Last Monday, I wrote about how I have stopped blogging every day.
It’s something that was a long time coming. I just didn’t know how to break the habit. I’m hopelessly stubborn and obsessive. It is a great quality to have in some respect – but it can also be a massive pain in the arse.
When I was younger, I always thought that by the time I was 33-years-old I would have my life figured out. I’d be working, coming home and relaxing. Having weekends, family time, just a standard life.
But my life isn’t like that at all.
It’s not that my life is terrible, my issues are completely self-inflicted. I don’t know why, but I seem to have a habit of piling lots of things on my plate at once. I’ve always said that you make time for what’s important to you. That means you might have to cut out some things so you’re able to do what you’re passionate about. You have to make some sacrifices sometimes.
But what happens when every single thing you do is important to you and something you’re passionate about? What happens when you don’t want to sacrifice everything? What on earth do you do then?
That was me for so long. I wanted to do everything. So I pushed myself – and the things that were getting pushed to the bottom of the ‘important’ pile were, well, my friends and family. I’d put of asking people to do things because I wanted my weekends to blog, do my course, practice piano. Which is fine, but there has to be a point where it stops.
When you are getting overwhelmed about everything that you have to do, it’s time to sit back and think about not only what you are achieving, but what you are sacrificing. And is it worth it?
Short term sacrifice.
I like to think of it like this – if you feel you are sacrificing lots, but you can see an endpoint in the future – then it might be worth just pushing through for now.
Like with my CIM course – I am onto the last module – the last assignment. It’ll all be over by December. So I am going to spend my weekends until then working hard on my assignment. Yes, it’s a bit of a pain now and I’ll be having to stay home and work rather than go out and play but it will be over in a few months.
After that, I’ll have my qualification and my time back!
Long term sacrifice.
This is where blogging came in – blogging every single for the past 5 years and a half years and until.. well until I burnt out.
Although I am proud that I went for so long, what do I have to show for it, other than a bunch of crap blog posts, time wasted and feeling burnt out?
Those are the types of things that you need to cut out. Those things that take up lots of time and don’t give you much back.
Other things that I am doing long-term are learning piano and working out. But these are things that I’ll see a real benefit for. I love the piano and it’s a skill I really want to work on. Fitness is good for your health (duh) and will hopefully help me to live a long life where I am able to move around and enjoy my time on this earth.
Of course, things change over time.
What is important to you shifts and I think that’s when it’s hard to recognise that things need to change.
That’s what happened with me and blogging. It was once something that took up a lot of time – but I could justify. It was worth it – I had lots of content to post, both sponsored and my ow ideas. But things changed in my life and I never really addressed it. I just felt the need to continue without taking the tie to step back an re-assess.
Life changes all the time and we have to learn to change with it.
It is good you have realised and were able to make some changes! I find change hard too!
I am so pleased you are learning the piano! That’s so cool! How did I miss this!??!!