Last year, when everyone was writing “Happy New Year!” posts filled with “The things I have done the past year”, or “My resolutions”, I decided to start a tradition of my own. While this is still a look back at what happened throughout the year, it has my own twist on it.
While I was creating this post, I looked at my stats, and noticed that last year I wrote 60 posts, while this year I wrote more than twice that. This year is my first FULL blogging year. Here is to many more! Mine AND yours!
For those who have just recently joined my WP fan club, this is a great post to browse through. It will save you a lot of “Load more” clicks on my Home page. Additionally, the descriptions below will steer you towards things you want to read first.
Those that have been here from the start (of the year), can browse the below to refresh their memory, or to even make sure that they did not miss anything important.
Ultimately, it does not matter which group you belong to. I am VERY happy to have you, and I wish each and every one of you a Merry New Year!
Thank you for being here. I look forward to MANY encounters with you in 2019!
***
The Floatinggold Compendium of 2018 (in chronological order):
- “6 easy steps to perfect blogging.” – an info-graphic post. From my experience. Truth with a pinch of humor.
- “Fun things to do at the airport.” – self explanatory. With a bonus tip you might have never thought of.
- “CW: Just a tiny pebble in the ocean.” – a story about a rock that you might relate to.
- “How to deal with harsh words.” – Give this a read if you are struggling with gossipers.
- “CW: Walking Through An Unknown Door – collab” – my first poetic collaboration with another blogger.
- “Surviving a nuclear attack.” – contains critical tips for your survival in case of such attack.
- “CW: You set us on fire.” – a short poem about blinding, destructive rage.
- “Tunisia – a far away land.” – my first guest post. A travel piece.
- “The beautiful, the stupid and the dangerous.” – on the effects of social media, the Internet and apps.
- “#MondayMotivation” – a return of the hashtag week. Honing in on happiness.
- “#TuesdayThoughts” – on self help and habits.
- “CW: The end of the road.” – 99 words; about being on the edge.
- “Wednesday Wisdom” – my wisdom on how to deal with a Wednesday slump.
- “Appreciation 4 appreciation.” – first installment of the monthly post full of awards, Q&As, blogging tips and more.”
- “#ThrowbackThursday” – a throwback to when I went to prom.
- “#FridayFeeling” – on heart health awareness.
- “Pingbacks – the illusive mythical creatures of WP.” – details on how to use the pingback feature correctly.
- “Father-daughter dances are no more.” – another victim of political correctness. This post touches also on the importance of a father-daughter relationship.
- “CW: Saltines, a horseshoe and a thumbtack.” – a short creative writing piece including these words.
- “Act ladylike.” – a discussion about feminism.
- “CW: A closet full of rags.” – a story about pain and clothes.
- “How to lose your job in under two minutes.” – about a video that went viral and might have cost someone their job.
- “How to discover new blogs.” – a tutorial on how to make the best out of your WP experience.
- “CW: They all died. I survived.” – a short, fictional, creative piece on a suicide pact.
- “When silver Olympic medal is not enough.” – a tale about sore losers.
- “#MondayMotivation” – Time flies. What do you do with yours?
- “#Tuesday Thoughts” – Focusing on yourself when the whole world is on your shoulders.
- “An Odd Ode. A guest post of mine.” – an ode I wrote for a requested guest post.
- “#WednesdayWisdom” – about self-confidence. Let me hear you roar.
- “Award Ceremony – Feb. 2018” – awards from February. Questions, answers, facts.
- “ThrowbackThursday” – photographs then and now.
- “March break”/ “March break. Updated.” – an FYI post on me being away from blogging, and then an update on me being back. Find out why I was away.
- “#FridayFeeling” – flying and travelling – good or bad?
- “Negative experience part 1” – a screen shot post on my first shocking encounter with a negative blogger.
- “Award Ceremony – March 2018” – a collection of blogging awards. Qs&As.
- “We march for everything.” – my thoughts on the ubiquitous protests.
- “CW: Flying fingers.” – poetic thoughts regarding harp players.
- “Of utmost importance.” – because every little thing becomes newsworthy nowadays.
- “Quote challenge. Day 1 of 3.” – an original quote by me + a famous person quote.
- “CW: Life – limitless possibilities.” – two short poems. One with rhymes, one without.
- “Quote challenge. Day 2 of 3.” – an original quote by me + a famous person quote.
- “Quote challenge. Day 3 of 3.” – an original quote by me + a famous person quote.
- “I march to the beat of my own drum. Music challenge.” – a selection of a few songs I like.
- “Just do not have kids.” – an article on child abuse and why some people should not have kids.
