The Commitment
I have been blogging regularly since Sunday, January 3, 2021. I’ve posted at least one entry each week since that date. Some weeks are easy, while others make it difficult to think of what to write. Trips provide easy topics, and tech-related events often lead to straightforward posts. But weeks like today—when I’ve waited until Sunday afternoon and nothing comes to mind—are more challenging.
I initially started blogging to drive traffic to my website. Over the years, I’ve made a few changes. Now, everything going to https://www.haverty.net redirects to https://blogger.haverty.net. Although I secured the main site about a year ago, it still redirects to the blog.
I’ve had my website and blog since before Carrie and I were married. I used it to host our wedding site, a discussion forum, and various sub-sites focused on family, site design, and more. Over time, the site evolved into a testing ground, but its primary purpose is now blogging.
My first blog post was in 2006 on Blogger. After years of inconsistent posting—sometimes going months without an update—I learned that building a consistent audience requires weekly posts. As I mentioned earlier, this can be a challenge, but somehow I’ve managed to keep it up since 2021.
Each week, I spend time thinking about what I’ll post. I usually start early in the week, though I often forget to write down my ideas, which means I revisit them later. If I have something in mind, I start writing on Saturday. Otherwise, I begin Sunday morning.
This process is part of my routine, whether I’m busy, on vacation, or out of the country. If I know a week will be hectic, I write ahead and schedule the post to maintain my Sunday cadence. Occasionally, I’ll post additional entries for holidays or special family occasions.
I genuinely enjoy posting regularly and being able to look back over the years. I try to use consistent keywords so I can easily revisit related topics.
Today, I reflect on my process—and the reasons behind it.
Discipline Over Perfection
Some weeks my writing is brief; other weeks, the posts are longer. It depends on how much time I have and what’s happened. It can be challenging to show up each week and write something engaging enough for someone to click on when it appears in their social media feed. I find it interesting to watch the metrics—some posts get lots of clicks, while others I expect to perform well barely get any.
Posting consistently has helped build a following. I get regular visits and interactions on social media. Before I started posting weekly, I read that consistency is key—if visitors don’t know when to expect new content, they’re less likely to return. Posting every Sunday helps keep people coming back.
I also believe that consistent posting has helped me grow as a writer. Each week, I brainstorm the topic, title, keywords, and how to promote the post. I’ve automated social media sharing for platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Occasionally, I manually post to other platforms if I think a post will attract high traffic.
When I struggle to find a topic, I aim to write something short—around 250–300 words. It may not be perfect, but it keeps the habit going. I work hard to avoid spelling, grammar, or usage errors, and I appreciate it when someone points out a mistake.
Capturing Life in Real Time
Blogging has become a digital journal of my weekly life or focus. Whether I’m writing about a trip or looking forward to a camping weekend, it’s a way to review my year—or even revisit earlier years to see what was on my mind. It’s fun, and I enjoy the process.
I’ve used the site to post about sporting events—from the Royals and Chiefs to Washburn sports. It’s a journal that helps me remember where we were or what we did on a particular date. It’s come in handy more than a few times.
Beyond sports, blogging helps me capture personal events—changes at work, losing a parent, or saying goodbye to a pet. It’s a way to reflect on life’s moments, both joyful and difficult.
Finding Your Voice
Over the years, my writing has evolved—or at least I think it has. Early on, I posted sporadically and kept things light. Back then, posts were often just text—playlists, random thoughts, or sports updates. These days, I try to include images, even if they’re shared visuals that match the week’s content. Lately, I’ve used AI to generate images based on the post’s theme. Images help keep readers engaged and break up the text.
If I’m going to ramble, I try to call it out in the title or early in the post. Some weeks, that’s the easiest way to get my thoughts down when I don’t have a specific topic. I just have to be careful not to ramble too long.
Connecting Through Stories
It’s fun when people tell me they read my blog or connected with a post—like a camping trip they saw on social media. I’ve met people through work who mention they enjoy my site. Sometimes the conversation is about exercise (or the struggle with it), and other times it’s about the places we visit and the summaries I share. It’s rewarding to know others are reading and connecting with my posts.
I try to write as if I’m speaking directly to the reader. Sometimes I tell a story, recounting each day—what we ate, what we did, and the sights we saw. I’ve received positive feedback on those posts. I wish there were more interaction on the site. While I do get comments, many are spam. Occasionally, I get meaningful comments and have a fun discussion with someone, which I really enjoy.
Posting helps me stay connected—with family, friends, and even strangers who find my site through a Google search. They might land on a post that matches something they were looking for and then explore more.
Lessons Learned
Each week offers a new opportunity to reflect on what happened—what to highlight, think through, or share in a way that might interest someone. Writing doesn’t come easily, and this year especially, I’ve found myself frequently struggling to come up with something to write.
Writing consistently on the same day each week helps build a steady stream of visitors. Having something to post not only attracts regular readers, but occasionally a post will resonate widely and spike in traffic—which is fun to watch as it gets shared and revisited. I’m not a great judge of which posts will be popular. Some weeks a post gets hundreds of clicks, while others barely get any. That unpredictability is part of the fun, and I enjoy collecting my thoughts in this electronic journal.
I’m not afraid to try new things or explore new topics. Over the years, I’ve reviewed new products and shared how they worked for me. I’ve also written about new blogging tools and continue to look for fresh ways to enhance my posting process.
Looking Ahead
I plan to maintain my regular cadence of Sunday postings. Watch for new entries each week, and feel free to leave a comment—I do read and reply to them. I enjoy interacting with readers and hope to see more engagement in the future.
One of my goals this year is to post more frequently. In addition to my regular Sunday posts, I’d like to add one or two extra entries during the week—focused on topics that interest me, such as technology, politics, or sports. While I’ve occasionally posted more than once in a week over the past few years, those extra posts have usually been tied to holidays or celebrations. I’d like to expand beyond that and share more spontaneous content.
If you’ve made it this far, I’d love to hear from you:
- What have you enjoyed about the site?
- How long have you been following?
- What would you like to see more of?
- Is there anything you’d prefer to see less of?
This is a fun process, and that’s what matters most—I genuinely enjoy doing this each week. I hope you have a great Sunday and a fantastic week ahead!
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