Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Ideas to Post Ratio

I was thinking this morning about all the ideas I have had for posts that have never made it to this blog. I have not kept count so I can not truly quantify, but I am fairly certain that if I tracked it in some way that the statistics would show that my current Ideas to Post Ratio (hereafter known as IPR) would be 10:1 at best. That is to say, for every 10 ideas I think I want to blog about only 1 actually ever gets fully written and posted here. I would like my IPR to be down around 3:1, which is where it probably was about a year ago, but somehow my days fly by and the fingers never find time to hit the keyboard to write what is swirling in my brain.

My ideas for posts tend to come when I am driving to work or when in the shower since they are often the only "alone time" I get in a day (working parents with preschoolers will understand that the shower is a sanctuary of peace). I sometimes fully write these posts as I lather and rinse, refining them as I dry off. Then I open the bathroom door and somehow my brain loses all those sentences that I formed in my steamy sanctuary before I can actually find time to sit down to write in the late evening hours.

I am making one of my New Year's resolution early this year, which is to better my IPR so that I am at least in the 5:1 range instead of my current miserable ratio. In fact, I might even start to track my ideas so I can quantify this (and to keep me on track for my resolution).

Anyone else having this same issue lately? I have an abundance of reasons why my IPR stands where it is, but really no good excuse. I would also love it if others would share their IPR here -- partly to make myself feel better and partly because I am curious.

8 Comments:

At November 20, 2007 11:29 AM, Blogger Michael A. Golrick said...

I have always had this problem. Some of my best ideas have been lost -- to the post shower rush to work; to the traffic tie-up [BW: before Wisconsin]; to lack of internet, etc.

Keep trying is all we can do.

 
At November 20, 2007 12:48 PM, Blogger Iris said...

I've been having this problem lately, too. I'm thinking fall is not a good time of year for writing. :)

 
At November 21, 2007 8:54 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

IPR 13:1

But I've assumed that lost ideas are due to some self-editing kicking in and saving me from myself - not necessarily a bad thing ;-)

 
At November 21, 2007 12:39 PM, Blogger jdscott50 said...

Buy a moleskin or a small notebook. Stick a pen on it. Take it everywhere. IT's PRICELESS. I have saved so many blog posts from it. Moleskin is better because the pages are thicker, so if you just stepped out of the shower, you can still write on it :)

 
At November 21, 2007 5:53 PM, Blogger Julie said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

 
At November 21, 2007 5:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I absolutely have the same problem! Just yesterday I was looking at how many emails from myself I had with the subj line, "BLOG ME." I should get on that.

:-)

 
At November 27, 2007 10:46 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

I agree, Janie - at least on my personal blog, (where no posting mandate is imposed), I find myself accumulating drafts with great titles and even outlines waiting to be fleshed out and posted. There's no end in sight, though. Some unfinished posts include How to Create a Posterized Avatar Using Inkscape and How to Lose 100 Pounds and Keep It Off. Someday I'll publish them, but by that time, some one click posterizing avatar tool will be the in thing, or negative calories will have be invented. ;) Good to see you. j.

 
At November 28, 2007 2:11 PM, Blogger Janie L. Hermann said...

Update: Failing miserably at my resolution. Have had 3 ideas this week, none of have made it in to actual posts. Perhaps the bronchitis is affecting my ability to write?

 

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