You might think I’m utterly delirious, but bear with me…
One afternoon while fixing the kids lunch, I pulled out several slices of bread and started adding jelly to them before I even bothered to take the peanut butter out of the cabinet.
I had six half-made sandwiches laid out on the counter when I opened the jar of peanut butter, only to discover that while it looked full from the outside, it was practically empty.
Me, being the stubborn person that I am, rather than take a few minutes to run to the store for more peanut butter, I convinced myself that I could stretch those few spoonfuls to the limit. But by the time I got to the last slice of bread, that layer of peanut butter was so thin, it caused the bread to crumble. Those were the most pitiful sandwiches I’ve ever made.
Yes, I had spread the peanut butter too thin! Have you ever done that?
Crazy as it may sound, that got me to thinking… I tend to do the same thing when it comes to blogging.
Guest Posting Out of Control
I’ve been known to have 2 guest posts published on 2 different blogs and still manage to publish fresh content to both of my blogs – that’s like 4 posts all used up in one day.
I’ve had people tease me about being everywhere at once. And while I may laugh it off and bask in their compliment, at the same time I’m out of breath and totally exhausted from writing so much content.
Spread too Thin
I hate using cliches, but some times, nothing better works to illustrate my point. It’s so easy to spread yourself too thin when it comes to blogging because there’s so many exciting opportunities – all of which are impossible to turn down.
It’s great when I can network and help my blogging friends out with guest posts, but sometimes that “help” I’m offering is just one slice of bread too much for my peanut butter. That’s when I start spitting out pitiful, sloppy, crumbly-bread-with-holes-in-it type sandwiches – I mean blog posts.
That’s when I come to the conclusion that it’s time to step back and restock the cupboards.
- Those are the times when I have to pull away from social networks and just take the time to write.
- Those are the times when I have to skip posting on the weekend so I can catch my breath.
- Those are the times when I have to leave the emails unread so that I can think and brainstorm.
- Those are the time when I have to just turn the computer off altogether and re-energize my mind.
- Those are the times when I step away from the desk and find myself thinking about blogging while making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Ironic, isn’t it?
How about you? What do you do when you realize you’ve spread yourself too thin? How do you recover?
About Kiesha Easley
Great share! Nice comparison between what happened and blogging. In life, everything we do we tend to compare but this fits. Maybe blogging too think also means not paying much attention to what people write and the need of of others for such post.
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Ha! You pegged it! Sometimes I have to leave my blog alone and turn my attention to other business for a while and then come back when my time has freed up a bit more. I defnitely would rather have quality over quantity on my blog. Thanks for sharing.
Tom Jamieson recently posted..Free Online Event November 3 & 4- 2010
That is just one thing I have spread to thin lately. with the cut backs and not as much work around. I have had to stretch things way thin. It is good to do sometimes it keeps your ego in check.
I find spreading myself too thinly hurts my blogging also, I have to stay on track and make sure I actually ‘make’ the time to do it, sometimes work makes things more difficult as well.
Interesting post Kiesha, I think one needs to prioritize things as this is certainly a wise stuff to be done.Thanks for the share!!
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Thanks for stopping by!
Twitter: ditesco
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This is such a valid point as it happens to me all the time. I try to stretch so much my peanut butter that I end up crumbling my bread. In real terms, I manage more than 20 websites. While there is only three that are really important, others are used for business but this does not mean that they have to be crappy either. Coupled with the fact that I to comment, socialize and tend to my offline responsibilities, it just feels that the right thing to do is to prioritize. Better two full made sandwiches than 6 half made, right :)
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Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi DiTesco!
Yeah, I’m definitely a periodic bread crumbler :) Getting organized and prioritizing definitely helps. But there are some days when I just can’t find the discipline to stay on track :)
Avoiding running out of butter is exactly what I kept in mind while developing my blogging strategy. I knew I couldn’t maintain a “1 post a day” rhythm, so I decided to stick to the “3 posts a week” one. So far it’s worked good, of course I am not a professional blogger so I have my reasons for that as well. My suggestion is, know your limits, and work around them if possible, but don’t exaggerate or the whole castle will crumble down.
