I got tired fighting against a tidal wave of spammy comments so I turned them off and slept my nights like a baby.

However, I read this post at Lifehack.org and felt the nasty sting of a bad conscious. I think I should make it easier for you to interact with the stuff that I write.

It’s again comments open here at Loghomescabin, in case someone would like to ask a question or give a comment, without the hassle of writing an email to me. Now the next task waits ahead. I’d better write an introductory page where you can get all the necessary background information about me and this site.

Here is a good visit if you are interested in real estate – BiggerPockets. They have a group writing project called “2007 Real Estate Goals Group Writing Project” that I want to be part of.

Related to log cabins and log homes, I have three goals that are worth to mention for the year 2007.

1. Complete the lakeside log cabin sauna.
This is the most time sensitive project that I have going at the moment. For the moment the sauna is in weather-locked state. It can manage these terrible weather conditions (constantly raining here) that Finland has had during this winter. However, it is pretty much out of use, as there is no floor, just the concrete foundation etc. I have to finish the inside work to be able to test it by Mid Summer. Future master log home that will be erected just next to the log cabin sauna is not on the to-do-list during this year since financial requirements are too massive. Possibly during 2008 or 2009, oh… who knows… Anyway, ask me how the sauna felt just after Mid Summer.

2. Complete an agent agreement with one Finnish log home company.
Being an agent has been one of my long-term goals and until now I haven’t been actively pushing this forward. During the 2007 I want to set this project in motion, anyway it will still be a long-term plan or could I say part of my lifestyle. I know majority of Finnish log home companies and I definitely have my favorites. My choice is among mid-sized players, because bigger companies already have extensive foreign sales network and smaller companies can’t provide enough support. Announcements should come before year’s end.

3. Find a nice piece of land for coming residential log home project.
I have a plan to build an urban log home for my family to live in. Since this is a permanent home location has to be perfect for all eternity. The picture on the top of my website comes pretty close but unfortunately is protected so building is forbidden. Tricky thing here is that finding the perfect place might happen or might not. I can only promise that I start to study available lots and get an accurate image of overall prices. Knowing the market makes coming decisions easier.

This time I expect that we have much wider spread of goals than what we had with blogging habits. Therefore I am not going to make statistical analysis of submitted posts. However, I am going to write a comment on every single submission and give my feedback to you all (here and here). Oh, by the way, did you notice how Darren goes from numbers to letters?

INTRODUCTION
Darren is having another blogging community event. This time it is about Blogging Goals. I already wrote about my motivation for working with log homes, but maybe it is time to tell you why this site is here and what are site’s goals.

NO GOALS FOR BLOGGING
I have no goal for my blogging. Instead I chose blogging as a medium to realize my dream of being an independent log home exporter agent. Finnish log home and log cabin companies weren’t (and still aren’t) too active in electronic field. I thought (and still do) that this lack of clear web presence could give me a natural entry into the field. Blogs just happened to be the most accessible publishing technology for such a non-tech guy as I am.

BABY STEPS
Now, my ultimate goal is to be an export agent. How to get there? These steps that take me to the goal actually become much more important than the ultimate goal itself. Sure, I could go around and ask time and time again, who would like me to sell their log homes? At the same time I could keep asking who would like to buy one. Doesn’t it just sound way too troublesome?

WRITE AND WAIT
I decided that I am not trying to find anybody interested in log homes. I am just going to start writing about them and people could come and ask about them. By answering their questions I wouldn’t have to make so many questions myself.

You might have noticed that my first book review has Amazon associate link included. That’s right, I am going to be a millionaire with the little help from everybody. Seriously, I’ll use any money that might come from this arrangement into buying more books for reviewing. However I’m going to introduce other ways to make money on this site. At some point of time I will probably have log home kits as a drop shipment delivery. Anyway, those days are still in distant future.

I start to realize what a tedious task it will be to upgrade. I won’t do it today instead I will wait until next weekend. I should have plenty of time then to make all the needed arrangements.

I hope everything will be fine after the installation, but I’m anyhow giving you a heads up. I have no idea how long the upgrade will take and whether there are going to be problems or not.