- “CW: The light.” – a short poem about the light in our life.
- “It all ends April 23rd, 2018.” – What would you do today if the world ended tomorrow?
- “CW: Sweet mystery.” – What is life? – a poem
- “[REBLOG]My Recommended Blog of the Day – 04/24/18” – a recognition post by my fellow blogger.
- “Ruled a suicide. Can money buy happiness?” – an analysis of the rich and famous in the clutch of depression.
- “#MondayMotivation” – You do you, and they should do them.
- “Award ceremony – April 2018” – awards received in April. Questions, answers, facts.
- #TuesdayThoughts”– recognizing your deepest emotions. Includes a helpful quiz.
- “CW: The origin of Goldie.” – a creative writing piece on how I came to be.
- “#WednesdayWisdom”– being polite and nice to others is not such a bad idea.
- “#ThrowbackThursday; Blogging stats.” – a throwback to when I was young and beautiful. Do stats matter? A scientific guide on how to be the best at blogging.
- “#FridayFeeling”– feeling driven on a Friday.
- “Guinness World Record; How many Big Macs can YOU eat?” – on McDonalds addiction and beating records.
- “The whole wide world.” – the progression of my blog visitors’ map.
- “1 year anniversary.” – a thank you for a year together, and an introduction to re-blogs of old posts of mine.
- “Quote challenge. Day 1 of 3.” – a famous quote, and a bonus one of my own.
- “Quote challenge. Day 2 of 3.” – a famous quote, and a bonus one of my own.
- “Quote challenge. Day 3 of 3.” – a famous quote, and a bonus one of my own.
- “Attention: Community Pool” – a re-blog of a friend’s post (containing a new idea!) after the Community Pool was announced closed.
- “#MondayMotivation – Memorial Day Weekend Edition” – Memorial Day inspired motivation.
- “#TuesdayThoughts” – Holidays are not always full of rest, and going back to work can feel foreign afterwards.
- “#WednesdayWisdom or total BS – you decide.” – a tale of a failed friendship. Rely on yourself.
- “#ThrowbackThursday – the things people find “cute”.” – baby pictures – cute or not?
- “Award ceremony – May 2018” – awards received in May. Questions, answers, facts.
- “#FridayFeeling; Guess what I am feeling today.” – Hunger. Literal and metaphorical hunger – for life.
- “Living with your parents; The value of family.” – on how far should parents go to support their kids.
- “CW: Blood donation – a noble act, or a killer trap?” – a creative writing piece. A short story.
- “Employees making big time decisions; The effects of the Internet and social media.” – a controversial piece posing a question whether employers should listen to their employees when it comes to high level, executive decisions.
- “CW: A blast from the past.” – a mystery short story.
- “University admissions – Is it getting easier or more difficult to get in?” – a lengthy opinion piece on what it takes to get into a college nowadays.
- “CW: When dusk meets dawn.” – an ancient story about lovers.
- “#MondayMotivation” – Learn to draw (or do anything). You can do it!
- “#TuesdayThoughts” – a social experiment + differences between boys and girls.
- “CW: My place – my soul.” – a poem about then and now with a pinch of longing.
- “#WednesdayWisdom” – a post on the invisible shackles.
- “#ThrowbackThursday” – taking prepped meals for granted.
- “#FridayFeeling” – a realization of how we handle things differently.
- “Award ceremony – June 2018.” – awards received in June. Questions, answers, facts.
- “CW: The Psychologist” – a short thriller.
- “Quote challenge. Day 1 of 3.” – always striving for more. A quote with my take on it.
- “Quote challenge. Day 2 of 3.” – a quote on moving forward and my take on it.
- “Quote challenge. Day 3 of 3.” – Are you as tough as you look? A quote and my take on it.
- ““Work smarter, not harder.” – Is that really such good advice?” – a discussion.
- “CW: Unlike any other Thursday.” – a CW piece inspired by a Tesco receipt.
- “#MondayMotivation” – regret is a great motivator.
- “Daily Flabbergast – Truly Inspired 43#” – a re-blog of post in which I was interviewed.
- “Award Ceremony – July 2018.” – awards received in July. Questions, answers, facts.
- “#TuesdayThoughts” – the ever elusive satisfaction.
- “WednesdayWisdom” – about the negative effects of too much screen time.
- “ThrowbackThursday” – a walk down memory lane. On my first blogging connections.
- “FridayFeeling” – Do not live in the future, because you might just forget to live the present.
- “When sick becomes too sick to work.” – a news related opinion on quitting and work ethics.
- “CW: An indelible imprint on my mind.” – a story in 120 words. True this time. Read to see what made an impact on me.
