This guest post is by Travis Morgan, he can be seen all over this site and is such a fantastic guy. Travis has designed my new  logo which will be unveiled soon. A massively inspirational character and all round good guy, Travis over to you;

Every day, our minds fire off thousands of thoughts per second. Even something as simple as lifting your hand to scratch an itch on your face is the result of hundreds of thousands of micro-millisecond calculations and thoughts. Yet each day we go through life hardly noticing, if at all, the effort it takes your mind to make all the subconscious firings happen in order for your body to work. While on top of all this, we can still think, calculate, articulate and interact with other people whose brains are doing the same thing.

Anatomy and Psychology… In Blogging?

You didn’t come here for a lesson in human anatomy did you? That’s what I figured. The reason I blessed you with the above information was to give an example or parable if you will, of what a core value does. Core values dictate our decisions before we even have to make them. They are basic sets of beliefs, practices and habits embedded in our minds and wills that come together to form one reaction to any given situation. Say for instance you’ve met someone who was very harsh to you, but you chose not to retaliate. Why did you do that? Was it difficult or did it occur without hardly thinking about it?

Chances are if it was your natural reaction, whether you realize it or not, you have a core value to live peaceably–or however you want to word that. You may not have sat down to write this core value down, but it was inside of you, a part of who you are. I believe it is very important for us as bloggers and writers alike, to identify and establish our core values in our writing styles. Why is this important?

But Do I Have To??

In short, no. But there are reasons why establishing and even posting your core values as a blogger on an easily accessible static page can be very beneficial. For one, and perhaps most obvious, revealing your core values builds trust and relationship in your readers–they feel as if they’ve gained access to a place in your mind or heart (wherever core values come from) they wouldn’t have otherwise accessed. It creates a confidence in your blog and even establishes and solidifies the authority you carry in your niche or market. You’re saying, “This is me, how I function in this blog and what you can expect to see.” It shows your readers that you’re not hiding anything from them–you’d be surprised what transparency will do to your blog! Character is refined and growth is initiated when core values are pinned down–you’re guaranteed to grow as a blogger when you know who you are in your habitat.

You don’t need to be religious about it and title it, “My Core Values” like a third grade book report (like I did)–Just call it what you want–you don’t even have to say they are your “core values.” Remember, all your core values are, are saying, “This is me, how I function in this blog and what you can expect to see.” It makes your readers feel like they know what they can expect. Core values can be compared to a company’s “vision” or “mission statement,” simply how the company behaves, conducts business or where they are planning on going.

Identifying Core Values in Blogging…

So you may wonder, “How do I know what my core values are?” First of all, there’s a wrong way to find them. If you find yourself coming up with good ideas that sound ethical and “right” for your core values, you’re doing it wrong. Those aren’t core values, they are ethics. You’re looking to find who you are in your blog. How do you respond to comments, what do you typically post about and what is your writing style? What’s your attitude towards points of agreement and disagreement? How do you address issues?

These are some of the questions to ask yourself in identifying your core values in blogging. Remember when finding your core values in blogging, to keep them related to blogging. You don’t want to go off telling people about how you live in every day life (However, many times at least for myself, my core values in life are reflected in my blog). For one, I know that James Richmond has a core value to always improve himself for his readers’ sake, whether it’s brushing up on grammar with educational books, or spending that extra half hour responding to those comments and emails, value for his readers is always displayed.

What If I Have a Negative Core Value?

It’s not uncommon that while sifting through your core values that you find a negative way you behave in blogging and you have two options:

  1. Hide it until it comes out and your readers discover it.
  2. Still hide it, but address it personally and begin to change your habit.

So once you’ve gotten a pen and a paper, or a keyboard and a screen, just begin to think about them. Whatever comes to mind. Here’s an excerpt of what I have posted on my blog as a set of core values.

The following list is not exhaustive of my core values. When writing, I often go blank, so these core values are likely to update periodically. I’ve left it open for comments and sharing so feel free. These core values are simply what I believe should run my personal blog and are core values I live by.

  • Transparency

    First and foremost, I vow to tell all stories, experiences and lessons in 100% transparency. In the case that others are mentioned in my posts, transparency may be retained to a degree in order to maintain a level of privacy for the individual mentioned.

  • Truth

    I promise that nothing in my blog unless otherwise stated is fictional, made up or fake. As this blog is geared much towards being a real person, and not faking it through life, it would be my own downfall to post false information.

  • Responsiveness

    I will reply to every comment and/or email that requires or leaves room for a response. No comment will be withheld from any post at any time, no matter how offensive or flattering. This blog is about being real, why would I hide real responses to real life stories? However, spam–that’s a whole other ball game. You can just give up now, because you’re not getting your spam on my blog.

  • Edification

    Not a single post in this blog will be used to tear down or bash another person, group or movement. A careful choice of words will be used while cautiously and reasonably addressing controversial issues of large and small importance in the world and my views of them.

  • Reasonable-Ness

    If I’m ever wrong in an issue and it has become apparent, I will without hesitation address it and admit to it. I have found that even over the last year of 2009-2010 that my personal views on certain topics have changed. Not based on appeal, but on what I believe to be true based on the Word, experience and logic.

  • Love

As weird as this sounds (and how sad it is that it should sound weird in our society), I love you–genuinely. I care for each of my readers and while this blog exists, with one reader or thousands of readers, my love will not change. I will love you regardless of your agreement or disagreement with my theology, beliefs or points of view, regardless of background, lifestyle, gender, sex orientation, religious views or the like. This is the essence of life and the Kingdom. Love.

And there you have it!! Nice and simple. And like I mentioned, these core values are likely to grow in number over time, but for now, I’ve only got about five or six that I’ve identified in my blogging habits. Quite lengthy, but worth it would you say? Comments quite welcome.

With awesomeness,
Travis

Filed under: Guest Post • Motivation • Starting Out • Useful

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