I’m not an organised blogger, I’m not someone who has posts scheduled for the week ahead, I tend to write what pops into my head and it’s only more recently that I have started to leave them in drafts for a day to allow a bit of time for tweaking and hitting the publish button. I’ve quite liked it that way, but for the past few weeks I’ve lost some of my enthusiasm to sit down and write.
Blogging is a funny old thing, and it is so hard to explain to someone who doesn’t do it. My husband really can’t get his head round it but he loves that I have a hobby that I enjoy. However, recently it hasn’t felt like a hobby, it’s starting to feel more like work, with a never-ending to do list of writing, commenting, replying, blog tweaking.
I’m my own worst enemy because I try to do too much. There are so many lovely linkys running at the moment and I love to join in but then constantly feel like I’m playing catch up to keep on top of the commenting that goes with it (huge apologies to those people I owe a comment to as I know I am way behind now as I write this). Then the guilt kicks in because I know I haven’t managed to get round to commenting as much as I would like.
The problem is there are only so many hours in the day. I work four days a week and as we are about to hit exam season most nights I have school work to do which leaves very little time for anything else, and blogging is the one thing that has to be sacrificed. I won’t compromise the time with my family and it isn’t fair to my students to not complete work for them.
For the past month or so I have found myself rushing posts or writing them to fit in with certain linkys and I think I have lost sight of why I started this blog in the first place. I didn’t sign up to WordPress for stats or page views, I started because I wanted to write. And so I think it’s time to take a step back.
I won’t be joining in with as many linkys, I probably won’t be posting all that regularly (although I do have a few reviews to write up) but I will when an idea pops into my head and when it is something I can be proud of. I’ll be taking time to get round and read my favourite blogs and discover some new ones. I’ll still be over on Instagram as blogging has made me fall in love with photography in a way I never thought possible.
Blogging has given me so much, and made me so many lovely new friends but it does take a lot of time and at the moment that is a very precious commodity and there isn’t too much of it going spare. I’m hoping that by backing off for a while I’ll feel more inspired and it will become a much loved hobby once again rather than another job to do at the end of an already too long day.
I totally get this Jo. I’ve taken a bog step back because i felt like i had too, i don’t read other blogs that much anymore because i don’t have the time and when i do i feel i should be using it for writing of working on other things. Anyway apologies, that;s why i may not have commented in a while, but i reason that i really don’t want people to feel obliged to read my blog. it has to be enjoyable at the end of the day doesn’t it?
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Yep, and at the moment it hasn’t been feeling too enjoyable. More something I have to do rather than I want to. When I get a spare minute if O does have a rare afternoon nap I feel like I need to use the time to catch up on linky commenting rather than doing something in “real life” or just joining him for a little snooze. I think I’ve lost sight of what my priorities are and need to sort that out. xx
Not A Frumpy Mum recently posted…When Blogging Starts To Feel Like Work
Oh lovely. I feel we are so similar on so many things (our love for our boys, our love for our blogs) and I wish we lived round the corner from each other. I know how you feel, which I think you know. Your blog is one of my top favourites and I think taking a step back is wise. Since January I have pulling back more and more from lots of linkies. I join now only with the ones I can actually make decent time to comment on and more importantly, ones that feel genuine to me and the way I want to write or portray myself on the blog. I have found since going part time and having less time to blog, that the small amount of time I do have is more concentrated and I feel prouder of the content I produce. Everything is intended and thought out. Not created out of stress.
Anyway, this has become a lengthy and slightly embarrassing babble!!! Much love my lovely xxx
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Thank you lovely, I think you’ve put it so well. I think recently I’ve ended up publishing things out of stress and panic that I NEED to get something on the blog rather than something I am really proud of and it’s been nagging away at me. Just writing this made me feel like a weight has been lifted and it feels great. I’m still going to be joining in with Little Loves on a Friday and as for anything else, well, I’ll see how I feel.
