Last week, I went through my old blog, PHAT Mommy, and pulled out the posts I wanted to import into this blog. I wanted to choose the most important posts that told the story of my life over my past 5 years of blogging. What I thought would be blog maintenance “busy work” turned out to be a very enlightening experience.
First, I had a huge realization about my blogging “career.” In my first few years of blogging, I blogged about my life, my thoughts, and resources I found helpful. Then I somehow got sidetracked into thinking I had to have a “purpose” for my blog. A niche. A passion that I would be the authority on. I found that the older posts – just sharing my thoughts – are much better posts than my more recent ones which often seemed forced and dull. And I blogged a lot more often back then! I guess just being myself can make a better blog than trying too hard to find my “passion.”
Second, I realized how much I’ve grown as a parent. I looked back on some of those old posts and could honestly say “I don’t do that anymore,” or “I’ve gotten much better at that.” And there are still some things that I’ve made no improvement at all on…
So if you’ve been blogging for awhile, I recommend you go back and read those old posts. Maybe you can edit them a bit so they have better titles for SEO. (Little tech tip there for ya!)
Here’s a wise quote I’d like to share:
Nothing asks more of us than parenting does. We must grow up if we want our kids to. We must admit our weaknesses and work on them if we’d like them to do the same. A tall order, to be sure, but one worth all the gray hair in the world. For when we allow our kids to teach us about ourselves, we can then be as free and joyful as children again.
-Hal Runkel, LMFT and author of ScreamFree Parenting
{ 14 comments }
Twitter: Crystalandcomp
April 3, 2010 at 10:44 am
Isn’t that interesting? Maybe our passion should just be…. being ourselves?
I so do not want to be cookie cutter in the blogging world. I get what you are saying!
I want to grow at my pace.
I want to write from my heart.
That should be our passion!
Great SITS tips today and great post here! Thanks for reminding me that staying true to myself is ok!
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve just decided to re-commit myself to blogging again after struggling with it for the last nine months. It had felt so forced and not authentic. But no more. I’m back on the stream of conciousness brain dump again, which is what I do best and what fires me up to write.
Must be the spring air or something . Thanks also for the tips on the icons in the sidebar. Easy peasy!
THis one has my blog site typed in correctly. Duh. Sorry!
Twitter: elizamamablog
April 3, 2010 at 11:21 am
Happy Saturday SITS Sharefest!!!
You know what??? YOU are your passion! Being yourself is what it’s all about. The blogs I love most are so unique to that particular blogger, from their writing style to their quirky layout. I want to read about you! :)
I find that my best posts are often when I am being most myself too.
like this one…http://www.postcardsfromparenthood.com/2010/03/she-wore-itsy-bitsy-teeny-weenie.html
Have a great weekend!
Twitter: MamaArcher
April 3, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Thanks for sharing this. So often we hear that we need to focused and have a certain passion/theme for all of our posts. I have struggled with that. IT is good to hear that there are others who think that being a little random and being oneself can still make for a good blog!
Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!
MamaArcher´s last blog ..Baffling
So true! Great post. :) Stopping by from SITS.
Great post. I need to work on being more consistent with my own blog. :\
-Stopping by from Sits
Sushicookie´s last blog ..Dog Tired Fitness!
Twitter: dutchbeingme
April 3, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I agree about losing your passion for writing — and the good posts at that — when I started trying too hard with a “purpose” behind me. I haven’t been at the blogging thing for as long, but I was just thinking about this EXACT thing this week. So timely for me too. :)
Happy SITS Saturday Sharefest… and have a blessed Easter!
Julie´s last blog ..Pardon the dust…
I love when we get twice the wise from our posts: first time writing, second time reading. And I love that parenting quote! Screamfree indeed!
Brenda´s last blog ..Small Talk
Twitter: gigi927
April 3, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Visiting from SITS and wanted to thank you for today’s tip about social media icons…so easy and helpful!!
Gigi´s last blog ..Your Parenting Sweet Spot
Twitter: 2ManyHeartbeats
April 4, 2010 at 10:29 am
Great post! Being a parent is the hardest but most incredible job in the world!
I’m visiting from SITS! I wanted to thank you SO very much for your help on Saturday about the Social Media Icons. I had been trying forever to figure out how to do those. Plus, I really wanted some that would be unique for my blog. Well, after reading your post, I found some. Then, I followed your steps one by one and now I have some amazing looking icons on my blog!
Thanks so much for the time you take to help others. You are such a blessing!
HAPPY EASTER!
Teresa <
Teresa @ Too Many Heartbeats´s last blog ..THEN SINGS MY SOUL SATURDAYSWERE YOU THERE?
How funny – especially the last part. I just recently was going through old posts and I cringed at some of them (SEO stuff LOL). I have changed too – it’s funny to realize how far we’ve come.
I know that I have changed and unfortunately, I lost my blog a year or so ago (accidentally deleted) and then recently lost some pictures. Since then I do back up my blog and I probably need to go back and try and put the pictures back in but somehow I think it might be scary to go back :) lol
Oh my gosh, I LOVE screamfree Parenting…and that quote is the best! Thanks for sharing…
Kim – In Search of Me in Mommy´s last blog ..In Print!
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