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I’m putting the finishing touches on my preparations for the
5th annual Heart Kids Blogathon that begins tomorrow, on
September 15th, 2007.
And all the while, I’m wondering about what makes it so
powerfully attention grabbing.
After some thought, I stumbled across the reason…
It’s because like any other test of endurance, the blogathon
is a challenge to the human spirit.
To some people, staying awake 24 hours at a stretch may not
seem special – but to many, it is practically impossible.
And to spend that time in front of a computer, updating a
blog on a rigid time schedule, all the while handling a
dozen other tasks, administrative and interactive, is a
real challenge.
It is a test of Patience, Persistence and Passion.
And that’s what gives a blogathon its appeal. In and of
itself, updating a blog every 30 minutes isn’t special. One
could do that by automating the process using scripts.
And that would be a silly way to run a blogathon – because
this is NOT about what you do, but WHY you do it!
The Heart Kids Blogathon is a labor of love, a passion that
has fired me for over 5 years. And I approach it with the
same zest and zeal as I did the first time in 2003.
It doesn’t matter that where I managed to raise only $900
after 19 hours of blogging back then, we have now already reached
almost $10,000 – and the event hasn’t even started! Much of
this came from the special ‘Save a Child’s Heart’ firesale,
that will end soon after the blogathon – take a look, you may
find it useful.
What matters is that the purpose and passion still remains -
that we are working together, you and me, to raise awareness
about the dreaded problem of children born with congenital heart defects
and are trying to make a difference to their lives, in some
small way.
Until now, our various fundraising approaches have generated
over $80,000 – and already we have sponsored surgery in 22
children (you can click on the photos in the banner at the
top of this page and get details of each child’s condition)
And every year, this event has become bigger, better and more
effective in helping achieve its purpose. This year, I have
been fortunate to have the blessing and support of some
amazing people like Frank McKinney, who is one of my role
models and inspirations.
Frank recently ran an ULTRA marathon across the desert and
does mind-boggling things. He recently sold a $50 million
beach-front property in Florida and is working on one worth
$125 million, as well as the world’s bigger ‘Green Home’ -
a $25 million project.
But what inspires me more is the fact he takes some of his
profits and uses them to fund his ‘Caring Home Project’
that constructs low-cost housing for the homeless in very
desperately poor countries like Haiti and Nicaragua.
Check out his ‘Palm Beach Experience’ event – and see if
you can help in any way. I’m a supporter, and have donated to
help Frank’s team build a house in Haiti (and consider it
a privilege to help in such a noble cause).
Just as Frank McKinney’s desert marathon requires preparation,
my Heart Kids Blogathon didn’t happen on the spur of the
moment.
I Started Preparing For It THREE WEEKS Back
I approached friends, clients and business partners about helping
spread the word. I sent out 174 email invitations, 246 postcards
and contacted 52 top bloggers by email or online forms – and many
will be promoting the Heart Kids Blogathon.
And there was the mental preparation. I lost 3 kg. in weight, to
stay alert and focussed. I cut down on my caffeine intake, to
avoid feeling dull and lethargic. I cut down on my already
meager duration of sleep. I spent HOURS writing blog posts, email
invitations, forum messages and more.
What’s more, it needs passionate belief in what one is doing.
In the wee hours of the morning, when the world is asleep,
that’s what will keep a blogger awake and going.
As participants in the MINI-blogathon (which lasts 4 hours, instead
of 24 hours) will discover, an event like this needs a fair amount
of discipline, focus and efficiency to meet the tight timeline for
posting for a sustained duration.
If you haven’t yet visited the blogs of the folks doing the
MINI-blogathon, please do – it will encourage them to do it!
You’ll find a list near the top of this page.
Then there were technical preparations like designing the blog
and post templates, redesigning the websites, checking all
links and donation buttons and creating content.
I could easily do a ’stream of consciousness’ blog – but it’s
much better to give blog visitors value… and so I choose
a theme to follow in each blogathon.
In 2005, the theme was business optimization. In 2006, it
was time management. And in 2007, the theme will be one that’s
more wide ranging and important…
How To Be HAPPY – All The Time
I’ve asked many guests to contribute tips, and one of them is
best-selling author and a lady Bill Gates calls “super high-
bandwidth” and Bill Clinton admired for “fostering American
entrepreneurship”… Christine Comaford-Lynch
Christine’s post sharing her tips on happiness is the featured
post for this blogathon – and you should take a look at her
latest book when you have a chance, it’s called
“Rules for Renegades – How to Make More Money, Rock Your
Career, and Revel in Your Individuality”
Tomorrow, you’ll get 50 more tips on being happy and feeling
great. And if you haven’t already downloaded the ‘Happiness
Paradigm’ document, get it now – it’s free.
I’ll stop here – there’s a ton of last minute stuff to test and
tweak. I trust you’ll be here tomorrow to cheer me along as we
begin the 5th annual Heart Kids Blogathon
See you soon 
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