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Yesterday, I finished a 24-hour marathon session of blogging.
Day and night, with no breaks, every 30 minutes I updated my
blog with a post – on the theme of
‘How to be Happy – ALL the Time’
The event – called the Heart Kids Blogathon – went off well,
with close to 1,000 people visiting the blog, and contributing
a total of over $18,000 to the effort.
All the money goes to fund the activities of the Dr.Mani
Children Heart Foundation, helping kids from under-privileged
families receive expensive surgery for congenital heart defects.
Judging from some of the feedback I’ve received about the event,
it appears I’ve NOT done a good job of explaining exactly what
goes on behind the scenes of a blogathon – even though I did
outline some of it in a booklet I released last year called
“Blogathon Secrets”.
Indeed, one reader thought I had things set up to be AUTOMATED!
I’m a fan of business automation, but in an event like the
blogathon, which is a test of endurance and spirit in the
pursuit or support of a purpose, the use of such techniques
would nullify the very reason to do such an event.
No, nothing is automated. Yet, there is such a high degree
of planning and time sensitive execution involved, it may
well appear to somone watching that there is a machine like
precision in the process.
Let me take you behind the scenes, and show you how things
looked in my office during a typical one hour of the Heart
Kids Blogathon.
= = = =
AN HOUR IN A BLOGATHON – by Dr.Mani
18:35 - I’ve been blogging for 11 hours now. Just made the
23rd post to the blog, and have got into a rhythm. This is
critical, and why the first few hours are always hardest…
you don’t know what to do next!
18:45 - Finished drafting the next post, and inserted it into
the template.
18:50 - Visited the Warrior forum and Robert Puddy’s forum
to see what’s being discussed.
18:55 - Opened my Twitter page and posted a short update.
19:00 - Updated the donation totals and posted the next
note to the blog.
19:05 - Phone rings. Can’t answer. Note who the caller is.
Send out email ‘thank you’ notes to those who donated.
Add their names and amounts donated to the blog sidebar.
19:10 - Quickly drafted out the next post for the event.
Answered the phone call, explained to my accountant why
I can’t chat too long, and ended the call (that would
typically last 5 minutes) in just 30 seconds!
19:15 - Coffee break – to make a quick cup of instant
cappuchino, which I bring to the office and sip while
doing other stuff. (My daughter is a GREAT help in these
things – when I ask for a snack, she rushes into action.
Of course, she gets her ‘commission’ (paid ‘in kind’) for
her vital contribution! I however can’t imagine running a
blogathon without her support and help!)
19:20 - One of the MINI-blogathon members has finished
blogging for 4 hours. I drop by their blog, post a thank
you note, and then come back to my blog and post a note
there with a link to the partner’s blog.
19:25 - Toilet break – even those have time limits.
I carry my timer along to avoid missing the posting
deadline! 
19:30 - Back in time. Next post published to the blog.
In this half hour, there has been one sizable donation.
So in addition to adding the details to the blog, I write
a personal thank you email to the donor and send it
off.
Then, already, it’s time to start working on the next
blog post!
= = = =
Whew!
Tiring to even read this, right?
Remember, this is close to TWELVE hours into the blogathon.
And the same sequence, time pressures and tasks to get
done have been there for the previous 12 and – what’s
harder to contemplate – will be there for the next 12 hours!
A blogathon is a test. A stress test. A test of your
ability to organize, plan, prepare and execute flawlessly.
It is a test of your spirit, endurance and committment.
A test of your PASSION.
Try it – you’ll love it.
You’ll learn just how much power lies within you, and how
you can harness it and put it behind a cause that you
believe in firmly, passionately.
It will make YOU a better, stronger, happier person.
Don’t go for the big one right away. Start with what my
partners did during the event – a MINI-blogathon.
Try to do a 4-hour, or even 2-hour blogathon. Updating
every 30 minutes even for 2 hours means 5 posts – and
when you do it yourself, you’ll see just how intense an
effort is needed… and prove to yourself that you are
made of the stuff it takes!
If you decide to do one, let me know. I’ll be there to
cheer you on and offer any assistance I can.
All success
Dr.Mani
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