The commitment
For a long time, I would build up a number of completed posts to give me a head start, with the hopes that when I started posting them every day, I would then get in a groove of writing one a day or more to post one every day. That worked for something like 60 days one time, during the pandemic I think, but eventually I fell behind and just stopped.
For a long time, I would build up a number of completed posts to give me a head start, with the hopes that when I started posting them every day, I would then get in a groove of writing one a day or more to post one every day. That worked for something like 60 days one time, during the pandemic I think, but eventually I fell behind and just stopped.
So I changed my approach. I committed to writing one a day, but doing something I used to do when I was journaling a lot back in the ‘90s. I post every day. Often it starts with what I call a shell, which is just the title, or topic, of the post. Then I will start writing at least some, if not all of it.
Usually, it is just part of it, because then I go back to the beginning of the unfinished posts, and start finishing them off, one by one.
Ideally, if I start actually writing a post a day, and finish it, then go back to the beginning of the unfinished posts and start knocking them off one by one, I should eventually catch up.
The galling thing now is this. I have reached the posts that I started publishing every day. Had I had the discipline back in July to finish those posts every day, then I would be all caught up. Instead, I currently have 51 unfinished posts.
But I have a plan
Blog strategy and completion plan
Actually, I have two plans. One is a blog strategy, which outlines my philosophy. The other is a blog completion plan. It spans the month of September and outlines how many posts I must do every day, and in total, to be caught up by the end of the month. It also has columns to track my progress and chart if I am ahead or behind pace. I am currently way behind pace, but still believe I can catch up. Part of that wishful thinking comes from the fact I have complete posts scattered throughout the unfinished pile, so that will hasten my progress.
Actually, I have two plans. One is a blog strategy, which outlines my philosophy. The other is a blog completion plan. It spans the month of September and outlines how many posts I must do every day, and in total, to be caught up by the end of the month. It also has columns to track my progress and chart if I am ahead or behind pace. I am currently way behind pace, but still believe I can catch up. Part of that wishful thinking comes from the fact I have complete posts scattered throughout the unfinished pile, so that will hasten my progress.
Topics galore
By committing to a post every day, I am going into areas I never thought I would as I am forced to find a topic every day. I have taken to creating a draft post, which is usually a title only, when a topic comes to mind. That way, my hope is that when I don’t have anything in a day, there will be something in the draft folder.
By committing to a post every day, I am going into areas I never thought I would as I am forced to find a topic every day. I have taken to creating a draft post, which is usually a title only, when a topic comes to mind. That way, my hope is that when I don’t have anything in a day, there will be something in the draft folder.
It has made me more disciplined in that if I post a shell, then I should follow up with an actual post, and actually at least start writing it.
So this approach has curbed my old habit of just creating a post on a whim, without any real meat to go with it. This has produced some interesting results, as I have written my way into an actual post by literally just brainstorming and writing anecdotes until I knit them into something readable.
Doing some research has also yielded some posts that went where I had not anticipated.
Research and reward
I have done some interesting research. Beyond just looking in Wikipedia, I have gone back to what I call first principles or source material. For instance, I posted a shell on watching the Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns fight, so I actually watched the whole fight on YouTube. That totally enriched the blog with material I took straight from the broadcast.
I have done some interesting research. Beyond just looking in Wikipedia, I have gone back to what I call first principles or source material. For instance, I posted a shell on watching the Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns fight, so I actually watched the whole fight on YouTube. That totally enriched the blog with material I took straight from the broadcast.
Another example is the album “Mr. Roboto” by Styx. It is a concept album that I heard had an actual mini-movie go with it. There was no real way to access it when I first heard about it in the 1980s. Wikipedia revealed there was an actual video, then I tracked it down on YouTube and watched it too. Again, it enriched the post with actual detail that I observed in watching the mini-movie myself.
A third example is the 1985 World Hockey Championship. In this case, I got to see a game between Canada and the Soviet Union that was not actually televised. The YouTube video again gave me background for a better blog post.
Unintended consequence
My goal has always been to have a lot of views, and engaged ones where people would provide comments. Posting at least a topic every day has increased my views substantially. A couple months now, since I started this approach, I have verged on 10,000 views in a month. Yet, no comments had been posted.
My goal has always been to have a lot of views, and engaged ones where people would provide comments. Posting at least a topic every day has increased my views substantially. A couple months now, since I started this approach, I have verged on 10,000 views in a month. Yet, no comments had been posted.
It led me to believe the views are from robots, that is algorithms that just troll the Internet. What makes me think this, is that there are still no comments, not even to say “Hey, your posts don’t have any content. They’re just titles”.
So, with more views comes the fact they are likely not by real people or actual readers.
Parting thoughts
My long-term goal is to try and hit 1,000 posts. It is going to take a long time. Right now, I just passed 600 and that is by gaming the system, and just posting empty posts with a title indicating what is to come. That actually means I am still at about 500 posts – halfway to 1,000.
My long-term goal is to try and hit 1,000 posts. It is going to take a long time. Right now, I just passed 600 and that is by gaming the system, and just posting empty posts with a title indicating what is to come. That actually means I am still at about 500 posts – halfway to 1,000.
Yet, I am optimistic because I have this renewed discipline. Even if I don’t complete at least one post a day, I am writing every day. It has become a habit. Sometimes it may be barely a hundred words, because I try to at least write the introduction or lead for the shell I post every day.
I am actually enjoying the relentless pressure to come up with something every day, and I cannot wait to see what each new day brings.
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