2011: The year I kept a resolution
- Sat, December 31 2011
- Filed under: Fun stuff
At the beginning of 2011, I resolved to post on this blog every single day, for the whole year. I think this is the first time I’ve ever kept a resolution! I did actually d0 it, as of this post, without missing a day.
Lest I sound too smug, I can assure you that I didn’t keep any other resolutions, including ones that involved exercise, finishing a novel and being more patient with my children (they can back me up on that).
So what was the difference and what did I learn? Since it’s resolution time again, I thought I’d pass on my own thoughts, based on where I succeeded and failed.
1. Make your resolution public. I committed to posting daily on this blog, in public. If I’d only done it privately, I am sure I would have never made it.
2. Have a buddy. I made the resolution because the wonderful blogger Kivi Leroux Miller inspired it with her own pledge. Having a buddy makes you try harder.
3. Make your resolution very specific. I didn’t commit to blogging “more,” I committed to every day. In other areas of my life, I promised myself to do “more,” which wasn’t as inspiring or galvanizing.
4. Try to stick to your resolution for a few weeks. Then it becomes a habit, and it gets easier.
5. Tie it to rewards you care about. I really want to become smarter, more reflective and better at writing. I thought of blogging with those goals in mind (rather than as a burden), and it kept me energized. I focused as much as I could on what I was gaining from the experience rather than what it cost. If I’d seen this as an obligation, I would have failed. I (mostly) enjoyed it, and that made all the difference.
I plan to keep going in 2012! My only question is whether to continue blogging on weekends. I see less traffic on the blog then. So I thought I’d take a poll.
Please weigh in.
If you can’t see the poll below, view it here.
Comments
I found your blog a couple of months ago, as I found a number of other fundraising/non-profit blogs. Yours is the only one I’ve made a point of continuing to read because you post every day, and your content is consistently good. I have learned a great deal from you in the last few months, and I thank you. I look forward to your daily posts in 2012!
Whenever we can achieve a goal, that’s good.
But if we can achieve that goal while helping others as you did, that’s great!
Congratulations! And thanks.
ps - from this parent of 3 middle schoolers, I know how hard parenting can be, but remember ... Patience is important and important things require patience. 
Congratulations on a successful year of posts! Its been a great benefit to me personally; I’ve gained both knowledge and personal motivation for my own resolutions! Thank you!!
May 2012 be a great year, and please, one of weekday postings only!
Blogging every day? An impressive feat! I’ve found it difficult to blog even weekly, let alone daily. Have you seen effects on your traffic, subscribers, etc.? Would love to see a post about the effects of regular, frequent blogging.
Chas - Thanks! The number of subscribers went up 6-fold, so I’d say it really makes a difference! Engagement levels/comments/emails grew. Also helps with organic search.
dear katya,
much as i love reading what you write, no need to post on weekends. some people, like me, are pretty neurotic and have the urge to read everthing that comes in. that’s a lot of work, so folks like us are happy when we can take a little break 
keep up the great work
tobias