A Bloggy Break

I haven't been around these parts for the last couple of weeks. I was in need of a little break from my blog. Does anyone else feel like they need a break sometimes too?

I was just feeling a little bogged down by it all. Like my bloggy life was taking over my real life. I couldn't enjoy the kids playing without snapping a photo and thinking about how I could turn it into a post.

I was starting to plan things so that I could post about it, rather than planning things that my kids would enjoy and then turning it into a post. I started to see posts everywhere and I was constantly thinking about what I could write about next.

When I wasn't thinking about posting, I was checking emails, looking for comments or checking how many visits I'd had, then I was checking out other people's blogs all the time, reading, commenting and thinking about what it all means for my humble little space. I really felt like it was taking over. I was constantly distracted.

This was never what I wanted my blog to be. I wanted to use it to complement my life, not dominate it. Because I was thinking about my blog so much, my washing was piling up, my house was messy, my kids were getting their own snacks and making do with the toys left out from yesterday. Because I was thinking about my blog so much, I wasn't getting much paid writing work. I'd stopped thinking about articles I could write and be paid for.

So I needed to take a break and give myself some space and it's served me well. I love this little patch of cyberspace I have and I love writing for it. It used to be my favourite thing to do because I could write about what I wanted to write about, when I wanted to write it.

And now with some space, I have all those lovely feelings back again. And, from now on, I need to give myself set times to be online and this time I need to stick to it. It's really important I give myself the time I need to get things done and it's equally important that whatever I'm doing has my full attention. I just work better like that.

I love the way a little bit of space can sometimes give you some clarity and in the meantime I've cleaned out cupboards and reorganised a bunch of stuff around my house. It feels good to get so many things done that I just haven't been able to find the time for. I know life is often refered to as a juggling act, but I seem to work better when I don't have all the balls up in the air at the same time. I think as I get older, I've realised I just like to hold one or two at a time and put the others down. Just for a little while ...