Probably most of you, right!

I get it all the time followed with something like “that’s a hobby” or “what do you do for money?” or “you should get a job”.

It’s a little disheartening sometimes. But I plug away at it anyway. Nothing is going to knock me off my tracks.

Like anything different or new(ish) you have to be prepared for the naysayers and negative comments. People are scared of change and anything different to the norm. It makes them feel that maybe they are doing something wrong. They want affirmations in their life. Sometimes they just come from the heart and are concerned about your well being.

To discover a new way of living and to create something different you will need many virtues (or at least have to attempt to acquire them) because being a blogger takes a different breed:

• it takes trial and error
• it takes a lot of dedication and perseverance
• it takes innovation
• it takes willingness to change
• it takes patience (with all the non-believers)
• it takes a “never give up” attitude

…and so much more.

Blogging like anything is something we learn to do. As we practice, we get better at it. As we get better we find certain areas where are skills shine (this is called carving a niche). For some it might be writing ability, for others it might be knowledge on a very specific topic. And as we carve this niche, something happens. It transforms from what looks like a hobby into a sustainable business entity.

And this entity is like nothing anyone has seen before. That’s the goal.

When the car was invented people resisted, so you can’t expect them not to resist blogging and the internet in general (even computers are a challenge for many). So keep plugging away.

Blogging might seem like a hobby and may very well be one, but you can create a viable business that adds value to your audience. Just like any business it takes dedication, skill and a bit of trial and error.

Eventually you will get it right.

There is no right answer.

Managing one blog successfully is a challenge. You have to create content, market your site, build traffic, deal with technical issues, pay for costs, find graphics, monetize and deal with a plethora of other things.

Managing several can be an obvious thing to gain web real estate and explore interests and opportunities BUT it may be difficult for you to maintain. Using a successful or established blog as a stepping stone to your next level is an obvious movement in the right direction.

Continually adding blogs and not building the content or links to them is a backwards step. It is counterproductive.

So the answer lies within yourself. I think it can be summed up with one statement.

When the quality of your blogging is suffering, you know you are focusing on too many things.

Here’s how I decided to build my blogs. I have about a half dozen blogs that I work on actively and I spread them out over a network. I am in the process of selling the sites that don’t interest me anymore. Sometimes it is just better to let them go though. I have another half dozen sites that are passive. They have general content that does not need to be updated. That way I only need to build traffic to them.

So, ask yourself these questions:

Am I stretched to thin? Too busy, too tired, overwhelmed.

Do I have time to build traffic and community?

Do my readers comment on my site?

Is my readership increasing?

How do I feel about the quality of my blog postings? Is it helping people? Is my writing improving and adding value?

If the answer is NO then take a step back, slow down and work on a handful or even one primary site with a passion and determination that offers your readers the quality they deserve.

Your readers will thank you.

I have logged over hundred thousand hours on a computer but they have changed so much and keeping up with the changes and technologies is sometimes overwhelming. Sometimes they are easy adjustments. Sometimes they are not.

mobility makes it possible to blog from anywhere

I like to work open source and use linux (debian).

In some places like the library system of Canada – they block internet access for linux users, yet give it to microsoft and mac users. Interesting, I’m using a community based software that is tried, tested and true and has absolutely no threat of virus but the library system uses protocols that consider me a threat.

This is an obstacle that I am willing to overcome and learn. I will keep blogging because I love it. In fact, I love it more than mobility and adventure out on the open road. I want my regular blogging back!

There are options for bloggers. Global Wi-Fi accounts, finding hotspots, cafes, libraries and various mobile devices that will give a computer user internet access. Some are widespread and most of them are expensive. As the competition and technology improves the cost will come down.

In the meantime, I make do.

I plan my blogging and communication access

I am deliberate in my approach

I learn to work effectively in short periods of time

This is the truth for everyone. If you spend your time efficiently, anything is possible and obstacles become minuscule. Blogging and mobility is a reality and like anything, you figure it out as you go.

Well…Yes and No!

Let me explain.

Offering consistent quality in posts is far more important than providing daily or weekly blog posts.

But, many might argue that you are not satisfying the search engines and will lose readership during a period of absence.

A website is about your readers. It’s not about you. So if your absence is for selfish reason – for instance you just don’t feel like putting the efforts in than your readership will suffer.

