Alright, I’ll admit it: I’m spoiled rotten by the free, unlimited access I have to thousands of blogs and websites. Each of them bursting with great, juicy content just waiting to be consumed. It almost makes me feel bad that I’m not able to keep up with it all. There is simply too much information in too many different places.
Doesn’t really seem like a problem though, does it?
But – it kind of is if you’re spending so much time trying to soak up all this content, when in reality, it’s just not possible.
The tech world has come up with a few solutions for us like Google Reader and Feedly, two platforms that allow us to organize and share articles, posts and other content from our favorites sites. In fact, I love Feedly.
If you haven’t done it already, there is still time to quickly and easily transfer your Google Reader info over to the Feedly platform – just be sure to do it before July 1! Here is a quick snapshot of some of the things I love about Feedly:
These platforms provide us with some amazing organization tools, but that still doesn’t solve my initial – dare I call it – “problem”: keeping up with it all. In fact, having platforms like Feedly has made me realize that I really should be more selective about the content I follow.
Why?
Well, trying to follow too many blogs or sites is almost like following none at all. How are you ever going to really glean anything from the content or experience meaningful interactions with the creators behind it all if you’re always thinking about getting to the next post on your list?
So, it got me thinking and questioning a couple of things… I had to really ask myself, “What’s my solution?”
- Should I choose seven sites, one for each day of the week, and stick to a strict reading schedule? No – that’s kind of lame.
- Do I narrow down the number of sites I’m following so that it is possible to keep up with the ones that provide the most value for me? That might, maybe, possibly work.
And then I asked myself a crazy question:
“If you could only follow ONE blog, which one would you choose?”
I can’t help but laugh at myself because when I ask myself this question, I get kind of stressed out, (as if I actually have to come up with an answer). I don’t want to have to pick only one!
Nonetheless, I do think it’s a valid exercise to put yourself through, and it brings up other important questions that could better your business and the time you spend on other websites and blogs, including:
- “Am I spending my time in the most efficient way possible?”,
- “Are the blogs I’m following providing content relevant to my industry?”, and
- “Does the content I read provide value to me and my business?”
If you’re like me, you might find yourself reading a post… and then suddenly you’re clicking a link that is bringing you to another post; that post is really interesting, and it mentions a podcast or something that sounds really cool; well obviously you have to check that out, too. Following blogs can be time consuming, and your time is worth A LOT.
When you find yourself getting a little carried away with the number of blogs you’re following on a daily basis, try asking yourself the same question:
“If you could only follow ONE blog, which one would you choose?”
It will lead you down an eye-opening path of realizing 1) how important your time really is, and 2) how you can refocus your “subscriptions”, allowing you to have a more meaningful and engaging relationship with the blogs that matter to you and your business the most.
