On Embracing Change and Being Goal-Focused

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw

Do you get bored easily? I do. That’s why I wrote how to shake up your life and maybe that’s why I’ve always got itchy feet. But surely a low boredom threshold is a good thing? Change is great – no one should ever accept the status quo or get stuck in a rut. If you do you have to pull yourself out fast before you get bogged down for good. Before it gets really bad and you need someone to tow you out.

Warning: Change is Coming

This is my round about way of saying there are going to be some changes here soon. Good ones.

Almost a year ago I wondered if I should set up a separate blog for my internet marketing tips so Get In the Hot Spot could be devoted to travel and adventure or if I could cover both topics on one blog. After much pondering and weighing up advice from top blogging mentors I decided to keep all my writing in one place and focus my energies on one blog.

It was the right decision at the time but that’s how we ended up here with a blog that covers such diverse topics as travel and business. And let’s not forget the smile section either because if I can’t have fun I don’t want to do it.

But what’s happened at Get In the Hot Spot is a metamorphosis from an experimental hang out, where I write epic travel stories and goad us on to greater adventures, to a place where the main focus is business and blogging. Of course that evolution has been driven by my dear readers but  many readers still want to read about travel here and I still want to write about travel and spin a few good yarns.

The Focus is Tightening

So the time has come for me to create a clear division.

I’m going to take all the posts about blogging and business off Get In the Hot Spot and create a happy home for them and for all you dynamic bloggers at Successful Blogging.

Meanwhile Get In the Hot Spot will go back to it’s original goal of inspiring and motivating people to live their dream. I plan to tighten the focus here on people who dream of travel, writing and story-telling. I want to connect here with adventurous people who love to read and write about travel or have their own stories to tell too. I hope that sounds as good to you as it does to me.

Just Between You and Me

I haven’t officially launched Successful Blogging yet but the blog is live and I’d love your feedback. Let me know if you spot any typos and I’ll promise you my next born child.

In the mean time I’ll be beavering away giving Get In the Hot Spot another makeover. Not to the way it looks but cleaning and purging all irrelevant and outdated content so it’s totally focused on travel, writing and journeys of self discovery. Please bear with me as this will take a bit of time but I wanted to let you know what the grand plan is.

I hope you’ll continue to join me here or at Successful Blogging. Or even better hang out with me at both of them.

Another Great Excuse For a Party

Stay tuned here because when I do launch Successful Blogging I’ll be having a celebration with one of my special patented web parties and a giveaway of my Successful Blogging book and blog consultations.

And I’m looking forward to sharing some off beat travel tales here soon including my classic story of a bad trip in Greece. Yes, that kind of trip.

The blogging  journey has been a joy for me from start to finish, apart from the bits where I cried with frustration of course. I’m really excited about these plans and I hope you’ll be joining me for the next phase.

It’s much simpler this way. We now have Successful Blogging for work and Get In the Hot Spot for play.

Thank you for your patience during the transition.

And finally, because sitting at the computer is bad for us and should be counteracted by having a laugh while you’re there, I leave you with a quote:

Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine
Robert C. Gallagher

Are you changing? Making progress? Tightening your focus? I’d love to hear how your life, business, writing or blog is evolving and get your feedback on my plans.

Photo credit: nickwheeleroz

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

47 Comments

  1. Catherine White March 2, 2011 at 4:23 pm - Reply

    Hi Annabel

    It seems we are both following a similar path, I’m canning @MyDivineArts and focusing on My Divine Photography @MyDivinePhoto

    As a friend of salon diplomatiKa you know we’ve been going hard at it since it’s launch late October, but now it’s time to focus my energy.

    There’s a lot to be said for a diamond sharp focus Annabel, you will find your efforts will take on a life of it’s own.

    I wish you all the best, and look forward to hearing your rewards.

    Warm regards
    Catherine

    • Annabel Candy March 2, 2011 at 4:44 pm - Reply

      Hi Catherine, well that’s good. We’re definitely not stagnating. I think we’re both learning by doing which is the only way and it’s great to be sharing that journey with you.

  2. Ainslie Hunter March 2, 2011 at 4:48 pm - Reply

    Hi Annabel,

    I think it is a great idea to split blogging topics. I find it easy to write for my 2 blogs and it helps with my focus as well. But it would be difficult to combine cutting horses and online courses.

    Can’t wait for the launch!

