Since the beginning of the year, I’m on an information diet. I have dramatically reduced the amount of information I consume on a daily basis by limiting e-mail, prioritizing RSS feeds, scheduling Twitter and news site visits.
This diet was boosted involuntarily during the last few days due to a broken internet connection – and resulted in way more time spent at the beach and having fun with family and friends. Not a bad thing, really. (Right now, my three little nieces are sneaking through this temporary office playing hide-and-seek.)
Although I already had a longer writing prepared for you, I didn’t post it yet. It’s all about slower living (and blogging), and I found this was a great excuse to postpone it a little and refine it some more.
Why? Because information overflow is not just a consumer problem. As writers, we sometimes put too much stuff out there because “it’s just a blog post” – but if we only produce more noise, then we’re probably on the wrong track. Although each reader can freely decide upon what to read and what not, it’s certainly better to avoid information overflow from a producer side and make sure the texts we publish are of value. Post when there’s a great thing to post – that would be blogging in tempo giusto.*
More on that in a few days.
*) The fun thing is that I am breaking my own rule with this post; but then, it’s Idle Musing Tuesday and I wouldn’t want you to think I am dead or something. Also, my nieces are climbing on my back and will start calling me names if I keep on typing words into this machine, so I better get it posted.
The Idle Musings are short posts of 300 words maximum. They are published on The Friendly Anarchist every other Tuesday. Grab the RSS feed to get them right into your reader.
We need not follow the common tempo when it comes to our blogs. We just have to find our own rhythms and go with it. Too much pressure brings bad results. :-)
Exactly, Walter! Although some people manage to create great content every day, sometimes it’s better to slow down a little.
I’m completely with you on the information diet. I cut out the news (online, tv, newspapers etc.) a few months ago and feel much better for it. To quote Paul Simon, “I get the news I need from the weather report”.
Although I agree with you on blogging in tempo giusto, I found that when I did this I barely managed to write one post a month (probably because I’m lazy!). I’ve recently set myself a schedule of writing one post a week and have found it really helps. I will have to be careful though, that the quality of my posts doesn’t go down.
I don’t even need a weather report. In Cartagena, it’s always and hot – and it rains almost everyday from May to October, but never in the other months. :)
As for blogging, I think your experimentation has pretty much lead you to your personal tempo giusto: For you, once a week works fine, while less is too little and more is too much work. (I know that, too! ;))
For others, two or three posts everyday may be fine (especially for tech and design bloggers, but some serious writers also manage to do that, p.e. Trent from The Simple Dollar) – or just one every other month.
I think it’s more about personal preference & experience, and it also has to do a lot with the complexity of what you are writing about – there are no fixed rules imo.
I agree with Walter’s comments above. I was putting too much pressure and stress on myself, which was making me unhappy. Now, I’m more trying to really slow down and figure things out. At the same time I don’t want it to be an excuse for not doing anything. I would like to continue making progress. The larger question I have been wrestling with is ‘what is my true intention in life and am I living in alignment with that?’ Obviously, not an easy question to answer…at least not for me.
Not easy for most people, probably.
What helps me is just to go on writing. The Friendly Anarchist is still very mixed up in its topics, but I also begin to notice what really is the direction I am heading for. I think within some months things will be a lot clearer. One thing is for sure, I love the writing and publishing process and the exchange with you guys in the comments and by mail!
I’m writing this whilst listening to one of my favourite songs from last year, a song called ‘Island’ by the Phantom Band, and it’s so blissful and chilled out it’s wonderful, and fits right in with the vibe of this post.
Fabian, your laid back attitude always reminds me to worry a little less, and take myself a little less seriously. That’s why I always read your posts. So please, spend more time at the beach, I know I would if I lived there. Just don’t abandon us completely!
Milo, you know the beach is my main inspiration, so it certainly helps in the blog rather than leading to abandon it (and you)! Listening to the song right now on YouTube… great tune! Definitely a fine companion while reading The Friendly Anarchist! :)