rolling around in my head and too many other high priority tasks (like running a company) and making sure clients are happy to blog. i wish i could do nothing else but blog… but is normally about number 4 on my priority list most days.

22. January 12th, 2007 at 2:41 am
    Sham said

    Hi Liz,
    Thought provoking question.
    As for me the anwer is yes. It takes a lot of time (and thought!) to write a post. Sometimes, when I don’t post regularly I spend a lot of time reading on stuff, just so I could write a post. On the other hand even if I don’t write about it, I gain some knowledge too!

    Thank you
    Sham

23. January 12th, 2007 at 3:20 am
    Hans Fosseng said

    I don’t think blogging takes up too much time away from other work I’m doing (but I’m writing this reply from work, ehm). Usually I write blog posts, maintain my web site etc. in evenings and weekends. On the other hand I often get ideas for blog posts and topics while at work. I usually post such ideas to my del.icio.us account. Then it’s easy to continue working on my ideas when I get home.

    Blogging isn’t my first priority though. I only blog when I feel like it, have a good idea for a post and have spare time to do it properly. Other spare time activities still have priority over blogging;-)

24. January 12th, 2007 at 3:40 am
    Karin said

    Hi Liz (09.37 am here, windy)
    Blogging takes time away from studying business pratice, marketing concepts, personal development.
    
    Found a substitute for books – workshops – courses in blogging.

25. January 12th, 2007 at 5:03 am
    shirazi said

    No, as a matter of fact, I should be spending more time blogging.

26. January 12th, 2007 at 6:22 am
    ME Strauss said

    Jodee,
    Your joy says everything! You don’t work at all!

27. January 12th, 2007 at 6:28 am
    ME Strauss said

    Michelle,
    I hear you. I bet you’ll get exactly where you want the time balance to be. Kids grow. Writers get a rhythm to their writing. It takes years, but they go by quicky and they’re all foundational.

28. January 12th, 2007 at 6:30 am
    ME Strauss said

    Rodney,
    You do something that I do. I think think of it as private “mind blogging.” I’ve got about six private mental blogs going in my head. If I know you the number must closer to 26.

29. January 12th, 2007 at 6:32 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Sham,
    If I replace the word in the question . . .

    blogging with learning

    you are doing the same thing. BUT the time spent seems more valuable?

    You seem to be getting a nice return on your investment.

30. January 12th, 2007 at 6:34 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hans!
    Great to hear your voice!
    You are another with such a healthy attitude. I hope you always have such balance in your life.

31. January 12th, 2007 at 6:36 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karin!
    Good morning! Great to see you!
    Blogging takes some time from those things, but it must be adding to them as well. I know that I have grown as a person through blogging — many of the B.A.D. bloggers have said the same thing.

    Has it been the same for you?

32. January 12th, 2007 at 6:40 am
    ME Strauss said

    Shirazi,
    You do so many good things. I can’t imagine that you don’t spend enough time blogging. I would think that you spend exactly the right amount.

33. January 12th, 2007 at 6:46 am
    Tim Singleton said

    Hmmmm. Nope.

    Blogging is the work I should be doing. If I won the Florida lottery today, tomorrow I would still be blogging.

    Electronic democracy, freedom of speech, a truly free and independent print media…suffice it to say I am very high on blogging right now. Wish I had started years ago. I think…a thought always subject to review, of course…that a mediocre living from something you are just psycho-monkey passionate about is better than a huge income from selling your soul to something you despise.

    I have written two novels and working on the third of a trilogy. I have a drawer ( and a head ) full of stories in progress. If I cannot sleep, I get up and write. I have yet to be published. So what? Sometimes I cannot sleep because I have to write. Sometimes I am confused as to which of those is happening, LOL. IF I am to be published then my efforts to be will pay off. If not, they won’t. Simple as that. My job is to write.

    I sibscribe to the idea that God knew what he was doing when he lit the individual flame in each of us.

34. January 12th, 2007 at 6:51 am
    ME Strauss said

    Tim,
    You are a wonder of perspective. Talk about blogging your dreams . . . how could not be spending exactly the right amount of time doing that?

35. January 12th, 2007 at 6:53 am
    Karin said

    Afternoon Liz. (sun has just come out, great!)

    Yes it’s the same for me (earlier comment was meant in jest ) Definitely learning, growing, in short: enrichment of life.

36. January 12th, 2007 at 6:57 am
    Karin said

    Tim, can relate to your thoughts. Nowadays I tell some friends that blogging must have been invented specially for me

37. January 12th, 2007 at 7:07 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Karin,
    It seems like the water between here and there confused me. So sorry.

    Your blog reflects how much you get from blogging. I love reading it.

38. January 12th, 2007 at 8:43 am
    Emily said

    How blogging fits into my workday:
    1) do a little work
    2) something happens at work that I wish I could blog about
    3) glower about the fact that all my best material is off-limits due to the law of the dooce.
    4) try to think of an alternative topic
    5) fail
    6) never actually post anything
    7) brood about the fact that I never actually post anything

39. January 12th, 2007 at 8:51 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Emily!
    Welcome!
    I like the description of the glower part, but don’t particularly like number 7. I was hoping that 2007 would be the year that we got away from stories that have unhappy endings.

    I find that when I’m stuck it’s usually because I’m looking in the wrong direction.

    Doc Searls says a blog is an email to the world. I think a blog is a relationship with everyone who wants to listen.

    What do you talk about when you can talk about your favorite things?

40. January 12th, 2007 at 9:24 am
    darrenh said

    Like I think a few others are suggesting, I found that the way to find time for blogging was to open new time to do it. For me, that was getting up earlier in the morning and sometimes staying up a little later at night. New task, new time.

41. January 12th, 2007 at 9:27 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Darren!
    That’s great way to grow — you get more time and invest in yourself. You’re some problem solver!

    New task, new time ,/i> That makes a great mantra!

42. January 12th, 2007 at 9:29 am
    darrenh said

    yeah! who needs sleep?

43. January 12th, 2007 at 11:52 am
    Jesse said

    Hey, Liz,

    Only if there was anything to do that took enough time to actually take away from blogging. I started blogging because there wasn’t enough to do.

    Whenever you see a day with one post or a quick little note, that is a day where someone actually needed my skillz. (today is not one of those days, it just took me 3 hours to do my 2 posts )

44. January 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Jesse!
    It sounds like you’re finding bits and bits more to do these days.

45. January 12th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
    Sandra Renshaw said

    Hi Liz,

    Great question, and you’re getting great answers. It just depends. . . on priorities and workload.

    Somedays I don’t have much computer time at all and others I spend all day at my monitor. Those are the times I set a timer to give me a sense of the time passing. It’s too easy to lose track when I’m online.

    Sandy

46. January 12th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Sandy,
    I know what you mean. Today I was able to close down my browser and focus on what I had to get down first. It was a good feeling!