So I joined this 21-Day Blogging Challenge put on by Jeff Goins (someone who has some great podcasts, btw – put his name in the itunes store search and you can access them for free). Even though I have been blogging for about 9 months (!), I thought the challenge could perhaps tighten up some of my nebulous spaces. (Would those be called Nebuli?)
Anyway, his challenge yesterday was to find your focus: Who am I and what do I want to say?
Question One: What is the SUBJECT of my Blog?
- What am I passionate about?
- In what topic do I have expertise or a desire to learn?
- What could I write about for a year without running out of ideas or energy?
I started out to write about intentionality, and I think, with few exceptions, this is exactly what I have done … YAY! I am on track.
Question Two: What is my THEME?
- How can I break this subject down into its various components?
- What do I want to concentrate on?
- Is there a specific manner in which I want to attack this issue? What will my writing "voice" be? (e.g. Humorous, sarcastic, practical, anecdotal, etc.)
The answer to this comes from my friend Carolyn … who told me I write with a kind of practical everyday wisdom … this was helpful feedback, because some days, it feels a little muddled inside.
Question Three: What is my OBJECTIVE?
- What do I want to accomplish with my writing?
- What impression do I want to leave?
- What's my goal? How do I measure it?
This one is tricky. A) I want to influence people and be value-added. B) I want to create a feeling of "Tribe" amongst people who follow the blog. Like we get each other on some levels. C) I want to encourage people … to let them know that being human is okay. D) I want to learn how to create something larger than myself … really big. By the end of this year, I will begin utilizing all forms of social media and see where this thing goes.
So the reason for the post today is that I thought Jeff's questions are awesome for everyday life as well as a blog. We all have subjects, themes and objectives to our lives.
What are some of yours?