This Globe and Mail article struck a chord with me. While I haven't been blogging about the intimate topics (personal financial disasters, obesity/weight loss) discussed, I have had some of the same thoughts expressed by the bloggers interviewed.
The article's theme is: Making your personal goals public will boost your resolve.
A small example in Plain Brown Wrapper was my New Year's resolution to wear my name tag at work. I'm sure no one at the hospital reads PBW, but the possibility that someone might catch me without my tag and comment "Didn't I read your blog..." was a motivator. I've been pretty consistent in wearing it.
My Advanced Access blog has put our project into the public eye. We get about 700 hits every 2 weeks. Just knowing that so many people are following our progress keeps me focussed and excited about the project.
I agreed with many quotes in the G&M article, like "... she receives some of the best feedback from readers when she posts entries that make her feel vulnerable." and "... blogging is not for the faint of heart."
But, I take issue with "Openly failing, however, is a blog risk... many bloggers opt for anonymity." Certainly, some problems like addiction may be so stigmatized that open discussion would jeopardize one's personal and professional life. But I've found that people are generally understanding of your shortcomings, particularly when they're revealed in the context of an improvement goal. Anonymity makes your commitment much shallower.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Blogging to a better you
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1 comment:
it's tough to decide Kishore -- I opted for openness with my blog and have been rewarded by meeting people like you. On the flip side.... I had a collegue refer to my blog as "cult" like. Trying to decrease wait times, improve health care, finding the ultimate scheduling practice, blah, blah, blah. Openingly failing is good for the soul but it's also true that if you stick you're head up you may get it chopped off.
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