Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the direction my life is going. After such major changes, I guess that’s only natural.
During this shift in my life, I initially found it quite therapeutic to share some of my thoughts and feelings on this blog. Unfortunately I was using it more as a distraction than as a way of actually dealing with what was going on. As long as I was keeping myself busy with managing and promoting this blog, I didn’t have to face the reality of my situation.
So after some soul searching, I have decided it is probably best to cut back to just posting once per week and limit my offsite promotions. Instead of hiding behind a computer all the time, I need to spend some time figuring out what I want out of life.
Eventually I’ll probably return to more frequent posting and rediscover my passion for blogging. In the meantime, if anyone wants to guest post, you’re more than welcome to e-mail me.
Thank you to all the great bloggers who have helped me along the way and to the people who regularly comment here. You’ve all been very supportive in this tough time in my life. I wish you all the best and I’ll try to check out your blogs once in a while.
Ironically as I started writing this post, it began to snow outside. It truly feels like the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I think I’ll go for a walk in the park and feed the ducks.
Hope everything goes well with all of your changes.
Michelle recently posted..Money Life Lessons
Thanks Michelle. There is so much changing that I figured a breather was needed.
Good luck! I hope you find your direction and that the wind returns to your sails soon.
Thank you Jordann. It’s not so much that the wind is out of my sails. It’s more that the wind is blowing every which way and I don’t know which way to really go. With a potential new job soon and side projects that are suddenly making more money, focusing so much on a long term blog probably isn’t the best use of my time right now. I’m sure I’ll be back posting more regularly on here soon enough though.
I totally understand what you mean about taking time to smell the roses. I am still bummed to hear you’ll be limiting your post count though (I truly enjoy your stuff!)
Hopefully, once you’ve got yourself in order you’ll come back swinging though? Right? RIGHT?
Okay, good.
Yes I will most likely be posting more regularly in the near future. I was just putting so much time into this that I was neglecting other things. If I might have a job in a week or two, I’ve gotta take some time to myself and also ensure my other projects are still on track. I do enjoying blogging though and I do intend to pick up the pace again when time permits. Thanks Tess!
Definitely take care of yourself first, Jeremy!
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Thanks Nick. You take care too.
With the major changes that have recently happened in your life it is good that you are taking a step back and taking time to focus on yourself. Good luck with landing a new job! Will check back every once in a while to see if you post anything new. Wishing you the best!
Thanks Sicorra. I probably should have taken a break after the move, but I guess I wasn’t quite ready to deal with it all. I’ll be sure to update everyone regarding the potential job, if I haven’t jinxed it enough already.
All the best dude. Happy soul-searching. Really hope you find what you are looking for. Your blog and your following will be here for you when you return
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Good to hear. I do hope all of you are back when I get back to focusing on my blog more. Thanks Scot.
Take care of yourself. When you come back I’ll be ready to read.
MyCanadianFinances recently posted..My Take On Having An Emergency Fund
Thanks man. I appreciate the support from everyone.
I think you’ll be back at it shortly! Sometimes it’s best to take a few weeks away from your blog and focus on the priorities in your life. Best of luck getting everything figured out.
funancials recently posted..Tips For Winning Your March Madness Bracket
You’re probably right. I’ll probably be itching to scratch my blogging bug before long. Hopefully by then my life is more in order.
I echo Funancial’s sentiments. It’ll be good to walk away for a bit, clear your head and see where your heart/mind leads you. I’ve found that sometimes it can even take months or years to rekindle passion when you’re a bit burnt out, but that’s ok. You’ll find your way. Wishing you best of luck.
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Thanks Azra. I don’t think it is really just the blogging that is burning me out. It is the fact that I was pushing aside everything else in my life to focus on a distraction. Whatever it truly is, I do think a bit of a break will help me analyze things and figure out what will make me happy.
You know, I can 100% relate to that. Replace blogging with triathlons and that was me about 2 years ago. I got burnt out on it, and realized that I was using it as a distraction for years instead of figuring out what’s really important. It gave me something to focus all my energy on. Now, after a tough, grueling couple of growing pains type of years, I’m starting to dabble back into training. This time, I have a much better sense of things and it’s giving me a new found appreciation for everything. I hope you’re able to do some soul searching yourself.
Well I think getting burnt out from triathlons is a bit more understandable. Those races seem pretty grueling and I’m sure the training required reflects that. I guess if you focus on anything with most of your energy, you are bound to be missing out on other things in life. Finding balance is a tricky thing.
Hey you must live out in the suburbs then- I heard it was piling down with snow- good time to hit up the mountains.
I feel the same way at times- there’s so much life to live in Vancouver!
Take care of yourself
youngandthrifty recently posted..What Do Teachers Know about Financial Literacy?
Does Burnaby count as the burbs? I’m at a high enough elevation that there’s usually a bit of snow here when it is coming down further east. Thinking of the fresh powder on the mountains does get me itching to go skiing. I haven’t been up in quite some time, due to both time and money restrictions. It is a difficult juggling act to manage multiple responsibilities and still find time to enjoy the fun things in life. Thanks for the support.
Makes perfect sense. You’re doing the right thing, but I still hope to see you back here or elsewhere online. But I can certainly understand spending some time offline and doing some soul-searching. Nothing wrong with that! Take care buddy.
