Yesterday was the very first Monday in months that I didn’t publish a blog post. And it was hard for me to wake up and realize that somehow I wasn’t on the blogging boat for the day.
You see, I’ve written about how blogging is my hobby and not my business; but I’ve worked hard on my blog since Fall 2014. I’ve loved it (most of the time), and I’ve developed relationships, found inspiration, become way more tech-savvy, and composed more sentences than most of my fellow college grads since graduation.
I liked blogging enough to write about how it has enriched my life— and why I would continue doing it without getting paid.
Blogging became a part of my daily life. I rarely wrote posts too many days in advance, so every day would involve composing something that I wasn’t too embarrassed to share, with hopefully some in-focus photographs too.
I commented almost daily on other blogs. I responded to comments promptly. I sponsored blogs and wrote about sponsorships. I collaborated with other bloggers.
Despite still insisting that I was blogging for “fun”, this became a part of my identity. It took time. I enjoyed it. I came to accept it as something that really enriched this season for me.
So, taking a real, possibly permanent step back from blogging is scary. But the reason is that I’ve gotten quite busy lately. I recently launchedmy new tutoring site and am fielding more inquiries than last quarter.
And of course, unlike blogging, tutoring is my job. I love it, want to continue improving, and it pays me, which is nice.
Still, deciding to post fewer times a week, follow fewer bloggers and perhaps lose touch with a few blogging contacts is terrifying. What if I miss this and want to come back? What if I come back and the blogosphere doesn’t want me back?
These are real fears, friends.
The truth is, none of us know what’s going to come. I have had good blog friends appear to drop out of the blogosphere only to re-emerge. Others have not re-emerged at all.
With the exception of several long-standing bloggers,I feel that most of this community is characterized by immense turnover. And I’m realizing why that is.
There was a time when I thought I would never quit blogging. I thought I would always be able to include it in my daily routine. But recently, between finding enough daylight to take photographs, to syncing my schedule with my husband, to actually having evening commitments that keep me from writing a post or responding to comments, I’m realizing why people leave. They can’t keep up. Life gets in the way.
Some nagging voice in my mind tells me that I will face dramatic consequences for not being as active in the blogosphere. I think it will be apparent first as daily numbers drop, along with comments. I’ll go to my email to respond to readers’ thoughts, and there won’t be any.
And I continue to tell myself, that’s okay.
Eventually, I might lose followers too. People might come across my account and ask, who is this again? (Admittedly, I’ve done that myself, and unfollowed.) And I’ll be tempted to feel that all the time I spent building relationships and community online will be for naught.
But remember when I wrote that post about coming alive? Here’s a refresher:
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that… because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
And to this, I say yes. I’ll stop asking conceited questions such as, will anyone read my blog when I don’t post? Or, will anyone even notice or mind when I’m not as present?
Instead, I say yes to what makes me come alive. Teaching. Encouraging. Helping people who struggle. Being their champion. Fostering confidence.
As you can see, I am in here, deep.
This space has been much more than time and money; it’s been heart and soul.
While it’s not going away completely– that I can at least assure you– it’s slowing down. And as far as the blogosphere goes, I’m slowing down too.
So now I’m asking you! Have you ever changed your blogging schedule? Stepped away permanently? Do you miss people who do? I’d love to know, and I always appreciate your thoughts.
Cheers everyone, to whatever blogging (or non-blogging) season you’re in.
