There are many people that think being a problogger is great, and for the most part it is, but I wanted to cover some of the negative side of being a problogger, and a few things that most people don’t think about.
Working From Home
Most people wouldn’t expect working from home to be an item on the con’s list, but it is. There are a lot more distractions at home from telemarketers, family and friends, and objects you own. I have found a days wasted in front of the television, or on the phone, when I should have been getting work done instead.
Sometimes you just think to yourself, maybe a round or two on the Xbox will allow me to unwind so I can refocus, and the next thing you know, it is late in the evening and you haven’t done any work at all.
Balancing Work and Life
Balancing work and life ties in with working from home as in both, you will need to separate yourself from the world around you, and manage your time. I am pretty bad at this. I either give work all my time, or my home life all my time.
Sometimes I wonder if I wouldn’t be better off working twelve hours a day for four days a week, and dealing with the rest of what constitutes my life during the three days off. But either way, it can be horrible to try to find the energy and focus to properly balance work and life.
Not being able to do this has caused burnout and created rifts in my relationships on numerous occasions.
Computer Time
When working as a problogger, you will spend an inordinate amount of time on a computer. So much so that you will have to become an expert at using one. It will become part of your ever day routine, and take over your life. I now have three computers at home, and because I am a geek, they all have different operating systems. I suggest that no one else ever go to such extremes, but if you want to be a problogger, you will have to get used to using computers all the time.
Oh, and you computer(s) will stop working at the worst time, so you best get good at repairing them or know someone that can.
Personality Requirements
There is something about problogging that requires a strange personality. One that can deal with being alone for long periods of time, and yet that same person also has to be able to network, and be interesting to be around. This type of personality is rare, and also a bit odd, and so that is why it is in the con’s column of being a problogger.
Energy Usage
One of the things that I have noticed about this job is the small amount of energy that the jobs uses. Sure reading and writing all day can be tiring, but my belly says that I am getting fatter and more physically lazy. Now, things that were difficult before, like roller blading for a couple hours, seem impossible after only an hour. It is like your body gets used to only needing a tiny bit of energy. Your appetite slowly changes, and you begin to gain weight. Think fatblogging is only a fad? I think it’s only going to get worse.
Between the high amount of focus and concentration, and the near zero amount physical activity, blogging can really wear you down.
Unstable Industry
You have to remember that pretty much anything online is pretty unstable. As an international problogger, I have to deal with the currency exchange, but other than that, I face the same instabilities as other probloggers. Some of the things you might face include: monetization strategies change, search engine optimization can shift about, and niches that are worth thousands of dollars one day, can have so much new competition introduced that they are only worth pennies the next. Doesn’t that seem like fun? It sometimes feels like you spend almost as much time planning ahead as working on your current projects.
Conclusion
These are just some of the negatives that come with working in the blogging industry, but after all that, I am still glad that I do what I do. This has been the most enjoyable job I have ever had, and I really hope that it never ends. Just keep all this in mind when you are looking at going the problogger route, and if any of these are a deal breaker, then walk away, and try something else.
Originally posted on August 2, 2007 @ 11:38 pm