I was told a few years ago at a leadership conference that leaders should be like ducks.  Serene and calm on the surface, but underneath paddling like mad to keep things moving.  The same can be said about blogging and participating in the 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (31DBBB) Challenge.

I’ve been keeping up with the daily challenges over the past few days, but as they’ve been about behind the scene work it’s been hard to articulate into a blog post. It’s all been valuable work that’s helping me to understand this medium that I like to play in and how to get more out of it for myself and those that would share in what I put out there into the interverse¹.

While I’m not able to share some of the work I’ve been doing behind the scenes I can share with you another task from the Problogger playbook.  I thought it might also be good for those of you thinking about purchasing and completing 31DBBB to see the kind of things that you’ll be doing, and how much fun, information and direction you can get from participating.

It’s the 7 Link Challenge.  The idea is to post links that relate to seven blogging topics.  Topics that highlight your own blog and highlight those that you read and aspire to be like.  Without further ado here’s my response to the 7 Link Challenge:

Your first post:

My first post was definitely not a Pulitzer Prize winning entry.  In fact it was fairly bland in the scheme of things. Not so much a cannon fire of an announcement, more a spitball against a blackboard.  However it served it’s purpose; it got me started!

A post you enjoyed writing the most:

It’s hard to go back through the archives and search for posts because I tend to feel like they all happened yesterday.  The posts that I usually enjoy writing the most are my review posts.  I have an opinion and I love to give it.  One of my favourite review posts has to be the one I wrote for Star Trek.  I left the cinema and headed straight home and it just flowed.  Even now reading back over it I’m really happy with the end result.

A post which had a great discussion:

A month ago Australia got it’s first ever female Prime Minister and I wrote a post about it. While the post received a handful of comments I had a really great time talking to friends, family and tweeters about the event which in turned help inspire me to write the post.  I also found people that read the post off twitter commented back to me through twitter about the post and we were able to talk about it.  I really got a buzz out of that interaction.

A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written:

Damn, talk about a hard question.  I’m torn between being purely egotistical and going for a post that went viral and shot someone to blogging fame.  Or maybe a post that tugs at the heart strings and makes you see the good in humanity.  Even going with a post that makes you laugh.  I guess for me I haven’t ever looked at someone else’s posts and wished I had written them.  I think for me it boils down to the fact that we’re all individuals and we’ve all got amazing things to share.  It’s about getting out there and interacting with the internet and finding those pieces of amazing.

Your most helpful post:

From a purely, how to perspective, it would have to be the only how to I’ve done.  How to make a heat bag.   Although I’d like to think that my Friday Fancies help people come up with gift ideas if they need them.  My Blog Love and Music Monday posts should point people in the direction of new and interesting blogs to check out as well as some interesting play lists.

A post with a title that you are proud of:

This going to sound naff, but I’m quite fond of the title for this post.  I’m starting to think more about my blog and it’s content and that’s all because of this Challenge.  I’m really enjoying the challenge and it’s given me a real push when it comes to getting the blog in shape and getting out and about in Blogland.  I didn’t realize just how much I needed that.

A post that you wish more people had read:

Gosh… can I say all of them.  *laugh*  Difficult question.  I’ve even been through some of the archives looking for something and I can’t really find anything that jumps out and says “People need to know this!”.  I guess there’s posts that I’m proud of the way they reflect who I am and therefore I think if people want to get to know me a bit better then these posts should be read more… two that I can think of are Self Portrait and Cupcake of Doom.

That was a lot harder and took a lot longer than I thought it would.  Damn that Problogger for his insight and thought provoking questions!

¹ I just made that word up, it’s a cross between internet and universe and I’m totally going to play that in my next game of scrabble.