I wonder if I will be able to keep this pace up much longer. Blogging has become very special to me. Dare I say sacred?
What started out as a little ripple has now has turned into a flood. Just this month I’ve averaged 572 views, 175 likes, and 75 comments per day. Woo hoo! I am totally enraptured by those stats. And thank you all very much for your support and positive response to my blog.
But — and you knew there would be a but — there is a problem. You see, I want to be able to read and respond to all of the comments others have taken the time to make on my posts. And I’m now following 176 great bloggers, most of whom post daily and some of whom post multiple times a day. I want to read everything that all of you post, the operative word being “want.”
And then, of course, there is posting what I write, which is generally between three to five posts a day. I write flash fiction, I rant about politics and society (e.g., Donald Trump), and I respond to multiple daily prompts.
But the bottom line is that there is just not enough time to do it all. To read each and every comment and respond to each. To read each and every post that the bloggers I follow post and to comment on them. And to write three to five of my own posts each day. Something’s gotta give.
But what? Well, unless I can figure out how to add more hours to each day, or to get by with zero hours of sleep, I am going to have to cut back on the number of posts I write each day, including the number of prompts and challenges I respond to, and to probably pare down the number of bloggers I follow.
I really hate to take any of those steps, but I don’t think I have a choice. At least not if I want to stay married and relate to my kids. So I hope you’ll understand if I can’t reply to every comment you make and I can’t read every post you write and if I can’t respond to as many daily prompts.
Someone once said something about life getting in the way of blogging, but I can’t let blogging get in the way of life. I’ll try to keep up as best I can, but you might start to see and hear a little less from me as the year draws to a close. Still, I hope you’ll stick around.
Written for these one-word prompts: Scotts Daily Prompt (keep), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (special), Your Daily Word Prompt (sacred), Ragtag Daily Prompt (ripple), and Word of the Day Challenge (enrapture).
This, That, and the Other 
I understand the “pickle” you’re in ; however, I think most of your followers appreciate your sentiment just as much. It’s just impossible to read one /follwer/day… Let alone every single one.
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I wish I had the time to read every single one, but it’s just not possible.
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I accepted long ago that I can’t read and respond to everyone’s posts, but I get to what I can. That’s all anyone can do. Running prompts, especially a popular one like yours, takes more work than a lot of bloggers can do. Maybe that’s why many prompt hosts only do that. Your family is important. We will all be here whether you can jump on once a day, host or not, or even participate in prompts. I for one followed you before you even started hosting and will continue to do so 🙂
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I thank you, Teresa, for being a long-time follower as well as for all of the prompts you provide to inspire us. But I probably won’t be responding to some of them going forward. I just don’t have the bandwidth.
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I should be thanking you for your post. I announced I am no longer doing prompts as of today (and a few other things). As you said in your post (sort of), we need to be happy doing what we’re doing.
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Good for you, Teresa. I just read you post in which you made your announcement and I think you’re doing the right thing (i.e., going back and refocusing on what you love). I certainly never intended for my post today to prompt others to change directions for their own blogs. But if my musings on changing things on my blog have given you pause for how you want to move forward with your own blog, I suppose that’s a good thing. Right?
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From reading several other blogs, I think many of us are feeling the same way. It just needed a catalyst to get things moving lol.
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I can empathize with you. I am following over 200 sites! You are right, and you have to do what is best for you and yours. I so appreciate the prompts, but afraid that I cannot write now without them. Yes, there is only so much time.
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Over 200! Yikes. I thought 176 was a lot.
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I have always been an over-achiever!
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🙂
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And I add my name to the list – I only do two posts a week (and sometimes one of those is something I reblogged!) – because storytelling is more important to me than [almost] everything else … life first
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Life first…exactly.
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Likewise. Especially if my day starts late, and I work my way through my reader and a little sign pops up ’19/25 more posts’ to read. I try to acknowledge comments but love to do the challenges too. Might well have to cut back, which wil be a shame.
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I appreciate, Di, that you pretty much participate in all of my daily, one-word prompts every day. I do plan to continue those for the foreseeable future.
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I’m glad. I’ve only done a short one today as I’m in a rush, but I didn’t want to miss one!!
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😉
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Not to worry, my friend. Family matters.
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Thanks. I appreciate that.
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You were for the Mystery Blogger Award. Check out my post! Congrats 🙂
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Understood and can definitely relate. No you don’t have to respond 🙂
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But I will. Thanks!
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Funny you should mention that.
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You’ve gotta take care of yourself first. That’s the most important thing of all.
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You’re right. Thanks.
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You’re one of my faves and I totally understand! You do post a lot ~ super enjoyable stuff all day. I’ll be helping you out by posting less myself, so there’s that. Probably 1-2 per day rather than 3-4. Hey, every little bit helps. 😀
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Thanks. I alway enjoy your posts as well, Paula. I will look forward to continuing to read them, regardless of how many you push out each day.
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Thanks!
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This thing has a lot of people in a fix. I love reading your posts. Hope you’re not cutting back on them.
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I do plan on continuing my daily prompts and probably my weekly provocative question post. But I will be cutting back on responding to most Q&A posts and probably to some other prompts from other bloggers. But I’ll likely still be writing between 2-3 posts a day in addition to my FOWC with Fandango daily prompt.
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That’s great. Otherwise the blogging world would be lost without the inspiration you provide us all with. The FPQ and FOWC are a most awaited posts. As are those from Rory. Thanks for bringing the community together.
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I totally understand too… I’ve hit that wall a while back, and am still trying to find a pace that both works for my will to be an active blogger, and my need to manage “real life” LOL
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Fandango, how many of your followers know you are so short of time because of your moonlighting job? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bh6NYoyrs8
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Whoa. That guy stole my identity! 😱 Quick, call my lawyer!
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Did you ever think about hiring an assistant?
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Are you applying for the job?
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I make $35 an hour and I would be glad to help.
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I was thinking more like free. 😉
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I understand. I’ve cut back on posting, doing every Prompt. Too much to read I agree. I do enjoy your posts though, so, guess I’ll just have to be happy with what I get to see. Happy holidays, whichever ones you choose.👍🏻
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Thanks, Cheryl. Happy holidays to you too.
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Life comes first… I am having the same dilemma while I am helping with Dad so much and this month trying to add all we do for Christmas into the works too. If we could just add more hours to the day!
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“If we could just add more hours to the day!” Indeed!
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Funny. I wrote almost this same post not for tomorrow, but for the day after. I have not found any way to make the day longer, so unless blogging is going to BE my life, I can’t do it all. More to the point, I really don’t want to have a life that is nothing but blogging. I want time to have a conversation, watch a movie, read a book. Go out and watch the river. I knew I had a problem when we went into lockdown and basically, my life didn’t change almost at all. When a lockdown IS your life, maybe it’s time to rethink how you use your free time and if any of your time IS free.
We hit almost 700 hits yesterday which I didn’t know until today because I forgot to look at the stats. I’m down to three posts and I think I’m going down to two unless I just have a lot of pictures I want to post — but even then, I tend to post them in bunches rather than one picture per post. I also figure that if the number of your posts exceeds the fingers of a normal hand, you’re damned close to being a spammmer.
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I concur that it’s too easy to let blogging become your life. My wife and I have come to an agreement that we need to be more present with each other and more active in our lives. To that end, she is spending less time on Twitter and I’m spending less time on WordPress.
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