Day 14 of the 30-Day Challenge: Creative Movement:

Task: To complete some of the modules from the following WordPress course:

The Official WordPress.com Guide to Blogging

Reason for Task: This summer I’m planning on making some updates to my blog that will, hopefully, result in improvements to the blog. For the almost past three years (three years in August) that I’ve been on WordPress, my blog appearance, navigation, and features have been pretty much the same for that whole period of time (with the exception of a tagline change and posts being consistently added, of course).

Here’s where I’m going with today’s challenge. It’s all about educating myself in preparation for some much needed action. What I’d like to do with my blog site is to get more in line with the times; hence, the reasoning for the necessary adjustments to be implemented to the look and the feel of Degrees of Maternity on WordPress. And, I’ve been pretty candid with my sentiments on the whole matter regarding blog aesthetics (the surface stuff so to speak) and its ability to attract an audience and keep an audience. Check out the following blog posts, where I share “the whole truth and nothing but” about this blogging topic:

Blogging Truths Be Told: You Can’t Always Judge a Book By Its . . .

Blogging Truths Be Told: You Can’t Always Judge a Book By Its . . . – (Part 2)

Blogging Truths Be Told: Why Can’t I Just Blog?

So, instead of complaining about the fact that I just want to blog (write) and why can’t I just blog (write) without having to focus on all the additional responsibilities that come along with blogging, it’s time to get my WordPress edumacation ON! 

Why? Well, when I first started out on my blogging journey, I didn’t go through an official blogging course, unless you count watching a hodgepodge of YouTubers discussing a hodgepodge of different topics, regarding starting your own blog. I guess that was some coursework in and of itself, but I never took an OFFICIAL blogging course, if you know what I mean.

And although this might seem a little backwards (with me being almost three years into my blogging career), I’ve finally decided to take the plunge — especially when WordPress is pretty much subliminally and directly bringing this new offering . . . 

The Official WordPress.com Guide to Blogging

in front of my face. It’s hard for me to say “no”. I NEED HELP and all the help I can get to make sure I know the appropriate steps to take in updating my blog site, when to take the steps, and how to make them happen. So, I figured this blog course might enlighten me as to some of the information I’m needing to proceed on that growth path.

And although this WordPress course is advertised as more of a beginner’s course, I know I’m bound to come across some knowledge that I may already know but need to be reminded of, knowledge I may already know and be implementing (confirmation I’m on the right track), and knowledge that I’ve yet to uncover. I’m pretty much a firm believer that this course will be worthwhile no matter what. I’ll be learning from some of the best about subject matter that I’m definitely not an expert on, so I have nothing to lose (only education to gain). 

Also, with WordPress coming from the perspective of talking to new bloggers coming on the scene today, I feel like they’re going to focus on the most pertinent subject matter to get a person successfully up and running in the times we’re living in. My efficiency and productivity in blogging can only benefit from the information that WordPress is encouraging newbie bloggers to do today. So, there you go — the reason I just had to purchase the WordPress course. (By the way, I did somewhat allude to the fact that I would be purchasing the course in this post, entitled Day 11: Creative Movement 30-Day Challenge.)

I just didn’t know I’d be purchasing it at this point in the challenge. But, here’s the thing. I can’t pass up a good deal. When you get an email notification offering a discount on a course that you were already planning on purchasing, wouldn’t YOU jump on that opportunity if it presented itself and was a doable expense on your part? I know; it’s a no-brainer. I just had to do it.

And guess what? 

I actually started going through some of the courses. Just keep proceeding onward and I’ll let you know which ones in the “Outcome of Task” section.

Duration of Task: I used some of my work time in the evening and devoted it to completing a fourth of the WordPress blogging course I just purchased. However, this task will be on-going until it’s completed. Coursework started today and I anticipate it being completed in a couple of weeks.

Outcome of Task: I took 5 out of the 22 lessons in the course, specifically modules 6 and 7 having to do with SEO, writing quality content, blogging for the long-term, and understanding blogging stats and data (all very important topics to take me to the next level in my blogging career). Yes, I know. I skipped around, but I plan on going back and covering all the modules (even the ones I think I already have a handle on). You just never know what gems could be waiting for you in the places where you least expect them.

As far as when I’ll get to the rest of the modules, I’ll take them one day at a time until I complete the full course. Now, some of the assignments that are attached to the lessons may take more than a day to complete but I should definitely have this course wrapped up within a couple of weeks. (I’m even a little ahead of the game, since I’ve already done some of the work as a blogger who’s been on the scene for some time.) 

All in all, I’m very pleased with what I’ve gone through so far. In just a few courses and some introductory reading on the course, I’ve been able to enable Google Analytics on my blog site and have learned about and have access to the WordPress community of experts working for WordPress as well as fellow bloggers coexisting in the blogosphere with me. So, I’m like a kid in a candy store right now.

Practical Application of Day 14 for Your Life: Always be willing to learn. That’s the only way you’ll grow. And you want to be on a continuous growth pattern in your daily walk of life, because that means you’re living. All living things must grow (or change) or else they become stagnant and eventually die out. And I have every intention of traveling on some kind of learning curve or growth cycle throughout the rest of my days. Growth . . . life . . . means that you have a chance to do things better today than you did the day before and, hopefully, better tomorrow than you did today. My Degrees of Maternity tagline remains true to form in this blog and in my life (in general) . . . “where life education never ceases”.