When I first decided to take a break from blogging I thought I’d be gone about a month, maybe longer.
I was took a break for two reasons.
First, there was a lot of outside demands on my time and I was feeling dragged down, like I had nothing left to give.
Secondly, I was feeling the need to write posts of ‘value’ – posts that would build my business, get good Google rankings, be re-Tweeted and attract more readers, subscribers and followers. I felt the growing need to take it up a notch, target my posts and become ‘problogger’.
I felt like what I had been writing wasn’t professional enough.
I began to dread writing. I had writer’s block. I was confused. I didn’t know what to write about. And, I had limited time and energy to write.
I decided to take a break and re-focus my energy, decide where I was going and where I wanted to take The Dreaming Cafe.
All this did was put more pressure on myself and for the first week or so I didn’t do anything at all. I just went through the motions, doing what I had to do to get by.
Then over the last ten days I started moving. I started doing the things that had always helped me in the past when I felt stuck or confused.
I dove headfirst into a new project that pushed me to learn, I went to a writing conference, I hung out with interesting and fun people and I started to read and journal again.
I also re-read some of my journal entries from earlier in the year and this particular line gave me great comfort…
- “I am sensing that 2010 is a year of change and flux, highs and lows, all while growing into my vision.”
I felt better. I felt more like me. And, I missed writing.
So, I’m back.
I also learned a few things…
- Take things one day at a time and go with the flow – regardless of whether it’s up or down.
- Write for no other reason than I love to and share my writing for no other reason than I am called to.
- Stay true to my values and vision and don’t fall prey to the latest buzz or conventional thinking.
- I am a professional, I just define professional in my own way.
Sandy,
Thanks for your sharing honestly what you have been going through. I had taken on way too many commitments over several months.At the same time I created deadlines for myself to get more done by certain dates than was humanly possible.
By the time I went on vacation, my energy was going down every day, and my body was begging for me to shift into low gear. I came back home determined to review things and establish priorities, cut out or way back on some things, and put some things I want or need to do on the “back burner” for a while to simmer. My stress level went down and it was a great experience for me to have gone through due to the extremely important lessons learned.
As a life and business coach, I see the same types of time challenges, lack of planning in the most effective way, the stress and burnouts and losing passion or clarity, way too high expectations to be able to meet,and other related challenges regularly.
Now I just have to keeping taking action on my own advice! LOL
Sandy, once again I am so relating to your post! I also was losing the joy of what I was doing because I was trying to fit into a box that wasn’t me at all. I understand about the professionalism and how everyone says things are supposed to be done.
For me, a lot of that was conforming to left-brained thinking when I am a confirmed right-brainer!
Well, I realize that although I benefit from the professional, left-brained blogs and information, there is also a benefit to the contributions of someone who is true to their right-brained strengths!
Glad you’re back!