What Bloggers Really Do in an Hour

– Posted in: Blogging, Time, Writing

I’ve been “working” for the better part of an hour with nothing to show for it, and it suddenly dawned on me that every one of my mornings looks almost exactly like this. I sit down at the computer, determined to be productive, and the following chain of events occurs:

  • Open email.
  • Delete Gap ads.
  • See email about Halloween from friend — realize haven’t checked Facebook.
  • Get on Facebook.
  • See have 63 notifications.
  • Decide need another cup of coffee.
  • Get sucked into argument thread on gun control.
  • Repost photo of child in Halloween costume because previous one deemed “too blurry.”
  • Read updates until dog makes strange noise.
  • Remember supposed to be writing.
  • Check FB fan page.
  • Respond to comments from two days ago that never saw in notifications.
  • Attempt to think of something witty to post.
  • Fail.
  • Resist urge to check other people’s page posts or Google+.
  • Go back to email.
  • Delete more Gap ads.
  • Delete various political begs, all of which are urgent and will result in the death of democracy, access to the arts for disabled children, or fluffy animals.
  • Make mistake of letting eyes wander to content of Digg update email before delete button pushed.
  • End up researching photographer who takes photos of old video games, even though have zero interest in old video games.
  • Resist urge to read post on lizard people taking over Congress.
  • Go back to email.
  • Attempt to unsubscribe from Disqus for the third time.
  • Put cold coffee in microwave.
  • Look at Twitter’s suggestions for who I might like. Decide there’s no possible way I’d like any of these people.
  • Delete 20 Google+ notifications related to “Awww” comment posted on photo of polar bear and dog.
  • Open email with Redbox coupon.
  • Vow to create folder to organize coupons.
  • Come to realization that internet coupon collecting will fail as badly as paper coupon collecting.
  • Vow to go through paper coupons later in day.
  • Make mistake of letting eyes wander to content of Bloglovin’ daily feed email before delete button pushed.
  • Read friend’s post.
  • Spend five minutes composing witty, funny comment that won’t offend friend’s readers.
  • Make mistake of clicking on Babble’s Top 100 Blogs button.
  • Spend 20 minutes fluctuating between self-flaggelation, self-righteous indignation, and self-loathing over popularity of blog.
  • Make mistake of clicking on Huffington Post Parents page.
  • Read entire post on Sparks Middle School shooting.
  • Mentally compose response to Lisa Belkin.
  • Don’t leave response because there are already more than 700 comments.
  • Make mistake of letting eyes wander to story about Ender’s Game.
  • Spend five minutes composing witty, funny comment that won’t offend author.
  • Go back and forth, finding Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ connections to author.
  • Attempt to post article to Facebook page while @-ing author.
  • Fail.
  • Go back to email.
  • Delete more Gap ads.
  • Resist temptation to click on post titled “How to Write a Viral Post in 5 East Steps,” knowing that one of the easy steps is naming your post “How to Write a Viral Post in 5 Easy Steps.”
  • Wonder if someone has calculated number of hours wasted reading “List of 10” posts.
  • Dump out coffee.

So, yes. Now you know what goes on around here. Why the factory of Tammy is just churning it out like the Once-ler making Thneeds without Truffula trees.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some shirts to order from the Gap.

How Bloggers Spend an Hour

33 Comments… add one

vanita November 1, 2013, 11:28 pm

dude u get all of that done in an hour? how? imagine if you used those powers for good? you could take over the web.

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:29 pm

Yay! Take over the web! It’s just a matter of time.

Andrea November 2, 2013, 5:47 am

Well, my suspicions have been confirmed! You are far classier than I…my emails are from Old Navy!

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:29 pm

Haha! What I didn’t say was that I also deleted from Old Navy. And Athleta. And Eddie Bauer. And a bunch of other places that I’m not sure how I got on their list.

Shannon ( November 2, 2013, 11:14 am

Sounds about right, except one thing. I just reheat my coffee. It is too precious to waste! haha
Shannon ( recently posted..Crazy Halloween Candy EVERYWHERE!My Profile

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:27 pm

Hey, I reheated once. Usually I do it at least twice before I dump it. But if I drink coffee past noon, I usually can’t sleep.

Coffee is precious.

CarrieBird November 2, 2013, 12:05 pm

Ahhh hahaha this is SO funny & SO true! Thanks for making me furiously LOL. <3

LittleBirdBlogs

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:26 pm

Yay! I love nothing better than hearing that.

Kim November 2, 2013, 12:52 pm

Haha. So freaking true!

In my case it usually involves my cats, my husband, the rats fighting in their cage a mere 2 feet away from me, a notification or five on Facebook, the need to pee, and the fact my coffee went cold…again. I eventually become productive but it’s usually a slow start.
Kim recently posted..Day 2: Holy Crap I&#8217;m 33!My Profile

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:26 pm

Doesn’t it freak you out how fast the coffee gets cold? Sometimes I feel like I’m in some weird space-time continuum thing where I’ve dropped out and come back in. Don’t get me started, I’ll start getting weird (er).

