Unconventional: How this Blogger Succeeds by Breaking the Rules

There comes a point in every blogger's life when we ask ourselves a few questions, like:

Do I really need a photo of me in hyperspace?

     I've spent more than a little time rolling around this idea. You'll find my thoughts on the subject here.

Do I really need to engage in all the social media streams?

       I confess, I've struggled with answering the question of how involved should I be in social media. I know conventional blogosphere wisdom says to be active in as many channels as possible to gather a following. But then I read Rachel Meek's ebook, Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging. (Affiliate)

     In her ebook, Simple Blogging, Rachel makes her point that "social media is optional". Amen. For me, entering into social media, Facebook in particular, is like walking through a crowded mall where everyone is talking at once and not about the same thing. With my introverted personality, I get more enjoyment out of the blog than the social media streams.
      But, don't count me out completely when it comes to social media: Stable Road Homestead does have a Facebook page and I DO reply when "friends" leave notes. (Remember, I told I struggled with the idea...)

Do I really need to post something earthshaking each day?

     Conventional wisdom says, yes. But, I'm anything but conventional, so I say no to this blogosphere rule of thumb, too.  (If there's a rule to be broken, allow me to be the first. Those who know me are nodding their heads in agreement right now.)

     Sincerely, I don't have enough good ideas--or hours in a day, to master the art of posting earthshaking copy everyday. Maybe one day I will. Today I do not. Beside that, I think both you and I would burn out from hefting through so much verbiage. So instead I choose to come up with a half-dozen or so ideas then work on a few until they're relatively good reads, versus just pumping out words for the sake of getting Stable Road Homestead out in hyperspace each day. I guess it's a quality over quantity sort of thing.

Then, of course, we'll get to the real question:

What was I thinking when I decided to start this blog anyway?

     I think every blogger comes to a point, probably sooner than later, when we ask ourselves: Why did I get this thing started anyway? The answer to this question is key to the longevity of my blog, and yours, if you've started one. Why? Because the heart of the question is The Heart of your blog. I love the homesteading lifestyle and I love writing. Together, they make a great combination. If you're like so many, and started your blog...or are thinking of starting a blog as an incomes source then your motivation to keep it going is different from mine. I'm a homestead blogger because it's fun, not because there's any money to be made by doing do so. Doing anything just for the money is not enough of a motivator to keep at. Try it. You'll see.