Q&A Round 1 :: The Answers
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Andrew B. Clark asks:
blogging is time consuming… I try to post at least once a week, but you post MUCH more and on more than one blog. With family, work, blogging, etc… where do you find the time?
ALSO… where do you get your inspiration? Your posts are diverse and entertaining. Is it a case of you being more “in tune” with your surroundings? Do you cary a notebook full of ideas?!?
And from one working dad to another, thanks for the continuous advice AND support. It’s nice to know there are more of us out there…
ALSO… where do you get your inspiration? Your posts are diverse and entertaining. Is it a case of you being more “in tune” with your surroundings? Do you cary a notebook full of ideas?!?
And from one working dad to another, thanks for the continuous advice AND support. It’s nice to know there are more of us out there…
Derek: The short and sweet answer to where I find the time is that I tend to sacrifice on my sleep in order to get everything done.
A few weeks ago I discussed a little bit about my day when I confessed to being somewhat lazy with my posting. Basically it boils down to the fact that I am very much a night-owl and thrive late at night. So my days are consumed at work, although I do squeeze in some time over lunch, and my early evenings are consumed with family time. Then once everyone is settled into bed for the night, I get to work on the blogs. Unfortunately this usually results in an average of roughly 4-5 hours sleep on a good night but that works for me.
As for the inspiration, I have to say it really just comes from my day to day life. I’m always thinking about my blogs and what might make for interesting reading. This is an area that I really feel that I feel needs improvement though and am continuously trying to become more efficient. I do have a notebook with me most of the time that has a list of post ideas for each blog and that helps tremendously. Another tool I use is the voice recorder on my cell phone to capture quick ideas when I don’t have my notebook handy.
From this working dad to you (and all the other dads), thank you for your support and feedback!
A few weeks ago I discussed a little bit about my day when I confessed to being somewhat lazy with my posting. Basically it boils down to the fact that I am very much a night-owl and thrive late at night. So my days are consumed at work, although I do squeeze in some time over lunch, and my early evenings are consumed with family time. Then once everyone is settled into bed for the night, I get to work on the blogs. Unfortunately this usually results in an average of roughly 4-5 hours sleep on a good night but that works for me.
As for the inspiration, I have to say it really just comes from my day to day life. I’m always thinking about my blogs and what might make for interesting reading. This is an area that I really feel that I feel needs improvement though and am continuously trying to become more efficient. I do have a notebook with me most of the time that has a list of post ideas for each blog and that helps tremendously. Another tool I use is the voice recorder on my cell phone to capture quick ideas when I don’t have my notebook handy.
From this working dad to you (and all the other dads), thank you for your support and feedback!
Karen Putz | Deaf Mom asks:
Have fun in Vegas, girl!
Since you’re out having fun, I’ll ask a fun question: what’s your family’s favorite meal that you whip up while working from home?
Since you’re out having fun, I’ll ask a fun question: what’s your family’s favorite meal that you whip up while working from home?
Derek: Hmm, I think that is the first time that I have been referred to as a girl - at least since I was in grade school and getting teased on the playground. 
Regarding my family’s favorite meal, I have to confess that my wife does most of the cooking but my kids claim that I make the absolutely best macaroni and cheese - I like to make a batch of noodles and then mix in a variety of different cheeses. Very cheesy! Other than that, most of my meals are cooked on the grill.
Not too long ago I cooked up some brown sugar rubbed chicken that went over well, although note the last thing I had to say on that post!
Regarding my family’s favorite meal, I have to confess that my wife does most of the cooking but my kids claim that I make the absolutely best macaroni and cheese - I like to make a batch of noodles and then mix in a variety of different cheeses. Very cheesy! Other than that, most of my meals are cooked on the grill.
Not too long ago I cooked up some brown sugar rubbed chicken that went over well, although note the last thing I had to say on that post!
Greg asks:
I actually have a question I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now, but every time it crossed my mind I ended up getting sidetracked by something else and forgot to ask. And there’s no better time to get the question out than now. So here goes:
You hold down a job, you have a wife and two kids, AND you run multiple blogs. My burning question is: how do you do it? In other words, what are some of your best time management tips?
