Comments on: My plan to stop second-guessing myself http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:54:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: How Much Time Should I Spend Blogging? | Employee Evolution http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-134839 How Much Time Should I Spend Blogging? | Employee Evolution Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:00:53 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-134839 [...] Naturally, it’s all relative. Some people only write epic tales that span on for pages, while others are only writing bits and pieces that contemplate the perplexities of life. And certainly, some bloggers are much better at writing than others. They can plow through a post with ease while the novice spends extra care not to say something he/she will regret. [...] […] Naturally, it’s all relative. Some people only write epic tales that span on for pages, while others are only writing bits and pieces that contemplate the perplexities of life. And certainly, some bloggers are much better at writing than others. They can plow through a post with ease while the novice spends extra care not to say something he/she will regret. […]

]]> By: acismasycle http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-105933 acismasycle Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:37:45 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-105933 Very useful and informative blog. Recommended for all to see. http://medsdrugs.blogspot.com/ Very useful and informative blog. Recommended for all to see.
http://medsdrugs.blogspot.com/

]]> By: paul http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-17167 paul Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:55:58 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-17167 Stumbled upon your blog and just wanted to add my little bit about your writing. From just sampling your posts and the comments left, you do have a lot to offer in advice and I plan to see how and if it can help me in my life. If you get around to it, check out mine as I beleive there is some good stuff there and some very not so good! I personally enjoy blogging as a way to put my thoughts down as I try to improve my life while at the same time possibly provoking some kind of social commentary. I find that blogging is a good way to get our world down to village level in the hope we can make it a better place. Stumbled upon your blog and just wanted to add my little bit about your writing. From just sampling your posts and the comments left, you do have a lot to offer in advice and I plan to see how and if it can help me in my life. If you get around to it, check out mine as I beleive there is some good stuff there and some very not so good! I personally enjoy blogging as a way to put my thoughts down as I try to improve my life while at the same time possibly provoking some kind of social commentary. I find that blogging is a good way to get our world down to village level in the hope we can make it a better place.

]]> By: Sharon Sarmiento http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-17135 Sharon Sarmiento Sun, 14 Jan 2007 21:13:55 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-17135 Hi Penelope--that's hilarious (the part about "I'll link to his blog in the morning"). It is extremely impressive to me that you post so frequently and that your posts obviously involve a lot time, research and development. I know that the word on the street is the more posts you can do the better, but for the most part it seems like those super-prolific bloggers who post daily are doing much shorter, less involved posts than you do. It usually takes me a good 2 hours minimum (and sometimes several days) to come up with a finished post. I research, write, edit, edit, and edit some more, then post, then edit again even after it's posted. It's incredibly time consuming, then to also have the expectation of posting almost daily, managing comments (which is one of the funnest parts!), and also commenting on other blogs--it's like the blog is a second job or something! I can't keep up, so, like yourself, I've had to re-examine my blogging habits and make changes. Suprisingly, the changes I'm making are more psychological than strategic. I've started questioning my own expectations of myself regarding how often I should post, how long a post should be, how perfect it should be, and how I should show my support for other bloggers. I'm also doing a mental shift and telling myself not to even attempt to be perfect with the blog and to not take things so seriously. Your idea to come up with blog priorities and a blog schedule makes a lot of sense. I look forward to hearing what works for you! Cheers, Sharon Hi Penelope–that’s hilarious (the part about “I’ll link to his blog in the morning”).

It is extremely impressive to me that you post so frequently and that your posts obviously involve a lot time, research and development. I know that the word on the street is the more posts you can do the better, but for the most part it seems like those super-prolific bloggers who post daily are doing much shorter, less involved posts than you do.

It usually takes me a good 2 hours minimum (and sometimes several days) to come up with a finished post. I research, write, edit, edit, and edit some more, then post, then edit again even after it’s posted.

It’s incredibly time consuming, then to also have the expectation of posting almost daily, managing comments (which is one of the funnest parts!), and also commenting on other blogs–it’s like the blog is a second job or something! I can’t keep up, so, like yourself, I’ve had to re-examine my blogging habits and make changes.

Suprisingly, the changes I’m making are more psychological than strategic. I’ve started questioning my own expectations of myself regarding how often I should post, how long a post should be, how perfect it should be, and how I should show my support for other bloggers. I’m also doing a mental shift and telling myself not to even attempt to be perfect with the blog and to not take things so seriously.

Your idea to come up with blog priorities and a blog schedule makes a lot of sense. I look forward to hearing what works for you!

Cheers,
Sharon

]]> By: Blogging Mania « Unjustly http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-16988 Blogging Mania « Unjustly Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:35:13 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-16988 [...] - Penelope Trunk on Blogging Priorities. Heh! [...] […] - Penelope Trunk on Blogging Priorities. Heh! […]

]]> By: PunditMom http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-16079 PunditMom Sat, 13 Jan 2007 04:21:40 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-16079 Wow! I didn't know you used to be a professional volleyball player! Very cool! Thanks so much for the link and the kind words. As for your topic, I struggle with all of this too. Where will it lead? To something? To nothing? Why am I compelled to spend all this time on the blog? Am I following the bloggers' etiquette rules of linking? As with other things in my life, I, too, am trying to cut myself some slack. And let me know when the baby has a blog ... I'll do a link! Wow! I didn’t know you used to be a professional volleyball player! Very cool!

