By now you have probably noticed there have been a lot more posts on The Aution Rebel during the last month than the previous few months. In, fact, if you are subscribed to get posts delivered via email, on several days your daily email has contained two.
I’ve always enjoyed writing for The Auction Rebel, but last December and January I found that I was having to make myself sit down and write new content. It came to a head near the end of January when I realized I’d posted here less than a half dozen times that month.
At the same time, the publisher of one of the blogs I regularly read about blogging wrote that he was having the same problem. In one of his last posts for January, he challenged himself to create new content each day during the month of February. He also challenged his readers to do the same.
Myself and about fifty other bloggers took him up on the challenge. By taking part, I was setting a goal for the month. Since part of the challenge involved reports on how we were doing throughout the month, I was also announcing my goal to others who could monitor my progress in achieving it.
Although I didn’t manage to post new content every day throughout the month, this is the 28th post for the month. This post, along with the creation of a new page - eBay Research Sites - found in the right sidebar under ‘Information’, totals twenty-nine new pages of content in twenty-nine days. I reached my goal.
Twice in mid-month I though seriously about dropping out of the challenge. Two things kept me from doing so. First, I set goals all the time and really hate when I don’t reach them. Particularly when I know I didn’t give my best effort. Second, I knew I wouldn’t like the feeling I’d get when the people I’d shared my goal with knew I hadn’t made every effort to reach it.
I’ve talked several times about the importance of setting both long, and short, term goals for your eBay business if you want it to grow and succeed. Setting goals is relatively easy. All you need is a little time to sit down and determine just what it is that you want and how you will go about getting it.
Achieving them is harder. There are times you feel it isn’t worth the effort. At other times, it seems as though you’re never going to get there. As long as you are the only person who knows what your goal is, it can be pretty easy to just walk away from it. No one will know you gave up.
But if you share a goal with someone else who you respect and cares about you, there is someone to hold you responsible. Someone to check up on you along the way. Someone to give you a nudge of encouragement when you need it.
Photograph by Lee Titterton.
Popularity: 16% [?]
March 1st, 2008 at 4:24 am
I hope it’s paying off for you, Gary, and I hope it keeps up. It’s been a great month of posts on interesting collectibles and your photo-packed post about your Thrift Stores travels the other night was great reading (and viewing). Also in the past month you’ve moved from my RSS-reader, which I barely open anymore, to a bookmark on my toolbar that I check throughout the day, every day. Thanks, hope to see more…
Cliff Aliperti
March 1st, 2008 at 8:58 am
Gary, your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Yours is one of the most upbeat, positive eBay blogs I follow, and I’m always looking forward to your next post. It must be tough to come up with new material every day without sounding like you’re rambling.
So, Gary, are you going to extend the challenge for one more month?
Tom
March 1st, 2008 at 10:06 am
Damn Gary… you make too much sense!
Every time I read one of your posts I think “why didn’t I think of that?” or “why didn’t I do that?”. Now I am wondering.. “why can’t I post every day?”
I have been going through the same slump in posting to my blogs as you mention. So for March I will take on the same challenge - and set myself of goal of posting at least once a day to one of my blogs. With any luck and some fresh ideas, I may even be able to post daily to each blog http://www.pga-auctions.com/wordpress and http://www.encore-ephemera.com/blog
I’m really going to give it the old college try and see if I can reach 31 by 31 March.
Thanks for the inspiration…
March 1st, 2008 at 10:10 am
Gary, I know that you often talk about aspirin tins and typewriter ribbon tins.
I’m wondering if you’ve seen the recent article at http://www.collectorsquest.com/blog/2008/02/29/useful-collectibles-antique-tins/ which is entitled “Useful Collectibles: Antique Tins”. It’s a very interesting post - and while they don’t talk about either asprin or ribbons, you will surely find it a worthwhile read.
Tom
March 2nd, 2008 at 1:32 am
Tom,
I’m afraid aiming for 31 posts in 31 days for March might be a little optimistic. March is hockey month - Minnesota high school tournament, WCHA Final Five tournament, and the NCAA National tournament.
There will still be a pretty steady stream of posts though.
Thanks for the praise of the Rebel.
March 2nd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Gary,
You know where I stand, and how I feel about your insights and youe willingness to share them.
Thanks!
March 5th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Tom M.
Good luck with your challenge.
The hardest thing I found was coming up with something fresh for each post. After the first week, I sat down and set up kind of an editorial calendar for the rest of the month with an idea/topic for each day.
While I didn’t always stick to it, it was a big help making it to the end.
Gary H.