Are you an ostrich or a butterfly?
Maybe you noticed I’ve been missing for a few days (or maybe you haven’t at all). I’ve been having one of those “head in the ground, total focus on my client’s work” weeks and my networking and blogging have definitely taken a big hit. Personally, I tend to alternate between being an ostrich and a social butterfly.
Some weeks, I get my work done but spend a lot of time twittering, checking in at forums, answering e-mails - all of the fun social stuff that makes the working online enjoyable. Even though my husband is now home with me, working at home can still get a bit lonely - especially when I start rattling on about PLR, affiliate marketing and Aweber. It helps to have “co-workers,” even if they are other entrepreneurs, to bounce ideas off of or just vent.
Other weeks, when I’ve overbooked myself or life has taken me on a detour, I have to put my nose to the grindstone and work. The urgent but not important things like e-mail fall by the wayside. It’s amazing how little time it takes me to feel totally disconnected from the web world.
It’s a tough thing to balance. At face value, participating in forums or twittering doesn’t make money. But I’ve built the main part of my business from networking in particular forums. And my last ghostwriting content offer wouldn’t have sold if I hadn’t used twitter to promote it.
One thing that I admit I need work on is reading other people’s blogs and posting. I haven’t done a whole lot of that, and I think my blog is suffering because of it. I’m going to try reducing the list of blogs that I follow so I can fully participate in the ones I do comment on, instead of trying to hit a whole bunch at once.
I’ve found yet another dichotomy to balance besides work/family, personal projects/ghostwriting and sleep/sanity. So are you an ostrich or a butterfly?
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The Content Chef
We all need a break every now and then, eh.
Use to I got behind on reading and commenting on my favorite blogs, but now it has become a part of my normal schedule, and my blog traffic is growing as a result. Every night before I begin work, I visit all my favorite blogs — the ones I have bookmarked in Firefox (I open them all as tabs; it’s so much easier this way). I comment when I have something to say, read the useful information, and by the time I’ve finished, I find I’m ready to tackle my work. I’ve found that reading my favorite blogs before I begin work, helps give me the umpth I need to continue on, and your blog is one of the many that I have bookmarked and visit each night.
Terrific post, Courtney! I tend to waffle between the two as well. I’ve always been called a multi-tasker by those who know me best, and known to be able to do 101 things at once. But lately I’ve put down my “wings” and buried myself in work at times. I think sometimes that’s exactly what we need to do because if not we get too distracted and don’t do our best work.
Thanks for the feedback you guys. I’m interested, Misti, in how you do that in Firefox? How do you set it up to automatically open in different tabs? I’m tired of having to hit my blog reader all of the time.
Courtney, awesome post. Makes you think, doesn’t it? I’ve been both - and like both styles, in their place!
All success
Dr.Mani
I have the same experience, I do consulting work as well as market my info products. It’s the consulting work that caused me to take the ostrich approach at times. For me, this is one reason why the fee-for-service business model is inherently flawed.
A good business model allows you to increase your sales by 10x and not have to work 10x as hard.
Still, consulting pays the bills nicely, so I’m continuing to work on the transition from “consultant” to full-time “infopreneur.”
Just doing some catch up after being an ‘ostrich’ albeit a productive one. Trying to follow some of Dr. Mani’s good advice without waffling too much between a butterfly and an ostrich. Excellent post Courtney!
Thanks!
Lynda
I’m glad you all liked it! Like Doug said, moving out of the fee for service market is really the key to not having too many ostrich times.
Hi Courtney!
It’s always good to read others blogs. We donot know where an idea strikes.
Earlier I used to read a magazine or news paper seriously for over an hour to get into the groove and start doing the write up. But now a days It’s a must to read your blog and copyblogger and some others’ before writing anything.
I can’t do otherwise. I learnt a great deal from your blog on marketing and copywriting.
Thank you so much Courtney!
Solomon
Thanks for coming by blog Solomon. What you’re doing with reading the newspaper and magazine is a very common way to stimulate your writing process.
I’ve found too that when I have work to do, reading other blogs can help get me going.
And thank you for mentioning me in such esteemed company as Copyblogger!
I tend to fluctuation between the states as well. I TRY to find a balance but then I look at my RSS Reader and see 1000+ posts I’ve let build up. I’m in the process of checking out the blogs I’m subscribed to and weeding out what I don’t need. Yours is on my list of keepers.
Still, the internet social scene is certainly busy and that’s on top of the other projects we need to get done. Keeping up with posting our own blogs, freelance comissions, and real life. Sometimes it all feels like too much but most of the time I love the thrill of being busy.
I feel a little disconnected this week, cuz I haven’t been able to surf blogs like I want to.