Thanks so much for the link and the kind words. As for your topic, I struggle with all of this too. Where will it lead? To something? To nothing? Why am I compelled to spend all this time on the blog? Am I following the bloggers’ etiquette rules of linking?

As with other things in my life, I, too, am trying to cut myself some slack.

And let me know when the baby has a blog … I’ll do a link!

]]> By: Eric Wong http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-16016 Eric Wong Sat, 13 Jan 2007 02:58:35 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-16016 I agree that there is s fine balance between doin good research and thinking for a post and making the post spontaneous, like someone said, you have been doing a good.. in fact great job so far... is there any particular reason you need to change? By the way, I have been reading many of your old posts and I think you have been improving in quality while maintaining the spontaneity of your posts.. I always look forward to your next post. <strong>* * * * * *</strong> <I>Thank you, Eric. I actually don't think I want to change anything -- just get faster at making decisions about community and then sticking with those decisions. For example, I spend way too much time deciding who to link to. I need to just link and be done with it. I also spend a huge amount of time poking around the blogs of people who comment here. I do not want to stop doing it, but I wish I had a faster way to do it -- a faster way to gather the information. Penelope</I> I agree that there is s fine balance between doin good research and thinking for a post and making the post spontaneous, like someone said, you have been doing a good.. in fact great job so far… is there any particular reason you need to change? By the way, I have been reading many of your old posts and I think you have been improving in quality while maintaining the spontaneity of your posts.. I always look forward to your next post.

* * * * * *

Thank you, Eric. I actually don’t think I want to change anything — just get faster at making decisions about community and then sticking with those decisions. For example, I spend way too much time deciding who to link to. I need to just link and be done with it. I also spend a huge amount of time poking around the blogs of people who comment here. I do not want to stop doing it, but I wish I had a faster way to do it — a faster way to gather the information.

Penelope

]]> By: Tom Morgan http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-15972 Tom Morgan Fri, 12 Jan 2007 21:28:42 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-15972 Glad to hear that your time management strategy is working well for you. Perhaps you can share with us in a future blog about your secrets for merging to do lists and e-mail as well any other tips for mastering techology so that it serves us instead of us serving it. You obviously give 110% to all facets of your life which means you face the struggle of maintaining balance in your life. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R Covey is one of my favorite books / courses that helped me decide what is important in my life and schedule accordingly on a weekly basis. http://books.google.com/books?id=KEhR5BJX90EC&dq=stephen+covey+7+habits&pg=PP1&ots=ilhQn1nK2h&sig=f111yK7f8JotcOk5WwceIJE80w4&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dstephen%2Bcovey%2B7%2Bhabits&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=2 Glad to hear that your time management strategy is working well for you. Perhaps you can share with us in a future blog about your secrets for merging to do lists and e-mail as well any other tips for mastering techology so that it serves us instead of us serving it.

You obviously give 110% to all facets of your life which means you face the struggle of maintaining balance in your life. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R Covey is one of my favorite books / courses that helped me decide what is important in my life and schedule accordingly on a weekly basis.

http://books.google.com/books?id=KEhR5BJX90EC&dq=stephen+covey+7+habits&pg=PP1&ots=ilhQn1nK2h&sig=f111yK7f8JotcOk5WwceIJE80w4&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dstephen%2Bcovey%2B7%2Bhabits&sa=X&oi=print&ct=result&cd=2

]]> By: Alice Bachini-Smith http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-15968 Alice Bachini-Smith Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:49:17 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-15968 I'm really glad you liked that post of mine. I'm also really glad you wrote this post with useful alternative approaches than second-guessing one's blogging, because I need those ideas too. This is one of the most useful blogs I've ever come across- I can't imagine why anyone would get pissed off by your posts, they're so darned helpful. Weird. I’m really glad you liked that post of mine. I’m also really glad you wrote this post with useful alternative approaches than second-guessing one’s blogging, because I need those ideas too. This is one of the most useful blogs I’ve ever come across- I can’t imagine why anyone would get pissed off by your posts, they’re so darned helpful. Weird.

]]> By: Wendy http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-15963 Wendy Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:23:13 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/12/my-plan-to-stop-second-guessing-myself/#comment-15963 For me much of the appeal of blogs is their spontaneity. Their "authenticity" (or apparent authenticity) comes from the fact that they don't look over-polished or over-rehersed. I know the good bloggers like you put more behind-the-scenes time and thought into blogs than is necessarily obvious to the average reader. However, there is probably a danger of looking too slick -- like some blogs from magazines or marketing divisions of companies that I've read once and not again since they didn't seem like "authentic" blogs. So, I guess I'm saying with blogs perhaps you shouldn't "sweat the small stuff" such as how often to link to someone else's blog. Link when it fits. Keep the blog real. You've done so well thus far, why change? why stress? Happy Friday. For me much of the appeal of blogs is their spontaneity. Their “authenticity” (or apparent authenticity) comes from the fact that they don’t look over-polished or over-rehersed.

I know the good bloggers like you put more behind-the-scenes time and thought into blogs than is necessarily obvious to the average reader. However, there is probably a danger of looking too slick — like some blogs from magazines or marketing divisions of companies that I’ve read once and not again since they didn’t seem like “authentic” blogs.

So, I guess I’m saying with blogs perhaps you shouldn’t “sweat the small stuff” such as how often to link to someone else’s blog. Link when it fits. Keep the blog real. You’ve done so well thus far, why change? why stress?

Happy Friday.

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