I really wish you did live round the corner, how fab would that be? xx
Not A Frumpy Mum recently posted…When Blogging Starts To Feel Like Work
I think we all need a step back and a break every so often. It shouldn’t feel like work and it should be enjoyable. I completely get where you’re coming from though and it’s easy to get bogged down with all the blog related stuff. I’ll read whenever you find the time to write and never feel like you have to return a comment – I read and comment because I like to read and comment not because I am looking for a comment in return x
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Thank you Donna, I love reading and commenting too which is why I’ve found it a bit frustrating recently that I haven’t had the time to do it. I’m really looking forward to spending the next few days just reading and catching up on blogs without feeling the pressure that I HAVE to because of a linky or the pressure that I need to get a post published xx
Not A Frumpy Mum recently posted…When Blogging Starts To Feel Like Work
I think a lot of us have occasions like this. I’m much like you; I rarely schedule things and tend to write off the cuff and for me, blogging IS just a hobby at the end of the day and I will not sacrifice my other commitments for it. I hope the break helps. x
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Thank you, I think when you start to take it a bit too seriously that’s when you lose the fun side of it xx
I know exactly how you feel. I was like this until recently and even wrote a similar post. Not long after I published it, all of a sudden that desire to blog came back and I started posting regularly again. It’s difficult to explain, but blogging is something I love one minute and really can’t be bothered with the next. I hope you find a good balance that works for you x
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I know exactly how you feel, sometimes I’m so passionate about it and then I feel like packing it all in. I think making the decision to back off for a while can be quite liberating! xx
I am going through spates where I have so much to say then nothing. I have started to do more photo linkies as they’re easier to comment on! But I like you used to write for linkies and my blog became a blog full of linky posts. I am unsure where I am really going with my blog so I’ve taken a step back and trying to work out what I want to do with it all!
Beth Twinderelmo recently posted…Wicked Wednesdays – Spot the Culprit
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That’s exactly how I feel Beth, I’m not sure where my focus wants to be at the minute and it feels a little all over the place which I’m not happy with.
Mine felt like it was full of linkies which wasn’t the case when I first started so going to write a bit more just for me for a while and hope people still read xx
I totally get where you are coming from I tried to up my postings froM 3 times a week to 7 days a week and it has become overwhelming so I think I will go back to 3 times a week because I enjoyed blogging so much more when I wasn’t stressing about it so much.
Thank you for sharing and I hope you find the passion for your blog again
— Romany
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Well done for writing this lovely. It sounds like you’ve made a sensible decision. Blogging is fabulous but you are right it can also feel like hard work. There is always so much to do. And I know that I’m constantly playing catch-up. I hope that taking a break will really help and you’ll come back feeling better and more inspired. Hugs Mrs H xxxx
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I think what you’re proposing is very sensible – unless it actually *is* your job, blogging should never feel like your job. I try to ensure I write only about what I want to write about, rather than what I think might drive traffic (although I have done that on occasion – usually unsuccessfully!) If I don’t have a post that fits a particular linky in a given week, I’ll duck out. It’s also why I don’t really bother doing reviews – a personal choice.
Blogging should bring us joy and satisfaction – or else there’s not much point. I hope this is just a lull and you soon rediscover your blogging mojo.
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Very interesting post, as a newbie I’m at the stage where I like getting involved with all the linkies and pushing myself to keep up. However I can see where your coming from, I would like to think that when it becomes stressful or a chore I will also take a step back. Our families must always take priority. But for now I’m enjoying blogging for me. I hope you can find a happy balance x
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I’ve literally just left a comment on Sian’s post which is similar to this. If the blog/life balance is out of kilter it really is sensible to step back. Good luck with exam season hon xxx
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I’m so with you on the whole being behind on commenting thing – I’m constantly playing catch up and it plays on my mind a lot. Last year I decided not to feel that I have to reply or comment back on everyone who leaves a comment on my blog. Sometimes it isn’t necessary and I just don’t have the time. I read my favourites and dip in and out of new ones. I do feel obliged if i link up to anything to go and comment on a few blogs though and if I don’t have the time, I just don’t link up. I’m not always that great at being disciplined in not linking though! Something to work on 😉 x
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I was wondering where you were for the last week and now I know :). Ive felt like this for a bit and ended up stepping right back and then had to make myself not care about my stats. That’s a hard thing when you become a bit wrapped up in it all. Plus blogging has become so different now that I feel a bit like I’m old fashioned. I now feel like I should just blog as I want to x
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I’m slowly training myself not to care about the stats, but it is nice thinking about writing what I want to write rather than what I feel I should write. I think you’re right, blogging has changed a lot and I think it’s easy to feel a bit left behind/not in the in crowd but I feel so much happier since chilling out about it all. Hope you and bump are doing fabulously xxx