Kim November 2, 2013, 1:03 pm

Have you been spying on me? This is literally a scene from my morning. um, well honestly, this is a scene from most of my mornings since I started blogging. You had me in stitches. I’ll be back after I go delete some emails from the Gap.
Kim recently posted..β€˜Tis The Season To Give ThanksMy Profile

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:24 pm

Thank god! It’s not just me!!

Dave November 2, 2013, 1:34 pm

You did all that in an hour…your faster than I thought.

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:24 pm

But see, this always sounds so good on paper. If you came to my house and watched me, I’d just look pathetic and sad, sipping cold coffee.

KG November 2, 2013, 5:13 pm

It sounds like to me like you are pretty fast! That’s a lot to get done in an hour. I think I’ll spend an hour, deleting and responding to emails and responding to comments on FB! Ding!! Hour up!!I get too distracted if I don’t have a list..like right now, I’m supposed to be researching appliances and designing a client’s space and I’m reading other people’s blogs!!

There goes my hour!!

Visiting from #sitssharefest

Keep it Touched,
KG
http://www.kgstyleblogs.com
KG recently posted..Happy Halloween Friends!My Profile

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:23 pm

Facebook is such a time sucker. And now with Google+, it’s like I’ve been double sucked.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sarah November 2, 2013, 7:23 pm

This is SO me! lol I was tired of sitting down to write and not having anything to show for it. That would be my morning. And checking email to keep deleting stuff.. yep that’s me! πŸ˜‰

I found an interesting app that actually helped me stay on track recently. It’s not anything special, you could simply set a timer, the app is Pomodor: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.artifix.pomodroido.free&hl=en
Maybe it will help? πŸ˜‰
Sarah recently posted..Want an Organized Home? The Coat Closet and Linen Closet &#8211; Organizing with what you have.My Profile

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:22 pm

Thanks! I’ll check it out. And look at you, organizing closets and whatnot. See, you at least have it together somewhere.

Rae November 2, 2013, 7:54 pm

I’ve only recently began blogging and I can see I’m much slower than you my friend. No way i can do all this in an hour. πŸ˜€
Rae recently posted..7 Easy and Inexpensive DIY Halloween PropsMy Profile

Tammy November 3, 2013, 11:20 pm

Deleting Gap ads really doesn’t take that much time.;)

elaine schoch November 4, 2013, 12:54 pm

Wow, that’s a lot to get finished in an hour. I know the feeling, and frankly hate looking up at the clock to realize I have yet to accomplish everything. Urg.
elaine schoch recently posted..REVIEW: Ringling Bros. and Barnum &#038; Bailey CircusMy Profile

Vinma November 4, 2013, 12:57 pm

Gosh! I so love your activities here girlfriend! My one hour largely consists of scrolling down useless posts in facebook newsfeed. I feel like shit at the end of that hour and go back to deleting more useless stuff from gmail inbox.
Vinma recently posted..Twenty Thanksgiving Books for KidsMy Profile

Tammy November 4, 2013, 2:58 pm

Thanks girl! Doesn’t the facebook scroll scare you? It’s like you look up and suddenly it’s dinner.

Poppy November 4, 2013, 2:21 pm

You hit the nail on the head with this one. I must have ADHD because I always seem to click over to Gap ads – and then Banana Republic or Piperlime! I’m hopeless.

Tammy November 4, 2013, 2:50 pm

Oh, I get sucked into that so often it’s not even funny.

Elle November 4, 2013, 3:06 pm

Wow. All in an hour? I recognize the vow to do something – must happen to all of us. Sadly I don’t often get there.

Funny how many of these habits look really familiar. Hmmm maybe I’d better go and delete those Gap adds too.
Elle recently posted..5 Habits That Will Rock Your LifeMy Profile

Tammy November 6, 2013, 3:28 pm

Honestly, it’s really not that much. I think like most things, it looks much better on paper.

TK November 6, 2013, 11:30 am

Phew, so I’m not the only one! Glad you shared the reality behind what we really do on our screens. I don’t know how I even get any writing done at all, with all those distractions! Here from November Finding The Funny.
TK recently posted..Five pet peeves of toddlersMy Profile

Tammy November 6, 2013, 3:26 pm

I know — I don’t know how I get any writing done either sometimes!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me know how you got here.:)

Alison November 8, 2013, 4:08 am

I spend one hour just on Facebook. Sigh.
Alison recently posted..549 DaysMy Profile

Tammy November 8, 2013, 9:53 am

Oh trust me — some days I do the exact same thing.

Paula November 11, 2013, 7:04 am

Very funny! I think you came to my house and watched me on a typical weekday after kids go off to school… (came from FtheF).

Tammy November 20, 2013, 10:58 am

See, we’re ALL crazy.

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