…sleeping, working, spending time with the family, relaxing, pottering about the house, exercising, reading, thinking, and the list goes on. Since completing my 366 day writing challenge a few weeks ago, I have had a chance to reflect on the year and think about what the challenge has taught me.
I’m a fighter and didn’t want to miss a day!
What I have come to realise is that although I’m happy with what I achieved (after all, I now have lots of content for my site) it wasn’t the best use of my time each day. Then again, I could have stopped at any time, but I chose not to.
I don’t regret writing the posts that I felt like writing, but I do regret writing the ones that felt like a chore, which kept me away from my family and other things. Under ‘normal blogging circumstances’ I could have left the post for the next day, but the challenge was so ingrained in my mind and I didn’t want to fail. My love of writing took over and I wanted to prove that I could be a better writer within one year. All I did was wear myself out by trying to keep the posts up each day (in addition to looking after a young family and working full-time).
I never broke my challenge, but I probably broke a few promises to my family. Now I actually have time for them – I mean real time, not snippets here and there. My partner no longer has to wait for a piece of my time in the evening whilst I finish my blog, and my children are no longer hanging off my chair or climbing onto my lap whilst I am trying to type.
There’s more than one way to achieve a goal
If anything, this whole exercise has taught me that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Blogging is fun and definitely my sort of thing, but the pressure of committing myself to doing it every day without fail, didn’t fit in with my current lifestyle.
I’m almost ready to get back into setting some new goals for myself, but want to make sure I include ample time in my schedule to catch those magic moments with my family from now on. I’m also going to make sure I have lots of time to recharge my batteries every day.
It’s all about balance
I now know that blogging when I am relaxed, inspired and in the right frame of mind enables me to write my best pieces of work. I’ll soon develop a nice new routine with my many blogs and other writing activities and look forward to the results it brings. After all, it’s much nicer to write when feeling inspired, rather than forcing yourself to think of the next sentence.
Appreciating the extra time
I’ve been appreciating so many things since stopping the daily deadline:
- I go to bed earlier if I feel like it.
- I appreciate the quiet and listen to my thoughts more instead of constantly thinking of new topics to write about (these still come to me but they are not forced).
- I have more family time.
- I get to choose the writing activity that I feel like doing.
- I’m happier and less stressed.
- I’m more energised (well, after about two weeks of exhaustion I was!).
The Golden Question
So my question today is about balance: Are there any blogging/writing activities that you do, that prevent you from spending time doing other things that are important to you?
Until next time…
Sandra
www.sandramadeira.com
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- Note 336 – The 7 advantages and 7 disadvantages of daily blogging (mywritingnotebook.com)
My Writing Notebook 
Besides making gains in writing fluency and confidence, you have gained in wisdom from your year’s experience. Family is important. Other than spiritual activities and staying mentally healthy, the most important. When those little ones grow up, and they do so very quickly, they will never be young like that again. I spent a lot of time with my daughters and hence we are close, and not with my grandchildren too.
And the latest info. by the way, from the big-time bloggers and savvy students of the blog world and what works and what doesn’t is that the best route to success is to blog less (once or twice a week and fine) and guest post more. That’s what they say works.
I was already cutting back on trying to blog more than once a week. There’s just too much to life, to much to do that is meaningful and enjoyable. I want to keep my blogs going because, like you, I enjoy the writing and getting my “words” out there but I like to paint watercolors, practice Chinese painting and calligraphy, to for walks, and yes, play with my grandchildren.
Course, for the record, I am retired and can therefore take a less than driven approach to blogging, though I can get compulsive at times about making my blogs successful. And at those times, I find I need to recognize what’s happening and back off a bit to a more relaxed approach.
So to answer your question, I have at times let the need to post get in the way of other things, but not now. Life is more than blogging or even business success.
Posted by Bill99 (@Bill99) | May 23, 2012, 10:04 pmHi Bill I love your comments – you are so right with what you say. It is all about stepping back and working out what is important to you. It sounds like you have worked out the right balance between blogging, painting watercolours and family. I think blogging once or twice a week would work for me too – it keeps the content fresh and allows time for the thoughts and inspiration to flow. Kind regards Sandra
Posted by Sandra Madeira | May 24, 2012, 2:15 amI totally know where you’re coming from honey 😦
I’ve started to get the odd comment from hubby, such as ‘this blogging business seems to have taken over your life’ which is said with a half smile lol 😉
I set myself the challenge of blogging every day for 2012, and I’m determined to stick with that, but, come January 1st next year, you will definitely only see me 3 times a week lol
Xx
Posted by Vikki (The View Outside) | May 24, 2012, 8:15 amHi Vikki
Sorry, I don’t think I replied to this one! Blogging every day is a challenge isn’t it? You are doing so well though. Even if you do go down to 3 times a week there’s nothing stopping you doing 7 – at least it will be your choice once January come around. Good luck
Sandra 🙂
Posted by Sandra Madeira | June 8, 2012, 5:11 pmThanks Sandra, I will definitely cut it come January 🙂
Xx
Posted by Vikki (The View Outside) | June 8, 2012, 8:16 pm