Now, truthfully, I saw this coming years ago but was happy it didn’t happen sooner. I have been behind my posts for months now. And as you know, once behind, there’s only so much you can catch up on unless something is on the line. That’s rarely the case with a blog, personal or professional.
To be clear, I didn’t fall behind because readership was low or I wasn’t a famous blogger or influencer (or worse, a self-help guru!) yet. I lost focus, then momentum, and before I knew it, I was trying so hard to catch up, fill the gaps, keep up the streak, and satisfy my expectations. Or rather, my ego.
A couple of months ago, I decided to give blogging a break and focus on the other things that need much work, notably the routines that set the course of my days. It was all over the place, and I tried too hard to do it all. You know, all the great things self-help gurus want you to do before 9 am!
I realized I was getting burned out from my expectations more than anyone else’s! And the worst part was that it had nothing to do with my work or career goals, just random stuff that I thought was a “nice to do”! Of course, I wasn’t blogging and podcasting to impress others, but maybe, just maybe, I was trying to impress myself. To feel good about the “work” that I have done despite all the other important work I am responsible for.
I’m wincing as I write this but taking a break from all the writing gave me a better perspective on what’s important and what’s not. And while showing up every day is important to me, it’s not over and above some of my life’s priorities that need my attention.
The future of this blog is bright. I’m not abandoning it. I will continue to show up, but I will be reasonable with myself. That might mean I’m writing every day this week and maybe just a couple of times next week, or perhaps, not writing.
If you’re wondering why maintaining this blog is still so important to me, let me elaborate — I’m a thinking being, and I’ve got a lot to share with you and the ones who will be reading this blog in the future. The worst I (or you) can do is to make one of those popular social media platforms a home for my rants, musings, and random thoughts.
Why? I don’t own those platforms. But this blog is my home. You can always find me here. I’m not using A.I., SEO, or other cheap hacks to grab your attention. You’re here because you want to read what I have to say. And I appreciate that so much. I hope to share something that changes your perspective forever, for good. That’s a big win for me, but maybe life-changing for you.
So, here we go again, not for a streak but for something more meaningful for you and reasonable for me.
Onward and upward.
P.S. I still have a boatload of posts from August 2021 to February 2022 that I haven’t uploaded yet; I will aim to do so in the coming weeks and hopefully be entirely up to date by the end of June 2022.