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Thanks for the understanding. With any luck I’ll come out of this more focused and motivated in all areas of my life. Even as I take this step back from blogging, it’s still tempting to spend time on other online projects. Ultimately I still need to make some extra money to get things back on track.
Once you’ve cleared your head and decide to come back we will be here. And if you choose not to come back that’s cool too as long as you are staying happy. I’ll be waiting for the comeback and in the meantime you know where to find me
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Yes I’ll be sure to keep in contact either way Steve. Best of luck with your blog. It’s getting some awesome exposure lately. Thanks for supporting whatever my ultimate decision is.
It’s been great exchanging some emails with you! Hope things turn out well and I’ll definitely look forward to seeing updates over the coming months (job, life, etc)!
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Thanks man. It was good chatting with you too Jason. Feel free to e-mail me any questions or if you just want to shoot the breeze. Good luck with everything on your end too.
Slow and steady wins the race! You’re welcome to send me an email if you want (which reminds me that I still have to respond as well, yikes) Life’s tough sometimes, take care!
Well if that saying is true, I definitely did need to take a step back. I was treating this more like a sprint than a marathon. Yes we will have to chat a bit via e-mail. Thanks Andrea.
Take all the time you need to get everything in order in your life. We’ll all be here for you if you need us and when you come back!!
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A lot depends on whether I get a job soon or not. If not, I may be back in full swing very soon. If I do get a job, it’s just a matter of seeing how much time I can fit into my schedule for blogging. Thanks for the support.
There was a delay before I started my blog because I couldn’t decide how many times to post a week. Just like you said, you don’t want it to distract from your life and from dealing with stuff. Enjoy stepping back a little and figuring your stuff out! We’ll be waiting for you when you come back dude.
Posting frequency does take a little while to get just right. Three posts per week seemed like a manageable number, but then add in all the offsite work that I wanted to do and it was a little much. The good thing is that you can easily adjust this on the fly to figure out what works for you. Thanks TB.
I’ll echo the sentiments here and say you’ll be missed, but you really do need to take care of yourself first. Remember the training before the flights, secure your own air-mask first. Once your able to breath normally again, take a look and see if a higher post rate makes sense, or if weekly does it for you. Keep in touch.
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Good analogy Karl. I think I forgot to secure the straps on my air mask before getting immersed in blogging. I may very well keep the once per week blogging frequency for a while, especially if I’m finding my time suddenly taken up by a daytime job. I’ll need at least some breathing room to adjust to the change in schedule.
AWESOME analogy! Couldn’t agree more… and it works for most other areas in life too.
No matter what you decide to do – good luck!!!
MyMoneyDesign recently posted..Weekend Wind Down 3/17/2012
Thanks. I could always use a little extra luck in dealing with the changes in my life.
I completely understand your feelings. I once had a fast growing blog, successsoul.com back in 2008 with monthly pageviews over 100K. But, I ended it as I couldn’t justify time for a blog that was not making money. Good luck!
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Thank would be an even tougher decision with a blog getting so much traffic. I admit that money does play into this decision as it does with many choices in life. I know it will take a long time to build this blog into a profitable venture, but I’ve got to ensure I’ve got money coming in for the meantime.
GOOD FOR YOU! I bet you will still have as many readers if you only post one article per week. This is a great site and we wish you the best of luck! ENJOY LIFE!
Thanks PB. I don’t really expect to retain as many readers during this time though. I understand that frequent posting brings a lot more people to a blog and it keeps them interested to hear more. Being less active on other blogs will have an even bigger impact.
Better not be a good bye for good then see the site up for sale on godaddy! I agree that sometimes you can become so consumed in the blog. Wait I am on the clock and I should be workign but I am reading your blog!
Christopher @ This That and The MBA recently posted..Help!… Jerry is burning the bridge
No I do not have any plans to sell this blog. I want to keep this going as a long term project. I just need to figure out how to properly balance my commitments here with everything else in my life.
exactly, i was thinking that this weekend that everyone was still blogging and going about their business on the internet while I was sipping coffee at starbucks. It made me wonder why people choose to come view my page where there are millions of others out there. Best of luck hope you find out what you want to do and come back here fully charged!
Christopher @ This That and The MBA recently posted..Help!… Jerry is burning the bridge
It’s a sad news but of course we are hoping everything will be okay. Blogging will always be there and looking forward to read blogs from you. Thanks
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Thanks Mariae. You’re right that as long as I keep this blog going I always have the option of jumping back into on a more committed basis.
You better not stay away for too long cause you will be missed! Plus I think your blogging has great potential and can’t wait to see what the future holds. Good luck going forward.
Carrie – Careful Cents recently posted..4 Ways to Earn More Income with Less Work
Thank you Carrie. I hope I can get more into blogging soon too. I do want to get back into it more consistently, but I’m holding back until things fall into place in my life and I know just how much time I can commit.
Well for just a place to ‘share thoughts and feelings,’ you certainly have one heck of a blog here. Great info!
dee
p.s Love Vancouver, btw.. Spent 6 days there before an Alaskan cruise few yrs. ago.. Loved the city and the people!
Dee@ Small House Life recently posted..Tumbleweed Houses: Tiny House Workshop Review
Well, I understand what you mean. I run several blogs and without a holiday this past winter I need a break!
Good luck with the re-focus.
Steve @ Grocery Alerts recently posted..RBC Shoppers Optimum Banking Account Review
Thanks Steve. I’m sure running several blogs can be a lot of work. Even just running 1 blog is a handful.