5:41am, Pacific Standard Time, at my computer, in the apartment in Chandler, Arizona, Tuesday morning, May 3, 2022. Today marks the of beginning a new task; I will glean posts from the last year and a half and compile them for publication. This is a very exciting endeavor for me; it allows a more focused frame for my writing and provides the opportunity to develop a new creative outlet. Now all I need is the motivation to get started. Like any new habit, I will begin slow and gradually increase effort. After my morning walk and workout, but before coffee and reading, I will turn on my computer and select one post a day. That volume will indubitably increase but, for now, consistency is the key.
Tag: write
3 Thoughts
5:42pm, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, Wednesday evening, April 6, 2022. Three thoughts: 1. Since I started scheduling posts, (as opposed to ripping them off any time I felt like it), my writing habits have changed. In the past, an idea was worked anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour then published immediately. The results were spotty and often pretty shallow. Now, since a post is already lined up for publication in the morning, I no longer race to finish something just to get it out there. I start with a thought early in the day, flesh it out by afternoon, then put the final touches on it at night. It has only been a week but, it makes my writing more reflective. 2. I am going to change the tag line of the blog again. The “ongoing quest…” vibe isn’t working for me. I don’t want to go back to the Arizona/California angle. I am thinking international. Is it presumption to call it “The All-American Man”? That is declarative. I consider myself quiet and subdued, that is a different energy all together. I will change it and see how I feel next week. 3. Question: Should I stop publishing everyday? Maybe go to weekdays? Weekends? Two or three times a week? I am conflicted. On one hand I feel publishing everyday makes me a better writer. On the other hand, it seems a little much to put something out everyday. I have made a decision; I am going to stick with everyday for now. Let’s be honest, I don’t have a huge audience, most people don’t care either way, and this is more a personal writing exercise than a valuable piece of literature. I hope you get pleasure reading but, I will keep being self-indulgent if it is all the same to you.
Waves of the collective ocean
4:47pm, at a trampoline park, Orange County, California, Saturday afternoon, April 2, 2022. The human soul is prone to sink by default; constantly threatening to drown in defeat, suffocating under embarrassment and flailing through uncontrollable loss. We are fated to a life of learning how to existentially swim as it were. That is, develop our own personal technique to rise above this un-chosen destiny. It is the only way to achieve anything that approaches true happiness. Of course, peace is not found through aggressive defiance. Constantly fighting negative experience simply burns a person out. No, true happiness is found when we accept our circumstance without giving in to it; floating along on the waves, being one with the collective ocean, available to the rare times tranquility finds us and gives us respite. After all, perpetual joy can’t be found and human suffering is never eradicated, but the few times we do accomplish such things are worth the effort life asks of us.
My audience is disappearing
6:44pm, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, Friday evening, April 1, 2022. Like most people, I have kept a running dialogue in my head with an imaginary audience since I was old enough to remember. Over the years that audience has consisted of many different entities; a vaguely defined cluster of friends, a camera crew, even God. It was cathartic believing someone, or something, cared about my most inner thoughts. After all, very few people have the time to listen, or regard, what others say. Consequently, to truly feel known, I didn’t see much recourse other than creating an eager fan base, imagined or otherwise. That started to change over the last couple of weeks. Writing consistently has alleviated my soul’s lonely drowning sensation and the need to concoct acceptance. My imaginary audience is disappearing. I am known (on some small level, but known nonetheless) through taking the time to write this post and share it with you.
I want your opinion!