- “That day when Nietzsche interviewed me…” – a more philosophical Q&A.
- “The olden days.” – a few quotes from ancient philosophers. And my take on them.
- “Giving credit where credit is due. A tale of giving and taking back.” – Does one bad thing negate all good things?
- “Jimmy Hendrix and I. A tale of flabbergasting combinations.” – a fun musical challenge, from which you can learn something about me you have not known before.
- “CW: A prey a day. A story about unconventional courting.” – a fishy kind of love.
- “When are you most active on WordPress? A poll.” – a self-explanatory poll.
- “MondayMotivation” – the simplest, but most effective motivational post.
- “TuesdayThoughts” – a raw post, which caused some controversy, and made some people unfollow me. I guess some people cannot handle such vulnerability and honesty.
- “WednesdayWisdom” – on taking care of things we often take for granted.
- “ThrowbackThursday” – a throwback to an unplanned scientific lesson.
- “FridayFeeling” – Who are we? Others might perceive us differently than we do ourselves.
- “Award Ceremony – August 2018.” – awards received in August. Questions, answers, facts.
- “Block party – 2nd edition” – a wonderful blogging party.
- “Standing up for yourself; Can it be done in a respectful way?” – Do we stand up for ourselves with dignity, or…?
- “CW: Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven’s door.” – sometimes nobody answers. Sometimes it is a negative surprise. It can sometimes be positive, though.
- “7 blogging hurdles and how to overcome them – a personal account.” – an in-depth look into my blogging struggles WITH tips on how to work through them.
- “CW: A place of rest.” – two short poems about fear.
- “MondayMotivation” – on what motivates us at work.
- “TuesdayThoughts; Toxic people and second chances.” – How many chances should we give out? Is it healthy for our sake?
- “WednesdayWisdom; Mental health at work” – on how mental health is still taboo (or a joking matter) at work.
- “ThrowbackThursday; Sink or swim.” – a tale on how I almost drowned my sibling.
- “FridayFeeling – easier to let things go?” – Do we let go of things when a relaxing time is within our reach?
- “Award ceremony – September 2018.” – awards received in September. Questions, answers, facts.
- “CW: Anguish.” – a flash of inner turmoil.
- “Playing with dolls – adult edition.” – Robots for pleasure. Sick, or “bring it on!”?
- “CW: A talk with a tortoise.” – a photo prompt and two alternate dialogues inspired by it.
- “Palm – because your phone deserves a phone.” – a look at solving problems by creating new ones.
- “A dog and a pig – a true fairy tale.” – What will people try to get through customs?
- “MondayMotivation” – on helping others at work.
- “TuesdayThoughts” – on positivity.
- “WednesdayWisdom” – appreciating the good sharpens your sensor also for the bad.
- “Award ceremony – October 2018” – awards received in October. Questions, answers, facts.
- “ThrowbackThursday” – a throwback to my first bike.
- “FridayFeeling” – a post filled with sweets.
- “NaNoWriMo” – on how I decided to participate in a novel writing event.
- “The new era of shopping – Tips for easier shopping.” – on automated shopping.
- “NaNoWriMo – update. Yes, I am still alive” – a post from a half-way point during NaNo.
- “Award ceremony – November 2018.” – awards received in November. Questions, answers, facts.
- “NaNoWriMo – summary, lessons and tips.” – see what I have learned from part-taking in NaNoWriMo.
- “Responsibility; stop blaming others for your own failures.” – on when people make stupid decisions and then expect others not to laugh at them.
- “CW: The long way home.” – 99 words; on THE journey.
- “Diversity, tolerance, and acceptance for all.”– different religious symbols are on display. All for one, one for all?
- “CW: Not another fairy tale” – a modern take on “3 Little Pigs”.
- “Ghosting is a virus. It spreads.” – from the dating world to the workplace. What will be next?
- “CW: Boy’s club” – a delicious 99 – words long flash.
- “Driving home for Christmas; How to survive your family.” – helpful tips on how to make it through the season without going crazy, or killing others.”
- “CW: She did it!” – 99 words on adversity and success.
- “Dead at age 112; How long is long enough?” – tips on how to live a long and healthy life.
- “MondayMotivation” – a new beginning is upon us.
- “Award ceremony – December 2018.” – awards received in December. Questions, answers, facts.
- This post.
Stay golden,
***
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One day at a time... 
I got a question Goldie. You seem quite successful with blogging. You’ve been following me for a while, so I assume you’re quite familiar with my work.
How do I reach more people and encourage them to comment and respond?
