Sometimes it is hard to get unstuck, or to start movement in a direction again, such as with me and blogging. There was a part of me that felt guilty for not blogging. I had this blog, I was paying for hosting, the domain name and all, I was spending time keeping the updates done and such, but not using it. Feeling guilty thought, is never a good reason for doing , or not doing, something.
What you need is a guilt free desire to do it, and it should feel good and rewarding. If it doesn’t feel good or rewarding, you have to determine why. If the why is, I just don’t enjoy it, or its too much work, or whatever then perhaps its time to hang up the blogging. Take a break, do other things and then you can revisit it later if you desire, but keep guilt out of the equation.
As part of my process to move away from guilt and see if I truly have a desire to blog again, I’ve changed the theme on my site. I’ve liked this theme, Hemingway, since I first saw it and after looking at what seems to have been a couple of thousand, I kept coming back to it, so here it is. Next step I think is looking through my photos for a header image. The one that comes with the theme isn’t bad, but it’s not “mine”.
Ok, new header image done.
Gorgeous theme and header image.
Thanks Lance. I’m going to look for a different one so the title/description block doesn’t obscure the main part of the image. 🙂
I’m a private person who doesn’t share much about my life, loved ones and activities in my blogs. You’re right – feeling guilty is never a good reason for doing or not doing something.
I did feel guilty about not keeping up my two blogs due to health issues. I had an unexpected reality check and now I know what matters most is health and happiness, and one can’t enjoy either of those unless they are still breathing.
I can’t take the stress of meeting technical writing deadlines, helping hubby with the businesses and blogging any more. Remarkably I felt deep seated guilt about not being able to be superwoman but breathing deeply helped clear that up.
I decided to walk away from blogging in both blogs just a short while ago, and felt guilt about leaving so many friendships behind. But now I realize that it’s only the commitment to blogging twice weekly in my blogging tips blog I need to walk away from. I did a good job and I’m done with it so there’s no grounds for guilt.
I hear you because it’s hard to blog out of the blue and by that I mean to publish after you haven’t done so for ages but I my overcame that barrier. I may allow myself to blog without obligation and publish from time to time in my personal blog. Maybe you will too.
@timethief, you are on the right track. Enjoy your life and if that includes the occasional blogging on your personal blog, so be it. If not, so be that also. Blogging without obligation is absolutely the best route to take. I think I might rummage up my “blogging without obligation” image and stick it back in my sidebar. 🙂
I’ve been blogging just a short time and your words resonate. I have realized it is my nature to turn things, even voluntary ones, into “jobs.” (Jobs which must be done well, accurately, fully, etc.) I now regularly remind myself: this is not your *job.* It helps!
@writerinsoul, yes, reminding yourself it is not a job is a good suggestion. For some of course, that IS their job, but for the vast majority of us, it isn’t. Reminding ourselves it isn’t a job can go along way to keeping it from being a burden. 🙂
Thanks, for some reason I never got notice of your reply – maybe I didn’t check the box – and just stumbled back over your name (again) in helping forums.
In 2011 I took part in challenge WordPress had; Post-a-Day. Believe it or not, but I _finished_ it!
That, however, made blogging feel like a chore, and almost cured me from blogging but not fully. 🙂
I read both About 1.0 and 2.0 … extremely interesting. Is Sidney still around?
Sidney is most definitely still around. About 17 now and down to just over 9 pounds from his younger 12. He enjoys sitting in the window in the sun, and pestering me to feed him, and he has a health issue or two, but life is good for him and he still makes sure I’m awake by about 5 or 5:30am. Hoping he has one more big trip left in him for our return to Hawaii in 2015. I think he does. I’ve promised him his own special place where he can go outside and explore and lounge around. I have the feeling he is going to hold me to that promise. 🙂
I think anytime we put a schedule on ourselves, no matter if it is an exercise regime, or a blogging regime, or whatever, we put pressure and stress on ourselves. If at all possible, everything we do should be pleasurable, and if we have pressure from a schedule, that can quickly take all the fun out of it. Of course there are those that thrive on such things, and to them… knock yourselves out. 🙂