But if you have truly posted quality articles that the search engines have indexed well and have taken the time to care about the quality of the content for your readers than you should be fine.

An extended absence is a forgivable event. We all have life issues to take care of. A blog run by an individual is built on relationships and trust with your reader. - it’s a community.

I recently disappeared from the blog scene for about three months. My reasons for not blogging were purely logistical. During my time away, I also needed to think about what direction I needed to go in and how I wanted to blog in the future. I  had to think about life.

My audience readership did not drop and my website traffic in fact increased during this time. Upon my return I was welcomed back and it motivated me to continue on my blogging journey.

I love blogging, and I love my blog audience. Integrity is  key. If you need to take care of other things, take care of them.

You can rebound.

In the future it will be possible for an absence to seem more seemless and my audience will benefit from my success. In the meantime I will keep focusing on improvements and quality – not quantity.

Depending on how computer savvy you are, you will have different issues. I’ve spent a lot of hours on a computer but some of the techie stuff still gets me. I don’t understand the programming and technical side of things all the time and often suffer from a mental block when an issue arises.

But…it is still important to work through things to discover a solution.

Sometimes, I call in favours.

Sometimes, I work it out with google searches.

Sometimes, I get someone else to fix it. Outsourcing, a great way to speed things up.

Sometimes, I look for solutions in text books and learn about a topic.

Sometimes, trial and error helps find a solution.

And sometimes the solution can’t be found…yet. But I keep looking.

No matter how big or small the technical difficulties are, it is a part of the blogging life. It’s important to keep moving forward and learning. Life after all throws us many twists and turns.

We have to be up for the challenge.

Instead of letting these obstacles hinder your progress. Embrace the challenge and move forward one step at a time. We learn from our mistakes and efforts. Thinking otherwise is not smart choice.

It took years to realize there are no secret formulas and blueprints.

The same mindset applies to the web.

stop seeking get rich quick schemes

The odds are against you.

You will achieve 3 things – a loss of time, money & energy. This vicious cycle will diminish your focus. Give it time. Nurture just like a baby to help your web business grow.

Concerted effort will get you the results. There is hard work, writing and learning involved.

the good news

There are many formulas and blueprints that work. Here’s a few excellent starting points:

The $5 Formula (Josh Spaulding) – for those that want to create many mini websites with limited social interaction. A simple almost foolproof formula with opportunities to develop your own variation. A free download that includes Ease SEO & Make Money Online eBooks.

VRED or Virtual Real Estate Development (Michelle Adams) – for those that want to learn how to buy, create and sell websites for profit. Buy this incredibly information packed eBook and receive permanent access to a very active and effective forum with live support. Michelle plays an active role and her customer service is second to none.

One Week Marketing ( Pot Pie Girl) – for a simple system with a daily action plan, all in just one week.

The 30 Day Challenge (Ed Dale) – a complete program (and it’s completely free) to learn how to build and market your internet business from the bottom up.

I generally promote products that I have bought or used – a couple of these are affiliate links.

You can adapt each of them to suit your needs once you develop your skills. A necessary process to discover your strengths and passions.

To get where you want it’s important to create the right mindset. I have spoken about the qualities you need to succeed before. Remember it will take hard work and dedication to feel the results.

My friend Ruth over at Web Career Girl is celebrating her 100th post and decided to write about her blogging journey. A fantastic writer and excellent blogging buddy. Ruth – congratulations and happy blog-go-versary!

We all got talking at VRED voice, an amazing forum by Michelle Adams that is included when you purchase her amazing new book Build and Sell Niche Blogs, a comprehensive guide on blog flipping.

We decided that a few of us would write about the reasons why we blog, our journey  and what we want to accomplish.

“Can A Blog Change the World?” by Ruth: “Blogging as an opportunity to use your voice for what you truly believe in, changing your world for the better”.

“My Blogging Vision” by Lisa: “When I started blogging back in October of 2007, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I’ve seen a lot of changes in my life since then yet my vision for my blog remains the same.”

“At the Speed of Blog” by Steve: “What I have seen in the way mankind has changed in the form of communication during my lifetime.”

