Category Archives: Productivity

Server Woes Stealing My Energy

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So, if you head on over to Blogging Pro, you might notice it is down. If it isn’t down, you are one of the lucky few that has actually been able to load the site over the last two or three days. At one point the site was down for upwards of eighteen hours. Talking to server guy and waiting for everything to get fixed made me bite my nails more than normal. This has also meant that I haven’t got much done lately.

I was able to install the great WP Super Cache on the site, but unfortunately, that didn’t seem to stop it from dying again.

Server issues are the most frustrating things, no matter where you are hosting your site and I hope you will all hold on as I continue to drive server guy nuts about getting everything running.

After we get this issue resolved, I am going to be redoubling my efforts to get Splashpress Media as optimized and as efficient as possible when it comes to our server and thus WordPress hosting environment.

Originally posted on February 17, 2008 @ 4:32 pm

Promises and Living Up To Them

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As a network backed blogger, I am under constant pressure to perform well beyond the average blogger, and especially because of my more technical background, I find myself as the only person able to step up with regard to certain tasks, which doubles my to-do list. The hardest problem I have is living up to the promises I make people.

With so much on the go, it seems like my list of things to do is never ending, and add to that my inability sometimes to properly prioritize, and you have a situation where I constantly am setting myself up to underperform in the eyes of someone.

Recently, a friend of mine questioned me on why I had time for “project x” and not his “project y”? Another person asked me why I hadn’t made any progress on another project. And I always find myself feeling like I am starting my week behind with regards to how much work I want to get done versus how much work I accomplish.

What I am quickly realizing is that I have to stop adding new projects to my plate, and I have to stop promising to get this, that and the other thing done for people. Between my full time job with Splashpress (that usually ends up being more than “full time”), this blog, and my wife, I really don’t have much time to enjoy myself.

If you are looking to become a full time blogger, my new advice which I will be shouting from the rooftops is to never promise more than you can deliver. In fact, take a lesson from Scotty from Star Trek. Always under promise and over deliver. Or more simply, give yourself extra breathing room, so you look amazing when you deliver before your own cut-off deadline.

I can’t tell you what it is like to constantly feel over worked, under appreciated and scatterbrained, living minute to minute on information overload and having some wonderful physical signs (chest pains) reminding you to slow down.

Originally posted on February 6, 2008 @ 3:11 pm

Scheduling Things In: Forgetting about Podcasts

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So, I have only been a panel member on one of the five episodes of WordPress Weekly, a podcast being run by Jeffro of Jeffro2pt0. I have had every intention of being on more of them, but what ends up happening is on Friday night, I am busy doing other things, wrapping up my week, and I totally forget about calling in to the podcast.

The amusing part is that I usually remember about two hours too late.

This really brings home the issue I have with scheduling. From week to week my roles, responsibilities and hours change. I am pretty much always tied to a computer though. You would think that I would have an application set up to remind me of such upcoming events, but even if I did, I don’t think I am diligent or organized to constantly keep it up to date.

What’s a blogger like me to do? Maybe I should just get Jeffro to change the recording time to suit my needs? (Joking of course) What do you think?

Oh, and check out Episode 3 if you want to hear me giving out my opinion on a variety of WordPress related things.

Originally posted on February 12, 2008 @ 12:26 pm

Disconnect to Increase Productivity

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So today, I decided to get away from home, and not go somewhere with Internet access. I didn’t want wi-fi. I didn’t want instant messaging. I opened all the reference material and wrote down a dozen ideas for articles before I left, and then went to the local mall and sat in the noisy, busy, uncomfortable food court.

I didn’t have access to the Internet, and I got more work done. Why is that?

Once I got to the food court, set up my laptop, and began writing, I realized. While it is noisy, there are no distractions. I don’t have a phone, no instant messages, no e-mail and no gaming consoles.

While it is uncomfortable, I know that the more work I get done, the sooner I can leave, and go back home to the comfort of my office.

While my battery ticks away, I know I am in a race against time, and so every bit of my attention, and energy is being poured into creating great content, organizing my thoughts, and ideas, and really getting some work done.

It feels great to disconnect, and just work without distraction. Highly recommended for a blogger having productivity issues.

Originally posted on January 25, 2008 @ 7:07 pm