    Ainslie

    • Annabel Candy March 2, 2011 at 8:17 pm - Reply

      Hi Ainslie, thanks for swinging by and leaving a comment:) I like the way your two topics rhyme and now I know where to go when I need advice on how to handle them both. Thanks!

  3. Shruti March 2, 2011 at 4:53 pm - Reply

    Well I think change is good, it is infact spectacular, always brings more thrill to life! I look forward for your travel tales.. I randomly stumbled upon this blog and now I am hooked! So much to read and so much to learn.. Good luck on all the changes!

  4. Sally Foley-Lewis March 2, 2011 at 6:05 pm - Reply

    Love the closing quote!
    Good on you Annabel. Change for change sake can lead to confusion and more to deal with than originally planned and set up… BUT change that brings fresh ideas, streamlined and goal focused (dare I say, diamond-foucsed) attention then BRING IT ON.
    I look forward to following your journey and supporting you where I can!
    Sally :-)

    • Annabel Candy March 2, 2011 at 8:22 pm - Reply

      Hi Sally, yes, that quote’s an oldie but a goodie:) Definitely streamlining and moving towards that diamond focus with a little play area where I can let off steam. Here here, it’s brilliant to have your support and so exciting to be sharing with and helping each other. Blogging is definitely a team sport and I really appreciate having you on my team:)

  5. Jane March 2, 2011 at 9:14 pm - Reply

    Hi Annabel
    I’m now following you on both spots. I understand where you’re coming from. I’ve just started the Decor8 ‘Blogging Your Way’ course which is getting us to focus on such issues. Good for you for making the changes you need.
    J x

    • Annabel Candy March 2, 2011 at 10:03 pm - Reply

      Hi Jane, brilliant, thank you! It’s great to focus on them but you also have to try things out and experiment to see what works…. and what doesn’t! Look forward to seeing what you get up to:)

  6. Suellen March 2, 2011 at 9:52 pm - Reply

    Hi Annabel,
    I love that you’re “splitting the blog” – wonder if that could become a new term? You know, oh Annabel you’re just splitting the blog…perhaps not.

    Anyways, am following your fab blogging and writing tips over at Successful Blogging – love your work.

    Looking forward to inspirational travel and lifestyle writing over here. A gals gotta dream.
    Sx

    • Annabel Candy March 2, 2011 at 10:04 pm - Reply

      Thanks Suellen:) We definitely don’t want to be all work and no play!

  7. rob white March 2, 2011 at 11:57 pm - Reply

    You certainly have a tremendous amount to offer the world, Annabel. Always great to see someone realize more and more of their own remarkable ability to create. I wish you more great success!

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 8:34 am - Reply

      Thank you! Definitely hoping this will lead to more success and happiness for all of us:)

  8. Carolyn March 3, 2011 at 12:02 am - Reply

    Hello there, Annabel,
    I’m brand spanking new to your blog (just a couple weeks), and since you asked, I’m also in transition. After writing and independently publishing my memoir, I want to beef up my blogging. I want to know how it’s done, so I decided to follow your blog, and I like what I see so far. I’m also trying to decide if I should stay on one website, which is about my experiences as a black woman living abroad, or create a new one for blogging about writing. If you don’t mind, I’ll follow both of yours first! Great post and much success.

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 8:36 am - Reply

      Hi Carolyn, so happy to see you here and thanks for telling me your story. Hmmmm, Probably depends what your blogging goals are. Why blog? Often the goals change anyway so just get started wherever you can and see where it leads. Look forward to seeing you around more:)

  9. barbara March 3, 2011 at 2:20 am - Reply

    Must be something in the air. I am preparing a 2nd blog devoted to the arts and entertaining. It seemed an odd mix on zeroto60 to have floral tutorials and recipes, so I decided it would be easier to give those things their own blog. Makes it easier for my tired brain, too.
    All the best Annabel, I’ll be catching you on both.

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 8:39 am - Reply

      Hi Barbara, there is another possible explanation – we could both be nuts;) But seriously, I agree. I can see the many problems involved in having two blogs but sometimes it’s unavoidable!

  10. Teresa Long March 3, 2011 at 2:21 am - Reply

    Hoorah….I love travel stories! And cannot wait to read all about them! On a bloggy note…is it worth starting a blog if you can’t afford to put any money into it? Or should you just wait until you can justify your time and energy with marketing it? Must buy the book! Think your fab!

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 8:37 am - Reply

      Yes, Teresa, you should blog for yourself first and foremost. Set up a free WordPress blog, commit to regular writing and see where it leads you:)

  11. Alex Blackwell | The BridgeMaker March 3, 2011 at 2:22 am - Reply

    I’m excited for you about the new focus here (and for your new blog, too). Encouragement is always needed; and a place to play is always fun.

