My rant on Journals (and a guideline I use for my own...)

I've been reading through a few journals recently, as well as working on my own, and I can understand why there are quite a few BHWers that would like to either see them moved to a sub-forum of their own - or stopped altogether.


I'm writing mine for myself just as much as for the reader, obviously not everyone writing journals is the same but for me I am more willing to work my ass off when other people are following what I am doing. Having people read and comment on my journal is more likely to inspire me rather than going it alone...

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Say you are a woodchopper.

If you chop wood on your own, you could get lazy, have a rest - have breaks for drinks and then get sidetracked and do something else.

Now, say you are a woodchopper again.

This time all these champion, expert, Chuck Norris style woodchoppers are seeing how you chop wood... they're all looking.

Suddenly you are trying to chop wood as best as you can, aren't ya?! Because you have an audience, and suddenly it's a lot more difficult to get sidetracked or go for a break.
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Sorry, a bad analogy - but I'm doing night shift at the moment, just woke up, and this is the best my sleep deprived mind can accomplish!


That's the way I look at it.

Look, I have a few rules with my journal - and I think it would be good if more journal-writers used them as well, if nothing but to leave less pressure on yourself.


My Rules are:

* Don't set a target with timeframes ($10k in a month for example), if you work hard you'll make money when you make money - don't stress about time because it only creates pressure on yourself...

* Don't say you will update every X days. (Life happens, I say I'll update it but not say when, who knows what may come up in RL - as long as it's at least once or twice a week that's ok in my book)

* MOST IMPORTANTLY - Keep writing. Even it's a shitty update. Even if there's nothing to report. If you are waiting for outsourcing people to do stuff, say you are waiting. If the only backlink you got in a whole day was from a Kinky Elbow Fetish site - drop a line and let people reading your journal know.

*There might be people waiting or wondering how you are doing... don't leave them hanging - they've invested time in reading your journal and wishing you luck, if you are busy why not let them know why?!


Hell, I know I've just started my journal, and it may not be the best, most interesting or most successful - and it may get boring and it may take a while, but I can promise one thing about it - I'm going to keep writing! irate:


So in closing, IMO if you want to write a journal I reckon it's fine and used in the right way could be motivational for both yourself and others...


...but if you think you are only going to make a bold claim or two, provide three updates and then fuck off (with or without the $$$$s!) and forget about the journal - you have to question if you should start it in the first place.




:sombrero: <---- "Hey Chachee - where's the freakin' Sangria?!"

 

Good post, I don't agree about the no timeframe thing, it's like not having a goal.. you need deadlines... our lazy ass procrastinating self usually does need a little pressure to get things done... and while setting a $10,000/month goal might not be realistic, the reality is that even without hitting your goal you'll end up making more money than if you were to set a $5,000 goal

 

I understand that you may prefer to have a deadline I guess, but really only if you are not the 'motivated' type.

I am *at least I have been for the past few months* highly motivated, actually I'm really enjoying myself in the online money making even though the real profits haven't arrived yet.

A deadline for me would only heap pressure on me to perform. If I was serious about it I'd bust my ass and do silly things like miss social things (like going to the races - see my journal) ) and work too late and miss work and shit like that.

Instead I can enjoy myself every now and then, have less pressure on myself (from within, and from people reading my journal) - and, sure, it may take longer but I know I'll get there. The only thing I have to do is not give up!

 

I still want to see a separate section for journals.

 

Yeah I know. A lot of people do... but that wasn't the point of the thread. Still, I really don't mind either way if they have a seperate subforum or not.