Am I the only one who can’t believe it’s almost February? Weren’t we all just sharing our New Year’s resolutions and words for 2015? Valentine’s Day is around the corner, then Asa’s 1st birthday (eep!) at the end of the month, then my 35th (omg!) birthday in March.
Cue the panic attack.
Of course, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, we have to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday! Will you be rooting for the Patriots or the Seahawks?… READ MORE!
Before Levi was born, I shared my inspiration board for his nursery design but never followed up with photos of his actual room. Although it’s been a while since his bedroom looked like this (we don’t even live in Omaha anymore!), I’d love to show them to you now.… READ MORE!
Three weeks.
That’s how long it’s been since my last post, but it wasn’t the plan.
When I decided to take some time off from blogging at the end of December, I was hoping a break would be just what I needed to recharge my batteries.
I was beginning to feel burned out from juggling the demands of motherhood and work as we rounded the corner on our fourth month of living with my parents. All of the stress was stifling my creativity… which made writing a challenge… which added to my stress… and so on.
Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, I deleted the Facebook and Twitter apps from my phone to minimize distractions. (Not Instagram, though. I have too much fun sharing my photos.) I didn’t log into my dashboard or check my stats on Google Analytics.
I needed a quiet mind in order to make room for new, inspired ideas.
Unfortunately, my big plan backfired. Not only was I unable to quiet my mind (the harder I tried not to think about blogging, the more I thought about it), but as the end of winter break grew nearer, I still felt drained. Because I had slowed down to almost a full stop, I hardly had energy to pick up where I left off.
And then, we all got sick. Every single one of us. A week-plus of coughing and fevers and sinusitis and bronchitis and ear infections. A household on antibiotics.
Nobody slept well.
Nobody worked.
Everybody felt miserable.
Thankfully, we’re all on the mend. Not 100% yet, but much better.
But writing still feels like a challenge to me because during my last three weeks of inertia, I seem to have lost my momentum.
The minute that we lose momentum, we lose the thread. We become extremely vulnerable to distraction and defeat. Our inner critic awakens, and we start second-guessing ourselves, doubting the possibility of success. Other people’s demands creep in, vying for our attention and focus.
This is so true for me. Can you relate?
One way to build momentum for creative projects, according to the article, is to set small, achievable goals. The idea is that experiencing incremental success creates confidence, and confidence creates momentum.
With that in mind, I’m considering cutting back my posting to three times a week for a while. It’s not because I’m trying to slow down or quit. I’m just trying to set myself up for success as I get back into the swing of things.
Which brings me to a question: How often do you go online to read your favorite blogs, including A Girl Named PJ? Daily? A few times a week? Only on weekends?
