Growing up, I never understood what it meant to just enjoy an activity. I was very performance-oriented, so I couldn’t comprehend why a person might be internally motivated enough to pursue a hobby– for the sheer joy of it.

This past year, I spent a lot of time blogging here on Simplicity Relished. I wrote several posts at the time defining the purpose of my blog– a hobby and creative outlet so that I would not neglect my writing skills.

Here comes the confession: I don’t think blogging was ever my true hobby. I cared too much about how my blog was received. I cared about its readership, and I cared about my audience. At the very least, I was not just in it for my own enjoyment. I was concerned with numbers, opinions, reactions, and relationships.

But the more important lesson here is this: my general obsession with excellence made it challenging for me to find a relaxing activity– where I could be completely at ease.

…Continue Reading