“All About Me” by Donny: “All About Me – Well maybe not all. I wanted to take a minute and give everyone a chance to get to know a bit about who I am, how I got here, what I hope to accomplish and why I am looking to Internet Marketing and, more specifically, Niche Blogging for income.”

“Turning Dreams Into Goals” by Donna: “For the past year my dream has been to make enough money working online so that both me and my husband could work from home. We have a business that I currently run from home and I wanted to turn that over to him while I created websites.”

“Why I Blog and Why I’ll Continue to Blog” by Michelle: Inspired by others who ‘care’, I got to thinking about the world we all live in and how we have this amazing communication channel we know as the World Wide Web: I wondered if by blogging, can I change the world? Here’s some of the thoughts that quickly came to mind”

“Blogging Vision 2010” by Jen: “AkitaJitsu’s “Niche Blogging for Non-Techies” is all about answering technical questions about building niche blogs in a non-technical way. Jen (aka, Akitajitsu) started the blog a few months ago, and has written a plan for the blog’s future. She hopes this blog will become a popular resource for niche bloggers.”

“Blogging to Change the World – My World” by Leslie: “Blogging can be a hobby, something you do for fun. For me, it changed my world for the better. It made my life the dreamlife I always envisioned.”

“Niche Blogging” by Loren: “Making goals, missing goals and maintaining blogging relationships.”

the reason i blog

There is not any single reason why I blog. It’s a culmination of things. If you haven’t read it already, you can read the simply stephen story over at my main blog on green living (warning, it’s quite long).

Life has been a journey of twists and turns for me. As an introvert it has sometimes been a little bit too stimulating. I often use the expression slow like tortoise and sometimes I want to hide in my shell.

But if life has taught me anything, it is that the world is an amazing place with so many struggles, challenges, opportunities and stories from real people.

It would be a shame to take my trials and tribulations to the grave with me when the stockpile of experience could be used to help other people cope with their journey. So I do just that.

I bare all on my websites. Nothing hidden. I say it like it is in the hopes of helping people with their journey. If I can make a difference in one persons life, then it will all be worth it. My other passion is simple green living and you could say I am here to assist and protect people and mother earth.

the road to blogging

I’ve been playing with computers as a productivity hacker for about 25 years. Though not really a techie, I do ok. After a decade in the animal industry, I decided to change careers and start doing computer support work. This included a lot of business writing, including content for various high level websites. After 5 lay offs in a decade (because of all those mergers and takeovers), I decided to go out on my own and have been freelancing since.

It was time to stick it to the man. Though I’ve been doing that my whole life. In 2005 simply stephen was born. I provided writing services for websites and business.

I followed up and took a web design program in 2006 to help round out the skills. But after working with traditional websites & clients I decided to take a peak at internet marketing and lifestyle type work.

You know, the type of work that you can do from anywhere, anytime, while choosing to do what you will and won’t do. That’s it. That’s what I do.

I had been following Josh Spaulding for a while and he introduced a web mentoring forum now open to the public at IMD Forum. Shortly after joining I set up my first blog.

Oh, what a journey!

I’ve played the Google dance, lost money, earned money, bought products I didn’t need, tried different blueprints, got distracted, wrote guest posts, learned a whole lot, got focused and ended up here…I learn  the one thing that will help you follow your road, is to know where you want to go.

focus

And that’s what I’m doing. I’m focusing on helping people with living. Easy as 1-2-3

1. I help introverts with blogging on this site – the ideal way of living for many introverts
2. I help introverts learn how to cope with life obstacles
3. I help the everyday blogger & little guy learn about green simple living – made simple at simply stephen and keep an eye out for living on a dime (coming soon) to help you save money and stay green

That’s the full circle, it’s all about living.

I have a few little mini sites on some passions. Call them little side projects to keep my passions burning.

my ideal set of blogs

1. Helping people with Green Simple Living – (simply stephen – done)
2. Helping Introverts with Life – (cope with life – done)
3. Helping Introverts with Blogging – (have a niche day – done)
4. Sustainable Living & Housing Blueprint – in progress (yurtopia project – this is a journey in itself)
5. Helping People Learn Cribbage – done (cribbage rules – still working on eBook)
6. Adoption Reunion – in progress (eBook coming late this year)
7. Traveling Green – I’m going to be doing this soon and want to blog about it (part of yurtopia)
8. Helping People Save Money and the Environment – coming soon (living on a dime)
9. Hockey – I want a hockey site

So, my journey is a pretty fascinating one. There are still so many wonderful stories to come out. It is going strong and as the skill and focus is being developed it is getting more and more exciting.

