Blog-O-Lutions

Some of you have Resolutions, I think I will have Blog-O-Lutions!

My blog goes through phases as do my sentiments about it. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it. Sometimes I am motivated to write and sometimes I don't care. Sometimes I am all about the number of clicks, hits, comments and shares and some days I even obsess over it. Some days I just slap some pictures up here and some days I try to be super spiritual and deep.

Some days I categorize myself as a Mom blogger and other days I want to be the fab DIY blogger lady that is all over Pinterest. Some days I think I am a photographer and other days I act like I am Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart or the Pioneer Woman - of which I am none of the above.

So what are Blog-O-Lutions you ask? Same thing as the ole resolutions, just for your BLOG! 

As we go into 2013, I want to think through my blog and determine what I want it to be. You can tell I am ALL over the place - and honestly, I think that's okay! These blog-o-lutions will ebb and flow like my other resolutions I am sure, but nonetheless, it will give me some sort of direction and something to come back to. A goal, if you will!

Feel free to read mine, write your own and LINK up! If you have already written your resolutions post, you can link that too...I realize I am already a few days late!

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Here is my lengthy list of 2013 Blog-O-Lutions:

• Be Me: Honest, silly, weird, awkward, type A, Lauren. Don't try to write like I have it all together or that my life, husband and kids are all perfect. We ain't.

• No comparison: No "mom-petitions" with other moms in blog land. No jealously or comparison here because we are all different and all run and function differently. I don't want to see what others are doing and beat myself up because my kids aren't doing that or are doing that and I don't want to feel like I have to write a blog post to justify why. Breast or bottle fed, stay at home or work, eat healthy or junk food - who cares! No judgement from Talk of the Trains and no comparing me to anyone else out there!

• My Why: Write for fun and for my family. No pressure posts. Just because I haven't written in a few days I don't want to feel stressed trying to come up with something to write about. I want to write about stuff that people will enjoy, but that's not what its about. Its about writing whats on my mind, heart, brain, and chronicling what me and my little fam are doing. Whether its traveling, or potty training!

• No obsessing: Lets be honest. Its easy to obsess over the numbers or what posts got Google hits, comments or pins. Its easy to wonder if anyone other than your Mom and Dad read your blog. I want to give that up. I love comments {good, bad and ugly} just like every other blogger out there. I want to know that people enjoy my posts and are there with me. That said, I don't want to obsess. If I am the only one reading and writing then so be it. I will enjoy every second of it and not worry about the rest!

• Respond and Comment: I know how much I love when a comment of mine is responded to. Kat is great about this. So are Kelly, Lauren, Rebecca, Mrs. Jones and Rebecca and a bunch of others of yall out there. When yall respond to me, I feel respected in a sense. I feel like you hear me and want to talk to me and it also lets me know that there is a real person behind the screen. I want to respond more. We all know that {most} bloggers love comments, tweets, shout outs, facebook posts, etc. Isn't that what half of this social networking stuff is about!? I want to take the time to comment on your posts, retweet you to others and give you shout outs. We are a community and I don't want to just dwell in it, I want to be a part of it and be actively engaged. I love what Natalie did by asking who her readers were so that she could follow them. Maybe I will do that to?!  

• Be impactful: I want to share our story and our pictures but I always want to uplift, encourage and praise. I don't want people coming here and leaving discouraged.

• Share Jesus: I know some readers probably love Jesus and some probably hate organized religion and aren't the church type. That is okay but I want to share my faith and encourage everyone and not shy away from my beliefs. I want those who aren't a Jesus freak like me to still feel comfortable pulling up a chair and allowing me to share my heart and my relationship with Jesus to them. I want them to feel comfortable chatting with me about their religion as well and I want to be bold in my faith.

• Post regularly {dare I say, and timely!?}: Regular on the blog is defined by me as a few times a week. While some nights its nice to just delve into others posts and read and not feel obligated to write, I do want to be regular. I want to count on myself for a few posts a week so that I can effectively chronicle my life, thoughts and family. I also think that blogging is a great way to work on reading and writing skills being creative and to have fun expressing yourself while you do it. Being regular will allow me all of this. Timely would be awesome. As in its January and I still probably have 15 Christmas posts to write. Eh, I will catch up, but if I could post regularly, maybe these would all get done on time?? Good theory, we shall see!

• Not see my blog as a business opportunity: I do want to do the occasional sponsored post {which I will always disclose to ya!}, I do want to have an ad or two for folks to click on and I don't mind sharing about my home business of Stella & Dot. All of those opportunities I think are awesome, but I don't want to sit up late at night researching how I can turn this into a livelihood...confession, which I have done in the past. It sounds great to sit at home and write and let the dough flow, but that's NOT my goal. And since I make zilch-o money from the old blog, I clearly have yet to find the secret! HA!

• Be real: You know sometimes you read blogs where you just wonder if the person is being fake and it annoys the fire out of you?? ...Facebook posts too. Its like you just want to call them out and let them know you are onto them. There are a few blogs that I read that are super inappropriate - as in a crass way. They use words I don't say and they talk about stuff that would make me blush. Some of their posts I skip, but sometimes I envy them. While in my opinion, some of their posts push the limits and while I know I could never write {nor talk} like them, I envy the fact that they are real and I don't question it. There is something really refreshing when people write as they truly are and I want to be that. I trip and stub my toe and I cuss. Yep, I do! And guess what?? IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER and I think its funny!!! So I am not necessarily proud of that, but its real. I yell at my husband or I emotionally eat and then blame it on someone else. I would rather write real than yall think I am faking it to try and be someone I am not or to try and prove something. So yeah, I wanna be real. Yelling, cussing, fatty runner wanna be and all! ;)

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So yes, true to my personality, my goals are all over the place. I will still post about everything from my dog to pinterest flops and from Anne Margaret and Baby Bro to recipes and travel recaps. I will still share Stella & Dot sales and opportunities and I will always post pictures and have crazy photo dumps. I still don't have a ton of direction for my blog, but I do feel like I have some goals. I feel like my goals will allow me to relax a bit and will allow me to connect with the blogging community. 

I am excited about 2013 - in blog land and in real life and I hope you are too! Do you have goals for your blog? Do you have real life goals? Do you want to share them?? ...No pressure and whether or not we have 2 links or 200, I am not counting nor caring! I do want to visit all of yours and comment though so feel free to play along! 

Share your Blog-O-Lutions, Resolutions or both and link up! 

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