Damien at the Speed of Life – DATSOL

If you’ve ever been embarrassed by being late, I found a lot of these on Blog Catalog Discussions. this post is for you time management enthusiasts out there:

1. Set your watch and clocks in your house to ten minutes ahead.
2. Use an online task manager like Remember the Milk.
3. Use an online Calendar like Google Calendar.
4. Set email reminders.
5. Get ready earlier (no brainer).

Got any other good ones at your computer desks? Please share.

Sitting down with the intent to write is creative suicide.  Bringing inspiration from somewhere or sometime else in your life is the key to sitting down and writing.  Throughout the day, be imagining solutions.  In your car, when that traffic threatens to give you a coronary, breathe.  Use visualization to see solutions.  The world needs and is drawn to creative thinkers.  Be one.

When a problem comes up in life at work or home, don’t curse it.  Instead, think about a creative way to solve it.  Writing is not the only thing that will benefit from doing this.  Every aspect of your life will improve as you lean into creative solutions.  If you’ve damages your online reputation my immoral traffic schemes, you can go legit again just like an acne damaged person can use acne scars treatment.

I try and be forward with setting boundaries.  At 39 in life and my career of teaching, I have learned how a lack of boundaries can waste time, months, even years on people and causes that you really don’t want in your life.  A big part of boundaries is learning to say no.  Unfortunately this part of setting boundaries often carries with it offense.  Some people are deathly afraid of offending.  If you are living in that “house,” get your moving boxes together, it’s time for a paradigm shift.

I say if you can’t offend anyone, you are destined for a frustrated and really lousy life.

The next time you are asked to do something that you don’t want to do, don’t say, “I’ll think about it,” say “NO.”

The next time someone gets in your space and criticizes you, don’t be polite and say something awkward and nice.  Say “NO!”

Offending people is not the worst thing in the world.  In fact, it can be one of the best favors you do for them and yourself.  Develop an attitude about yourself that says: “I am an amazing person and worth a lot.”  When you really get that sort of attitude, turning down offers becomes less of a worry about offending and more just a decision to not waste the short time you have on Earth.

I was astounded today to find out that some serious internet folks I work with in blogging had never heard of a Blog Carnival.  I’ve worked with Blog Carnivals since 2006.  I was equally shocked when another internet type shared with me their fear about a clearly viral and well known email hoax.  It brought up a good point for me to blog on here today: make sure you remember you know more things than many people.  They may know other things  more than you as well.  This is relevant to blogging because when you write you need to assume they know hardly anything.  If the goal is to get them coming back and reading more, then you need to show them the way.  Assuming they get everything you’re saying can be like shooting your traffic in the foot.

Aside: I publish a Blog Carnival called “Amazing Visions.”

In response to some questions I got when I started my “Amazing Visions” carnival, I was able again to write a guest post over at the Fuelmyblog Blog.  I tell why I like Blog Carnivals, explain the steps to get involved in one, and then link to my current Blog Carnival that I hope many of my readers will enter.  If you have ever looked up to a person, simply write about them and submit your post.  The latest Blog Carnival edition 3 will post Monday around 2pm.

Know someone, or of someone, who inspired you? Enter my Blog Carnival over at Postcards, http://.com/47bmyo

I want to gather all bloggers together and disscuss why we care so much about our posts.  After all, most of us are lucky if ten people read our posts each day.  There are a few bloggers who get huge and thousands of bloggers tune in (or, click in) to read their stuff every day.  It’s just a cold hard fact that the majority of bloggers will never enjoy that fat of an audience.  So what does that mean to our posts?  It means we are stupid if we stress over crafting posts.  Think of James Dean in “Rebel without a Cause.”  He just didn’t give a shi**.  When I blog now I think of the ten people that might read my post.  I give them something good that could be profound.  I keep it short and without assumptions.  After all, tomorrow it will be forgotten for the most part and a new thought will replace it.  To bloggers out there:  Do yourself a favor and stop thinking of your posts as important.  If someone decides they are then that is fine, but you shouldn’t be the one to assume anything.

I thought it would be an interesting topic for a post if I did a search with that string (minus the not).  I found a few cool ones, but for the most part, it was the same old “This is my last post” on blogger, or with this University, etc.  I was looking for the dramatic stuff.  I run across these sometimes and they are profound.  I recall one saying: “Don’t look for me for I will go into the night.”  I mean that stuff is thick with romance don’t you think?  I have found Blogging to be highly dramatic for many people, especially the online diarists.  Seth Godin says on his blog to imagine the post you are writing is your last post.  That thought never occured to me and it’s a good one.

I think blogging brings out another side of us that no one sees in the real world.  I also think it’s a bit sad when someone swears off blogging because that side ought to be nurtured.  I know blogging for me has left me much more rounded in my personality.  I think of things in discussion that I never would have thought up before blogging.  No this is not my last post and don’t hold your breath.  I think I am the type to just let the blog expire before I concoct a romantic farewell.

For the past year I have grown into what I finally consider a professional blogger.  I started almost 2 years ago just writing newsletters out to my extended family but then Technorati got a hold of my inspiration and I began to see what an established blog was.  I wanted my blog to be that.  With my evolution has come pay.  I use and some other services to make money off all three of my blogs.  I’ve been able to teach and mentor 3 people and help hundreds others through email and messenger.  One thing I have learned is that not everybody can blog.  In the same way, not everybody can make money blogging.

I’ve always been an “everybody can do it” kind of teacher/mentor but I think I am officially becoming closed minded on this issue.  It is hard earned money and doesn’t equal much more than $3-4 an hour when you put in all the hours you are online working.  Most days in the first year are $5 a day to $30 a day.  I’m putting this out there just to get the point across.  I am done trying to help people living in a fantasy land. Some will blame me for not being able to get their blog experience to make money.  Hey, it’s an art.  I can only point the way.

Pro blogging takes more creativity and vigor than most people online have.

Newbies have to learn so much about code and blogging, it is probably impossible to expect any money until 6 months have passed.  Up to that point you are working morning to night to get your blog ready and your posts relevant to entertain an audience and serve the needs of your advertisers.

This post is meant to keep the riff raff out.  The posts on money that follow will share the tricks I have come up with and the way I make a small income through blogging.  If you are serious about what you are doing, hope to see you around.

I ran across these excellent links on my safari this week. If you enjoy them I hope you’ll bookmark them through social media such as:
Delicious

The Star Wars Culture | Abduzeedo – graphic design | design inspiration | design tutorials
I grew up with Star Wars. I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of it. I ran across this page and was totally blown away. It shows that we definitely live in a Star Wars culture.

25 Beautiful Macro Photography Shots | Monday Inspiration | Smashing Magazine
Incredible use of the lens called “macro.” I love these sorts of collections and this is one of the best I’ve run across.

It’s Google Page Rank Update Time
Christy writes a great post about Google’s PageRank System and how we as bloggers ought to focus on other things that are more important.

A 60 Second Guide to Engaging Your Readers | Confident Writing
Joanna writes another excellent “reference post” for writing more captivating blog posts.

Yearbook Yourself and look hot!
WebGrrrl has a great review of a site where you can put your face in all sorts of retro yearbook templates. Funny!

Lets Get Ready To Rumble
Derek writes about Dave Letterman’s latest bout with John McCain in the press.

Wordpress Theme Directories – Free Wordpress Themes | Make Money Online – Work From Home Tips
Find a theme

PaRaMeter – free Google PageRank software. Monitors Google page rank.
Check multiple pages of your site for PageRank with one click.

Community Poll
Blue Fir Blog has a great thought-provoking poll gooing on. If you were wealthy, what type of servant would be the most crucial?