NOT Just Another Productivity Blog

Leo, at zenhabits.net has written a great post about productivity bloggers and, as he put it, their “Dirty Little Secrets”.  If you read it, you will see a blogger just trying to be open and honest with his readers while keeping them informed.  As a productivity type blogger myself, I was interested to read his point of view on the subject.  I found the post to be very accurate and enjoyed reading it.  The point that is made, in a nutshell, is the fact that most productivity bloggers are just people like you and me.  That they are just willing to dig up the information and present it to the reader.  But they themselves often don’t even fallow their own advise.  The comment I made in the post was that this could be said for almost any authority/teaching position.  Think about the doctor who smokes.  Doesn’t he preach good health and yet knowingly do the opposite?  This doesn’t make him any less right, but I would say it makes him less effective as an authority on the subject.

This post really struck a cord with me.  Not because I disagree, because I don’t, but because I don’t want to put all of this time and energy into ‘Just Another Productivity Blog’.  It’s just not me.  For me to be able to sustain this labor love it has to BE a labor of love.  Even if, one day, it becomes profitable enough to become my main income source I can promise you that it won’t last without the foundation of solid, genuine, strait from the heart, content.

So I started thinking about how I could ensure that this blog becomes more than just an inspirational read.  There’s nothing wrong with inspiration, but without a call to action it becomes just another fuzzy feeling that disappears in no time.  Sure, you can keep coming back (and I hope you do) and read another inspirational post to give that fuzzy feeling a second wind, but this has little or no tangible affect on you or the quality of your life.

I have decided to take things to the next level and make a few adjustments in the process.  Though I still plan to post the same kind of content that I have thus far (how-to’s, encouragement, inspiration, etc…), I am planning on putting a lot more focus on a call to action and participation from you, the readers.  I am going to dedicate specific months to specific subjects of health/growth/productivity so we can focus, together, on those areas, one at a time.  For example, one month will be exercise month.  During that particular month I will focus my posting, not only on exercise, but on the actual participation of it.  In other words, there will be posts where I lay out goals for myself and expect you, the reader, to make comments that lay out your goals as well.  Then, over the next couple of weeks we will revisit these posts and update our progress.  The point of all this is two fold:

1-I want to show you that I am just another blog reader who wants to stay motivated as I meet my goals and pursue my dreams.  That I am a participator and not just an information giver.

2-I want this blog to be a place where people take action and not just dream about it.  A place where we, as a community, can encourage each other as we ourselves stay encouraged.

So for the next week I will be working on how to structure this call to action.  On September 1st I will layout the guidelines and the topical focus for that month.  I am hoping for as much participation as possible, for this is the key to growing a community of action takers that can encourage each other as well as myself.

Looking a few months ahead, I hope that by January 1st we will have grown into a strong, thriving community.  I specify this date because it is when so many try to do a 180 after letting it all go during the Holiday’s.  This date is all about new years resolutions where we try to turn away from our bad habits and unproductive ways.  But I want our community to be 10 steps ahead by this time.  I want our new years resolutions to be about pushing even further forward and not just trying to undo the damage we’ve done.  What better way to be encouraged for the new year than to already be living each day to the fullest and meeting the goals that you’ve laid out for yourself.

So take note of this day.  This is the beginning of a focused, take action, community, that will start with a meek existence, but grow into a place where dreams really do become a reality.  As I said before, I am just another participator that hopes you will get involved so I can encourage you while I am encouraged BY you.  The time is now, so let’s get ready to take action and start truly living each day to the fullest!