5:41am, apartment in Chandler, Arizona, Thursday morning, March 31, 2022. I have been fiddling with the headline for this blog the last couple of days. Today I changed it to “an ongoing quest to overcome stress and live the best life possible.” That is the fifth iteration of the change. It might stick for a while. (What about “eradicate stress?”) Last Friday, I scheduled a post for Saturday morning instead of publishing it on the spot. The reason being I had been writing around this time (5:30am) and wanted to remain consistent. But I wonder if it matters? Does anyone care if they get a post at a specific time? Does consistency make you more likely to read? The other issue I am contemplating is having the time, date and place stamp at the beginning of each post. Personally, I like knowing the circumstances when something was written, but it comes with a price. The punch of the first line, which is really the only hook for someone to read, it compromised. Also, it is confusing on a post that is scheduled to publish later. I am working on solutions but, figured I would ask for your thoughts. Do you have any suggestions, comments, feelings (about these topics or others)? Anything you would like to see more of? Less of? I want your opinion! It means a lot that you take the time to subscribe, read, like and and share the content of this site. If I can make your experience more enjoyable please feel free to let me know. Thank you, Mike
I like the relationship we have
8:01am (PST), sitting in the couch, wife and daughters apartment, Dana Point, California, Sunday morning, January 9, 2022. If I look back on this day a year from now what do I want to remember? That I had a long deep sleep? That I woke up around 4:30am, took the dog for a walk, then bought her treats before picking up coffee and tea? Do I care that yesterday I caught up on the news, put together my daughters drawing desk, watched a show with my wife and ordered take out? Are those the things that I should chronicle? After all, the audience for these posts is me, but to a certain extent, also you. I am a guy writing things to look back on yet I make my thoughts public in case you are curious to read. That creates a passively intimate relationship, which works in a way I cannot totally define. I could post similar updates on social media but that feels dissonant for some reason. Here I am true to myself and I don’t mind you reading along. I like the relationship we have and I hope you do too.
Proud
6:53pm, in my apartment, Chandler, Arizona, Friday night, December 17, 2021. Maybe it is weird to say this but, I am proud of the last post I wrote. Writing an informative article was something new for me and it turned out well. I will write in that style again.
The 3 (really 6) Levels of Beginner Blog Success
Congratulations , you started writing a blog, now you are probably wondering how to make it successful. According to techjury.net, 7.5 million blog posts are created every day, so you are not alone! Perhaps you write for fun or maybe you want to get serious, either way, if you want to know what the levels of beginner blog success look like, the following 3 (really 6) levels provide a road map to track your progress 1. Your first posts. You started your blog and have written a couple posts. Perhaps you did this to work through feelings or share your thoughts on a particular subject. This is a great first step. Creating a blog and putting your name on it is a success in itself and something to celebrate 2. Improving your style. For some people starting a blog and writing one or two posts is enough. They forget about it and move on. Others, like yourself, stick with it and begin to write regularly. After enough time you have a body of work. At that point you can look back and see what you liked and didn’t like about your writing. Maybe you want to try a different style, or adopt other formats. Either way, making the effort to improve your writing is a meaningful personal achievement and another sign of success 3. Validation. After you have written regularly and improved your style you want other people to read it. That is validation. There are four levels to validation; views, likes, follows and shares. Let’s break each of these down. 3a. Your first view. People probably see your posts before you realize it. You can check your WordPress Dashboard to find out how many views you have had. While this can be validating it can also be frustrating if you don’t get as many views as you’d like. Don’t get discouraged, keep writing. If you remain consistent a larger audience will find you naturally 3b. Your first like. There is nothing more exciting than the first time someone likes your post. You have worked hard and expended energy to write something good. Now a reader appreciates what you wrote and acknowledges it. This is important, you have reached a great success! Enjoy the feeling of pride from getting your first like 3c. Your first follow. Once you get one like they will start to come in bunches. Before long someone will start to follow your blog. That means they will be notified every time you post something new. While this can be intimidating it is also exhilarating. Someone likes your writing so much they want to know when you post! 3D. Your first share. This is the final step of beginner blog success and it is a big one. Even though it is still in the validation camp it is a level all its own. Someone likes your post so much they share it. You go through a transformation after your first share. People share a blog post because they see what you write as having value, something they don’t mind having their name associated with. To them you are a trusted authority and a good writer. And just like that, you have reached the pinnacle of beginner success! So there you have it, the 3 (really 6) levels of beginner blogging success. Start writing, keep improving, find your audience and be proud of what you do. Keep up the good work and enjoy the process of becoming a successful blogger.
The 5 Commandments of a good blog post
The 5 Commandments of a good blog post: 1. Don’t pander 2. Keep it short 3. Have a point 4. Develop context 5. Entertain yourself
Becoming me
2:58pm, in my office, Phoenix, Arizona, Tuesday afternoon, December 14, 2021. I have time to write and I have been consistently writing. The question is, am I writing anything worthwhile? This post means probably not. Just kidding. My entire life I have searched for what I consider my true identity. I wondered; who am I? What is my narrative? The last couple of days I have identified as the author of this blog. As mikemeyer949, I write what I experience and I do it consistently. That consistency makes me confident; I know who I am, what I do and how I do it. It hasn’t always been easy, but I feel I found my true voice. And I feel I have found my identity, too.