Have you ever experienced a drop in your enthusiasm, commitment or satisfaction with blogging at any stage? If so, you could suffer from burn out and you may need a break. If not, then you are doing something right and we need to hear from you (=: Or, if you have but it didn’t last, you probably went through something completely normal – The Commitment Curve.
I often try to relate what I learned in my HR life to my role as a blogger. I focused a lot on behaviors in everything: selection, retention, project management, development, etc. It fascinates me to the same behaviors my former companies sought for high potential employees being present in many bloggers whom I respect, and are quite successful. While it is fascinating, I am truly not surprised whatsoever. I think there are behaviors that are present in successful people in general. Different post all together.
During my career, we would talk to new employees about the emotions they may feel after a few months *on the job.* My former manager specialized in HR Development and she brought this idea to our company (and me, personally). We would cover The Commitment Curve with all new employees as they came into the organization. Our goal was to ensure that they understood the emotions they would feel in the months ahead were completely normal. Maybe you have felt them too: disillusionment or disappointment. Possibly questioning yourself “Why did I take this role again??” Yeah, these aren’t *exactly* what people are psyched to hear during the first week at a new job, right? (-:
That information was necessary.
As I share that with you, part of The Commitment Curve is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. Even the most successful, high potential, driven people will go through this. You may not think it will happen, but it is likely to happen to you. Call it a bad day, but being disillusioned over why you are blogging is a thought that will enter your thoughts and fingers, eventually.
It has mine.
So, what does this Commitment Curve tell you? Well, I’m glad you asked. I thought I would share my thoughts on how the various stages of The Commitment Curve applies to bloggers. Since there is a lot to share, I will do a few posts to cover each of the following stages:
- Uninformed Optimism
- Informed Pessimism
- Hopeful Realism
- Informed Optimism
Stay tuned for my overview of the first stage. I’ll share a few things about how I was optimistically uninformed those two years ago I started!
Andrea Deckard is the author of MommySnacks.net. She considers herself an optimist, but she admittedly can be pessimistic. However, she does realize that is part of reality, which obviously makes her a realist. At any rate, she is informed. Or the optimist in her thinks so anyway (=:
Photo Credit: My former fabulous manager, L Hone
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
While I am normally an optimist, I am currently in the “Informed Pessimism” stage with my blog. I enjoy the writing and the interaction with others, but sometimes feel that I’ve lost some sense of purpose in blogging. I also wonder if it’s really worth all the time I put into it.
I look forward to reading your upcoming posts!!
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Love this! I am on the up swing of a huge dip in my commitment curve. I did not think I was going to come out of it, but slowly, it has happened. For me the problem came in that I needed to rebuild my readership that I had lost when my committment was so lacking. You live and you learn I guess! Thanks Andrea – I look forward to reading more.
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I also look forward to your series! I think I’m in the hopeful realism stage. What really helped me get out of my funk was scheduling posts ahead of time so I didn’t feel rushed to plan, cook, photograph, and clean every single night so I could post daily. Now I cook and bake a ton on the weekends as a creative outlet and then schedule them to post throughout the week.
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I’m looking forward to reading more. I know I have been highly discouraged several times within the last few weeks. Thank you Andrea and Savvy Blogging team for sharing what you have learned and are learning.
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Always looking forward to your words of wisdom! Still trying to find my voice and I appreciate all the knowledge you all are sharing. THANKS AGAIN!
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Wow Andrea. I could not have stumbled upon this at a better time. I too have an HR background and I totally understand where you are coming from. I started my blog about a month ago. I don’t even think I have any readers which is probably a good thing since I have been obsessing about stupid things and feeling very uninspired. There has not been much to read or really follow. You could say that I am definately at the uniformed optimism stage. I amm looking forward to following your insights.
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Andrea, Thanks so much for the post. I am a relatively new blogger and I am learning a lot but it is easy to get discouraged too. I look forward to reading your upcoming posts and learning to read my blogger gauges!
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Oh this should be good! I am coming out of a sort of “blogging slump” which may be weather/time of the year related as much as just sometimes wondering why I do this. I don’t have a huge readership but I have a faithful one.
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This is so me right now — the dip in the curve, anyway. I had computer woes and seriously questioned my desire to and purpose for blogging. Which is why I haven’t just sat down to finish my post for you already. It is foremost in my mind, I assure you. Now tell me – why don’t I just get it done already?
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I would say I am at the hopeful realism stage..have definitely been there with the burn out (even recently)…but like you said it is the same with any profession.
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Great post! I used to think it terms of just “motivation” or writers block. But really your “curve” describes much more accurately. I started blogging because I felt i had something to say and a way of saying it. When a big name magazine wanted to run a blogpost of mine in an advertorial, I was on cloud 9! And then I had the opportunity to join the Blogher Ad network, we prayed about it and jumped in. I kind of went full force… blogging every day, trying to connect with others…etc. Uninformed Optimism. I feel right now I am in the Informed Pessimism…. this isn’t just easy breezy and relationships take time… and must be cultivated. I am feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility… but I also am reminding myself I can cutback on posts , turn off twitter and go play with my kids. So maybe I am on the up and up and soon to be in Hopeful Realisim??
I feel like I can get sucked into the “networking” aspect of blogging and lose sight of my content and relationships. If I am not living and enjoying life, I will not have much to blog about. And that makes blogging seem daunting… a task, a chore. rather than a fun outlet (that happens to make a few pennies here and there)
Thanks for this…
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I am a newbie blogger and I did not have the phrase “blogging commitment curve” but that is exactly how I feel and you just put it into words perfectly. Like always, I just jumped into something and figured I would learn in the process but I don’t know if I would have jumped if I knew beforehand how much work it really would be. My co-author bailed on me and that really tested my commitment curve but I am sticking with it. I hope to build stronger blogger friendships to bring the the fun and enthusiasm back. Quitting is not in my nature.
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Looking forward to reading more. Not sure where I fall just yet. I’ve been blogging for a year but consider myself a newbie. I’m writing less as the littles get older and my computer time is more limited. I enjoy it just as much!
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