INTRODUCTION
This article leans heavily towards communication skills but I still post it here, because many of these life values help in realizing dreams, maybe you will get something out of it to make your log home dream come true.

LIGHT STUDY
Cut the dreaming and get with the program. Darren Rowse had a blogging community effort in which everybody could write about blogger habits. It was a long read as there were almost 100 submitted articles (check them all over here) , but finally here is a layman’s statistic view on those habits presented on all published articles. I left out those comments that really have nothing to do with log homes, also I had to use some creative classifying while putting habits into respective categories. Here is a quick picture of the results, followed by actual qualitative numbers.

PICTURE

NUMBERS
45 network
28 frequency
28 writing brand
25 original content
25 patience
21 writing schedule
18 writing goal
18 research
17 follow media
16 blog purpose
15 use tools
15 reinvent your blog
14 enjoy writing
14 be humble and ethic
07 always prepared to write
06 write uninterrupted
04 make money
04 prioritize

SHORT ANALYSIS
Interesting point to notice on such general study is that networking counts most and technology is relatively low on standings. One might just believe that it is not about what we know but whom we know. Also notice the low importance of money.

HOW DOES IT FIT WITH LOG HOMES?
If one makes the jump from blogging into logging, most of the reasoning remains the same. One has to know right people to get support and then it is about persistence and quality work.

PERSONAL FAVORITES
Personally I found some refreshing articles among those that were posted. Here are my TOP3. Please go and check them out, I bet you will be pleasantly surprised.

Daragan Magayon

All Kinds of Writing

Transposable Element

WOMEN ARE THE BEST
Based on my choices, is it so that women blog better? Right now Darren happens to run a poll that fits well into this topic. Looks like men overpower women in head tally, but that has never proved anything, has it?

INTRODUCTION
Darren Rowse wrote about habits of effective bloggers, I thought that I would chip in by writing about habits of effective loggers – those who want to make their log home dream a reality.

Many people dream for a different lifestyle, but only few of us can really make it. We tend to get entangled with our daily lives and just can’t think a way out of the routines.

Here are few things for you to look after to get rid of your present way of living and finding your path towards being a logger (every single log home lover wants to log their own trees, just admit it and life gets to be easier immediately). Try to find few of these habits from yourself, and preferably in following order. I guarantee you that you are off the couch for good and swinging away that axe, but only if you manage to stick up with these life habits.

PASSIONATE
You need to have heart in your life. That is what takes you the extra mile like an energizer bunny. If you waddle through daily life just thinking about that fridge and telly, then you better stick with what you know the best – THE remote. Don’t worry if your passion doesn’t show as hugs and kisses because there are plenty of ways to have strong feelings. This step is the hardest because the first step of any journey starts a small revolution. TAKE it!

DETERMINED
So you have your passion? Great! Now… decide that you HAVE to do it, no matter what. Where there is will, there is a way, they say. They say it right on the mark! Will is a result of passion and determination. Very seldom we actually have the genuine will to do something that is given from outside. You have to find both from within.

FOCUSED
Two most important aspects covered already, right? Too often we do have the will but everything else takes priority over our personal goal and when it finally becomes time for our dreams it is already too late and we have to go bed or coffin even (but at that point, what does it matter anymore…). Put your log dream on the expressway and focus on that first and go shopping later. This is the true secret of getting forward. You might be tempted to watch that big match and after that start logging. Remember, first things first.

Another key issue of being focused is to do correct things. Personally I always wonder the people who have a dream, but they try to accomplish it by doing something totally irrelevant, in order to make money and be able to afford their dream log home. I suggest dipping your toes into the dream as soon as possible. Go and buy some cheap land and make good use of the trees on the lot.

VISUALIZING
Before any action, go through it in your head. Think what you want to accomplish with your move and only after that get into business. Agreed, it is better to do anything than to do nothing, but when your anything becomes something particular THEN you are on to something. Choose the best trees and get on to it.

ACTIVE
This is the last stop on your way to reaching your dreams. IF you get other areas right, all you need to do is to repeat the whole process over and over again. The more often you cycle your routine the better are your accomplishments.

PATIENT
Remember to have patience, without it you will only get frustrated and give up. Believe that at the end of your journey you will get what you want.