    Good luck with both!

    Alex

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 8:38 am - Reply

      Hi Alex, I appreciate that encouragement and hope you’ll be joining me a the playground:)

  12. Annabel, I am excited about your metamorphosis of In the Hot Spot. You wrote: “many readers still want to read about travel here and I still want to write about travel and spin a few good yarns.” Count me in! I love reading the travel stories of fellow writers.

    Since you asked, before I started my blog a couple of years ago, I thought about my focus for a long time and have been successful in keeping it: Tales of my expat (mis)adventures living in exotic countries. So I’m hoping to be entertained by your travel tales, and perhaps I can give back by entertaining you with mine.

    Good luck!

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 7:46 pm - Reply

      Hi Miss F:) That sounds like a great storytelling exchange and I’m looking forward to hanging out with more adventurous expat chicks:)

  13. Nancy March 3, 2011 at 5:35 am - Reply

    Hi Annabelita,
    This is great news. I want the travel, and want the blogging. But now I will know where to go for each, instead of wondering. I love how sometimes lumping everything together helps us be more of our “Whole Selves,” and other times giving the most important aspects of ourselves a separate space, actually honors them more fully. I’ve been missing the depth of your great travel stories. So will be happy to have more of that part of you!
    Nancy

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 7:47 pm - Reply

      Hola Nancita:) Hooray, I just hope I can make time for both. Total focus will be needed!

  14. Elle B March 3, 2011 at 11:25 am - Reply

    I, too, completely support your dual focus! I love your writing and advice in both areas, but sometimes I’m focusing on blogging and other times I’m dreaming about traveling. I usually don’t do both at once, but that’s me. Felicitations!

  15. Red Nomad OZ March 3, 2011 at 2:53 pm - Reply

    Oh, how exciting!! I look forward to sharing this journey with you – and BOTH sites look like they’re right up my alley!! Have you taken a brain-dump from me??!!

    As for me, I’m trialling (no, not misspelled, I’m an Australian) Red’s Round-the-World Extravaganza – a blog hop where travellers can link up to ANY story on their blog from anywhere in the world!! The first one closes in about 8 hours … well, it’s exciting to me, anyway!! My other plans include world domination in off beat OZ travel …

    All the best for your plans – I look forward to sharing the journey!!

    • Annabel Candy March 3, 2011 at 7:52 pm - Reply

      Hi Red, looks like you’re going places too. I have a lot of work to do on Get In the Hot Spot before I can get started but wanted to let you know what’s going on while I tweak and clean it:) I hope it won’t take tooooo long though! I want to start the fun writing bit!

  16. Jennifer Garza March 4, 2011 at 10:16 am - Reply

    Annabel – I like the idea! Now I can come to your blogging site for tips to help grow my blog, while linking my readers strictly to personal development/living well content on Get In the Hot Spot! Good luck with your new venture!

    • Annabel Candy March 5, 2011 at 11:30 am - Reply

      Hi Jennifer, brilliant, I think it will make it easier and clearer for all of us. Thanks so much for hanging out here;)

  17. DanniiBeauty March 4, 2011 at 11:41 am - Reply

    Annabel you are such a inspiration! I love what you do here and learn so much from you. Its great that you are expanding and growing and definitely know that your work is helping so much of us.

    It definitely makes sense to keep the two blogs separate and I have already been vividly reading your Successful blogging site.

    • Annabel Candy March 5, 2011 at 11:31 am - Reply

      Hi Dannii, yay! All the blogging posts were getting lost but now they can shine on their own domain:) So glad you checked Successful Blogging out and found plenty to read there.

  18. GutsyWriter March 5, 2011 at 6:44 am - Reply

    Annabel, this sounds like a great idea and as you know, I’m also struggling with the author website idea, combined with a GutsyWriter/GutsyLiving blog. What to do? I need to make a decision. Perhaps when you publish a memoir, you’ll also have an author AnnabelCandy.com website in addition?
    Just wondering!

    • Annabel Candy March 5, 2011 at 11:38 am - Reply

      Hi GutsyWriter, thanks for asking, it is a dilemma and takes a while to sort out but I’m finding new clarity and purpose which could only have come through experimenting:)

      Yes, I’m still dreaming of publishing my travel stories so thanks for mentioning a memoir:) No idea what form my stories will take but that too will become clearer as I start writing more travel stuff.