I’ve been doing this for over a year now and I understand it takes time. Am I doing something wrong or am I missing something?
I know this is sort of a wide question, but I could use the help.
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1. I’m honored you think I’m successful. (I do not see it fully that way.)
2. You’ve been on WP for over a year? I had no idea. You and I seem to have connected rather recently, so yes, it takes time.
3. I’m flattered that you ask me for help/ guidance.
4. So here’s some of my free thoughts on the subject.
– I’ve mentioned it to you before – explaining things, writing a back story might help your audience understand what you’re trying to say. A person who follows politics closely might know exactly what you mean (I often do), but not everyone is that way. Some people do not follow the news (like me a few weeks ago), and so your post is lost on them.
– I see some people who comment on your posts asking for clarifications on your comments/ statements. I get that you have a specific sense of humor, but those who are fairly new to your platform might be put off if they don’t understand you right off the bat. Maybe be more obvious about some things?
– I’m not sure if it’s a good, or a bad thing (remember, these are just MY thoughts), but you happen to post quite often. While there are plenty of bloggers who post every day and even a few times a day, I think you might be overdoing it a bit. Your audience might not be able to read/ leave thoughtful comments if you post too often (I know I was slacking recently, since it’s been a busy Christmas season for me, and you just didn’t even blink. You shot those posts one right after another. And those podcasts take a while to listen to, so maybe decreasing their frequency would help.
– promotion. Do you have social media? I don’t. Well, I created a Twitter account, but a)I don’t like it, and b) I don’t have the time. But maybe that is something that you need, which is a wider platform.
– Many of my followers/ readers come from the times of Community Pool. It is definitely harder to reach people without it.
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1. Backstory? Like a static homepage with a short description, I think that would be helpful.
2. You’re right, my humor does seem to be lost on most.
3. Posting too often….hmmm. Something to definitely consider.
4. I need to finally get around to social media. Without a doubt.
5. Community Pool? What is that?
Thanks for taking the time Goldie, I appreciate the insight and advice.
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ad 1. Hey, so, um, I went to your main page (instead of the usual via Reader to post), and realized that there is no way for me to view your posts! Or am I just blind? There is a Contact page, the Home page, which really has just a sentence on it, and the G, F, P page, which has a short paragraph. Yes, you do have a latest posts section, popular, tags, etc, but I think it would be beneficial if you had a link at the top of your page to ALL of your posts. The usual WP set up is Home, which includes all your posts, About, which has a bit about you and your blog, and Contact. Not having all of your posts in one place makes it harder for someone who just lands on your page to navigate. And having a more specific About page wouldn’t hurt, either.
But no, I meant a backstory to each of your posts. Like your post today “Is Ultima Thule a BWC?”. You included a picture and a video. When I look at it briefly, I have no clue what it’s about. “But Who Cares” says Google, well I CARE! I had no idea what it meant. And not everyone knows what Ultima Thule is, or what you meant by that picture. What I’m trying to say is that I often do what you do – say things with shortcuts. I assume other people know what I’m talking about, because I do. However, sometimes, I have to explain it more. And then more…
ad 5. It doesn’t exist anymore. Community Pool was a comment section moderated by the WP team, in which people posted links to their latest posts and a short description. It happened every Monday. It basically gave everyone the opportunity to be seen. Now, we have to scour comment sections to find potential followers, etc.
Whatever I can do to help.
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I am, as I hope is obvious, happy and proud to have been there, observing from afar, for all 12 months. My own contributions have been limited (in both volume and content) during that time, but I have enjoyed the thoughts of you and many others on an almost daily basis.
My own blog is nothing more than a celebration of my own mediocrity. But I find it strangely liberating as such.
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Thank you for being there. Even if mostly in the shadows.
I enjoyed your content, and your own critique.
Liberating it is.
Happy New Year!
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Nice summary. I am especially interested in Creative Writing pieces!
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Thank you!
I noticed I’ve been doing a lot of 99-words lately. I think I feel like switching it up a little.
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Happy new year
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Happy New Year!
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I have always enjoyed your writing and the list you provided is one I’ll definitely be looking through to read more of your stuff when I get the chance. Happy New Year!
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Thank you so much. I am thrilled to hear that. I have to catch up on reading WP.
Happy New Year!
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I like your own take to a end of the year tradition! Nothing like looking back at a year that came to an end. I love it! Congrats on your first FULL blogging year! I hope there will be many more to come because I love your blog 🙂 Happy 2019!
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Thanks so much, Daniela.
I’m excited for the future.
Mine and yours! Happy New Year!
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Wow this is such an achievement! Congratulations!
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Thank you! I was impressed with myself.
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