Looking forward to your answer!
You hold down a job, you have a wife and two kids, AND you run multiple blogs. My burning question is: how do you do it? In other words, what are some of your best time management tips?
Looking forward to your answer!
Derek: As I mentioned in the answer to Andrew, I wish that I had a magic recipe for time management but it really boils down to a sacrifice on how much I sleep. While I know that isn’t exactly the healthiest route, it is what I have been doing.
If I had to give you a few tips to improve your time management, I would say the following things have helped me the most:
If I had to give you a few tips to improve your time management, I would say the following things have helped me the most:
- Cut out the majority of television watching. My routine used to be that I would get home from work, spend time with the kids, and then waste a few hours watching nonsense on TV. I’ve really cut back on how much I watch and that has given me much more time.
- Decide what is truly important and spend your time on that. It is far too easy to spend way too much time on sites like YouTube, digg, etc. and generally speaking, that is time that can be better spent on other tasks. Eliminate as much fluff as possible and spend your time where it counts.
- Lists, lists, lists. I’m a big fan of making lists to organize and structure your day. I’ve got a list of tasks to accomplish at work, a list of tasks that need to be addressed at home, and a list of post ideas for my blogs. It helps me keep things straight and I feel it really helps me use my time efficiently.
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The Man Page is your home to get career advice, parenting tips, or just kick back and escape from the pressure of being a man. Join Derek Semmler - a working husband and father to two young boys, as we tackle the issues facing men today and have a good deal of fun in the process. He also blogs at 
hey derrick - I am looking for guest authors for june and july - would you be one?
http://bestwellnessconsultant.com/2008/05/30/best-of-mother-earth-turns-one–guest-authors-needed–wanted-actually-karen-hanrahan.aspx
Mother Earths last blog post..May 2008 Month End Recap: PostsYou Might Enjoy
Maybe someday Sparkplugging will have a channel called “The Girl Page”.
Kelvin Kaos last blog post..Rhinocerhorse: The Story of The Last Unicorn
LOL, I discovered that mistake when Wendy told me she wasn’t in Vegas. It’s hard to keep straight who’s blogging where– I have to remember to read the author’s name before I reply!
I’m sure your wife is relieved to know that you’re still a man.
That brown-sugar chicken sounds good!
Karen Putz / DeafMoms last blog post..What If Steak ‘n Shake Gave Customers the Red Carpet?
@Mother Earth :: I will be in touch, sounds interesting to me!
@Kelvin :: Don’t go getting crazy on me now!
@Karen :: Lol, I remember seeing something on twitter about that - no worries. My wife is very relieved.
Love the time mannagement tips.
The secret to lists is not to have more than one at the same time and not to loose the other pages
Nice to know a little more about you.
Vicky H
Vicky Hs last blog post..Life Strategy: Finding What Works
First things first…
“Hmm, I think that is the first time that I have been referred to as a girl - at least since I was in grade school and getting teased on the playground.” - LM f’n AO!
Ok now that I got that out of the way…
I didn’t realize that Andrew had asked basically the same exact question I asked before me. I apologize for that, and thanks for still answering my question!
I’m actually guilty of all three things that you listed, although the last one isn’t a bad thing. I waste loads of time watching tv and spend countless hours on Digg and YouTube, which I’m now trying to gradually cut back on to focus my time on more important things. I have been started to make lists as of late, and they have proven efficient for me with getting things done.
Also like you, I’m a night owl and usually try to get things done at night sacrificing sleep in the process. But now with a newborn baby, I need to get as much sleep in as I can when the opportunity arises or I won’t get ANY at all! So I’m just basically trying to manage my time efficiently so that I can get things done, spend time with my son, and still have time to catch a few zzz’s at the end of the day.
Thanks for the tips man!
Gregs last blog post..“Celebration of Daddyhood” Father’s Day Giveaway!