Gabriele Maidecchi recently posted..Unity3D anaglyph- Leonardo Da Vinci virtual museum
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi Gabriele!
You’re right about knowing your limits – a regular 3 day schedule is far better than a random frequency. Readers pick up on posting rhythm quickly and like to be able to predict when the next post is coming. Sounds like you’ve got a great system going.
Hey Keisha,
I know exactly what you mean. I have a full time job and also do my blogging. It’s tough balancing between that and blogging. It’s all about efficient time management.
Richard recently posted..Lifestyle of a Part Time Blogger
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi Richard,
I’ve definitely been there; done that and you’re right – you’ve got to maximize every little bit of your time, including those minutes most people waste standing in line – that’s when I pull out my cell and start reading some blogs or checking some emails or jotting down some blog post ideas…
But that might also be why I get so burnt out at times, too… so don’t listen to me :)
Wow that is really spreading it thin.I think I would have made the other half with butter jelly and butter isn’t that bad.
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Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi Sidder,
LOL! Thanks for stopping by!
When I’m falling asleep at 8PM I figure somethings up, and it’s time to take a break! LOL. For the most part I manage things well, I’ve held back on guest blogging because I just don’t have the time to do that and still post regularly on my blog. Another creative post! Well done.
Daniel Snyder recently posted..Original Blog Post on Killing Cats & Blogging
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi Daniel,
Sounds like you’ve got a good system in place. I have to cut back on guest posting, but I couldn’t see cutting it out totally, too many good things have happened because of it – I’ve probably said this a thousand times by now, if it wasn’t for a guest post, I wouldn’t be the owner of this blog :)
I’ve definitely over-committed myself to my blogs at times. I like all of your suggestions.
The key point for me is this question: “What’s the best use of my time?” That helps me determine what to do more of, what to do less of, and what to eliminate.
John Soares recently posted..Setting Writing Priorities — What’s Most Important Now
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi John,
That is definitely a good question to ask. Only problem is that sometimes, even that still leaves too many options :)
Too thin may be a problem but its still better than nothing. We all need to eat (or traffic for that matter) and eating the bread with just a few scratches of peanut butter may be better than not eating at all.
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi Andreas,
Now that’s very insightful way of putting it :) I love your fresh perspective and I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks for the reassurance!
Excellent post! As a (travel) blogger, I can certainly relate. When I first started blogging, I was publishing like 2-3 posts a day. I now publish 3x a week on 2 blogs (though one is a photo blog).
Every blogger runs the risk of blogger burnout. It may seem ironic but travel bloggers are especially vulnerable – everywhere we go, I minds are constantly focused on the next post, which story-angle would be best, what photos would I need, etc… It’s very hard to switch off!
I wrote a post about this predicament: http://velvetescape.com/blog/2010/07/even-travel-bloggers-need-a-holiday/ at a point when I felt like I was close to a burnout. I’m glad I took the time off and that I wrote that post with some of my tips.
Thanks for writing this important article!
Best regards,
Keith
Keith recently posted..The last day of summer
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi Keith,
2-3 posts a day! Wow, I can’t even begin to imagine. That’s great for when things are new and you’re trying to get the ball rolling, but definitely not something you can do long term.
I experience the same things when it comes to not being able to switch off, and it does lead to burn out. The great thing, though, is that I love writing and blogging so much that once I get my second wind, it’s smooth sailing after that :)
I’ve realized that I can’t be everywhere and do everything right, so I’ve learned to prioritize my tasks, and to make a selection of what’s really important.
Twitter: weblogbetter
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Hi Mia,
Prioritizing is definitely the wise thing to do – my problem is that I often get distracted and forget all about my priorities. :)