I am a repository of stories and adventures that can help you with your journey. Some of them you would never believe. Just ask I love to help and  share.

We’d love to hear about your blogging journey too and if you don’t have one, let us help you create one.

Today, I am going to leave you with a thought…

question everything

Why, because in order for you to be a leader and follow your path you need to question everything you do, everything you see and everything you want to change.

As a child, my parents encouraged me to ask why and question things when I thought something was wrong. At times this backfired on them because I questioned them too. But what it taught me was not to accept the answer…just because or that’s the way it has always been done.

apathy is not a choice

So, your assignment until next week is to question everything and share with me what you’ve discovered.

Both introverts and extroverts often misunderstand what it means to be introverted. As an introvert, you need lots of quiet time with limited stimulation and distraction.

If you are an extreme introvert, like me, you will need to moderate times and quantity to maintain your energy level.

In a daily work routine here are some of the energy vampires that may drain your battery:

1. traveling on public transport (to and from work)
2. listening to people on cell phones and gadgets
3. line ups at turn styles and shops
4. meetings – often where people expect immediate answers
5. interruptions in your office or cubicle (phone calls, greetings, interaction, etc.)
6. external noise such as chatter and music
7. unrealistic expectations to do things a certain way (kind of like teaching a fish to fly)

why does that make blogging the perfect job?

As an introvert, it is necessary to schedule events and limit the external flow of life to recharge. At home you can decide when these activities are going to take place and what precautions you put in place.

1. going solo – blogging is usually a solitary activity (and the lack of direct interaction can drive an extrovert nuts)
2. silence - plenty of time for introspection and quiet time to help energize and gather thoughts
3. engagement - you decide when to socialize, email, telephone and interact
4. stimulation - you can turn off all external distractions
5. conversation – no office small talk…ahhhhhhh
6. no need for hype – that means you don’t have to draw attention to yourself, let it happen naturally
7. creative voice – you can choose when and how to share your ideas
8. criticism & judgment – the web becomes a buffer to reduce the quantity of unsolicited input
9. the perfect voice – the web is the best platform for a passive activist to support your causes and passions. It is a chance to be heard and express yourself with deep thought.
10. a passive sales channel – what better way then the web to set up an automated system
11. pace - when your energy is low, you can shift gears and schedule in a way that meets your clock. You can also learn and share at a pace that meets your current needs
12. energy – it leaves you with energy for other external activities and interests

Doesn’t that seem like the perfect job. Time to express and engage in an environment conducive to your mannerisms. No judgment and limited forced stimulation. Build your confidence and style and get a chance to let your true self shine through.

Do you have any other reasons why blogging is great as an introvert? I’d love to hear them.

There is no bias, introverts and extroverts alike will look at various opportunities and forget about making a game plan.

Big mistake! Starting small and following through with one action at a time will achieve a much greater result than trying to start big with lots of different actions. You will lose benefits along the way.

The next mouthful can wait

This is what makes the difference between an amateur and a pro. Taking small bites will create a shorter line from distance A to distance B, bringing success sooner rather than later.

A quick example. There are many formulas for internet marketing that suggest making money online by creating a site that will make you a small amount every day, say $1. Then rinse and repeat to make your target. So if you create 50 sites you can make $50 a day, which is $1500 a month.

It is a method that can work but it counts on the fact that everything will remain the same. That traffic will still come from the same sources and that your money will remain steady.

concerted effort

If it doesn’t, you will find yourself struggling to keep up with changes that you will have to apply to more than 50 sites, perhaps multiple changes with many hours of work. I’ve made the mistake of getting excited about so many ideas and working on too many of them at the same time.

Now I’ve cut my number of sites in half because so many of the domains I registered never even got of the ground. There just isn’t enough time. And I still have too many sites. I’m working on shaving them down even more.

Wouldn’t your time be best spent concentrating on a handful or even 1 site and sticking with it until you have a powerful site, strong following and good cash flow before you spend time on several dozen unproven sites?