      I have annabelcandy.com reserved and some day I’ll put something up there. Probably just a one page bio with links to my latest blog posts and the book. I don’t need another blog – maintaining two will be full on and sometimes I think there’s too much info about me on the web already:)

  19. Sandra / Always Well Within March 6, 2011 at 10:32 am - Reply

    Hi Annabel,

    Congratulations on your clarity and new plans. I’m not much interesting travel or adventure myself. Sorry if that sounds insanely boring. I will keep following you on successful blogging although I don’t care about being successful and I don’t have a business. I just like your style.

    • Annabel Candy March 8, 2011 at 8:57 am - Reply

      Hi Sandra, maybe not interested in travel because you live in Hawaii?! So happy to hear you like my style and hopefully a bit of arm chair travel might be OK?!

  20. Molly Kelash March 8, 2011 at 5:28 am - Reply

    I think you’ve made the absolute right move. I think clarifying and separating what each blog is about is the way to go and you’re in the right “spot” to do it with relative ease. Heck, you’ve already got a following, so bifurcating can only grow your popularity, nay?

    • Annabel Candy March 8, 2011 at 9:00 am - Reply

      Hi Molly, thanks for the feedback. It feels right to me. Not sure if my blogs will become more popular because of it or if my readers will be spread between the two but time will tell and mainly I want to make sure there’s a special place for each topic to clear up all the confusion:)

  21. QwkDrw March 8, 2011 at 7:12 am - Reply

    A neo-classic situation (You astutely called it ‘blog splitting’, in your case). Interesting decision regarding this phenomenon of creating multiple different purposed blogs — from one.

    I also write for two blogs, but without going through the ‘blog splitting’ experience. In my case, the second is not even my blog. It is, however, a subject area that is in my educational and experiential ‘wheel house’, to use a term familiar in baseball. My wife created her blog to enhance professional website activities by supporting clients and serving the related business community in general.

    Writing simultaneously for two blogs with different purposes, even without a ‘by line’ media credit, has encouraged compartmentalization of inspiration, creativity, and product. Available time for writing, related research, and contacts (even writing comments) is a life management issue. For me, two editorial scheduled are necessary, with enough time between blog posts to avoid conflicts and “publish deadline” imposed anxiety.

    Just in case you were wondering, I make money from fulfilling other responsibilities. No blogging income at this time.

    An observation and a rhetorical question …

    Life is full of inspiration and just learning to channel that into an interesting post in a focused blog is rewarding. Why do we blog? (No need to respond.)

    ..

    • Annabel Candy March 8, 2011 at 9:05 am - Reply

      Hi QwkDrw, well you have heaps of experience there. Reminds me of being a mum of one -you think you’ll never cope with two but then you do. Hopefully it will work out the same with my two blogs and I’ll juggle and make them work as well as you do:)

      • QwkDrw March 8, 2011 at 11:02 am

        Your one kid then two analogy is actually very good here (speaking from experience). A writer may also want to consider something my deceased grandfather is famous in the family for saying, “I wouldn’t take a million dollars for [any of my kids]. But I wouldn’t give you a plug nickel for another one!” (Okay now I am wasting your valuable blogging time.)

        Seriously though, with your wealth of experience and portfolio of previous writing, you seem on solid ground with this ‘blog splitting’ decision. I’ll be browsing over to your other blog soon to see how the more (cough) professional site reads.

  22. Susan Liddy March 9, 2011 at 11:22 am - Reply

    Ah, the dreaded C word… change.
    Interesting that we all know Change throughout our lives, yet we always want to resist it. Well, I do anyway.
    Excited to see the next version of your blog.
    you have come a LONG way.

    :) Susan

  23. Tess The Bold Life March 9, 2011 at 12:28 pm - Reply

    Candy,
    This must have been a difficult decision. I wish you all the time and energy you need to write for two blogs! I’m signing up for the new one!

    • Susan Liddy March 25, 2011 at 9:15 am - Reply

      Hi Tess!!!

  24. Johanna February 1, 2012 at 9:25 am - Reply

    Thanks for the heads-up Annabel. And you are spot on with both your blogs. I admire the way you keep them both ticking along at a good pace with lots of useful information. I recently started to share what I know about freelance writing, specifically to help bloggers get paid gigs in print media, but then it lapsed because it all seemed like just too much work when Zigazag was taking up so much time. Still not sure if I’m ready for the split yet.
    Keep up the good work!

Leave A Comment