Goals? What Goals?!

I have to admit, yesterday’s daily prompt took me by surprise. It struck me it might have been the sensible thing to do before I started to write this blog to work out what I might hope to achieve with it and how I might get there. Presumably, I might have thought about such factors as potential ‘pet’ subjects, areas of expertise, target audience, ways of spreading the word and growing my readership. If I have done any other things, it has either been largely by accident.

I saw something yesterday (or was it the day before?!) about how to build a blog from scratch that would do the kind of things I have described above. I didn’t read it for fear that my blog would be found wanting. When I started writing, I had little confidence and no idea if I was much good at it, save for encouragement via tweets and Facebook comments on my monthly digidisciple posts for ‘The Big Bible Project’.  However, through this blog, I began writing for Bible Reflections, after I sent tweeted them the link and asked them to consider whether I might write for them. I have done other bits and pieces of self-promotion of individual blog posts, or informing others that my blog exists. From time to time, some of you have Re-tweeted one of more of my posts, for which I am grateful. The most widely read one had 70 views in just one day, as I managed to write it at the tail-end of the Conservative Party Conference, on ‘Compassionate-Conservatism’ a phrase ‘Dave’ or his speech-writers created, and peddled. I later sent this post to my MP who duly re-tweeted the link, and even replied to my email. I hadn’t planned to send the link to the post to my MP or even to write the post, but instead did all these things on the spur of the moment. Unfortunately, due to exhaustion from the effort of writing the post the day before and excitement at the popularity of it, I was unable to capitalise on this by maintaining the frequency of my posts, and so lost the momentum. Indeed, the only goal I had was to attempt to post every day, and I certainly have not managed that.

There have been times recently where I have barely managed one post a week, partly because I did not have the head-space or the energy to write. If I did, what energy I did have was absorbed by other things, or I have been asleep. Indeed, that is what I should be doing now  I am unlikely to be able to sleep until I get the majority of this post out of my head. Having not set goals I have not achieved them, but I probably could set goals now, were I to start this blog again. I would also have loved to build on the support I got from word-of-mouth and increase the readership in a meaningful way. Unfortunately every-time the readership increased, it fell back again, which almost feels like wasted effort now. Some of the other loose goals I had were around connecting with bloggers with similar interests, and having an outlet for my creativity, thoughts, and emotions. I also wanted to improve my writing or my ‘craft’. I have written about these same things in recent months; including who came up with the name, and why.

I wouldn’t change these goals, as I very much have to continue to work on them.      Writing at all is a battle of wills between body and mind. I really should be sleeping, but I am able to think clearly and coherently, so it is worth staying up to write as I will feel the benefit of it even once I wake from sleep.  I guess that’s my own way of writing sacrificially, as there are other things that get in the way of my writing that can’t be deferred including, but not limited to, migraines, sleep deprivation, appointments… I am though, renewing, and redoubling my efforts to write at least every second day. Another goal is to have most guest blog posts, so if you would like to write for me let me know! I’m off to get some fresh air and try and wake up while the “currant bun” is shining!