Happy New Year! I hope you all had a safe, healthy, and joyous holiday season.
Did you find some time to reflect upon your life as it was in 2009, and how you can use what you learned to create a better future for yourself?
I spent most of my time away from the computer and anything "plugged in" for the most part. It was 2 weeks of trying to live in the present, be with my family and give them my undivided attention, cook healthy meals, and catch up on much needed exercise.
What I found was that, when I stopped worrying about putting the daily puzzle pieces together, I was able to see the big picture more easily. I now know what I need to accomplish in 2010. I may not know how to accomplish it yet, but it's a start.
The article I discovered a couple of weeks ago, Twelve Questions That Will Change Your Life, really helped. I originally thought question number 11 was the one I needed to think about the most ("How many hours a week do I spend on my computer?"), but the question that I couldn't stop thinking about during those 2 weeks was actually question #1: "How do I spend my alone time?"
Well, being that the majority of my alone time is spent on the computer, the two questions directly relate to each other. BUT that wasn't what it was about question number 1 that was haunting me. It was actually a small phrase that followed: "taking in what others have packaged for you."
Those few words made me realize what had been bothering me all along about this blog, and even about my life in general. You see, when I saw the word "reading" as something that was packaged for you, something just clicked.
You see, it was when I was pregnant with my first child that I really became an avid reader. I felt I had so much to learn, and I became a sponge that absorbed books, articles, ANY words relating to raising children. THEN came the picture books, which I turned to on a daily basis to share my love of reading and learning with my children.
Reading is a wonderful experience, but when I read the words in that article, I realized that perhaps I've been relying too much on what others have written and produced. It's not that I don't do anything other than read. I have much life experience, which I've only just started writing about.
I started writing this blog so that I could find a creative way to express myself. It's something that I obviously wasn't thinking about when I chose to become an accountant, but it WAS something I was thinking about when I became a teacher. Unfortunately, as I've mentioned before, there isn't as much room for creativity as a teacher as you would think, given the demands being placed on educators these days.
Am I really being as creative as I need to be with this blog? The answer is no. The bottom line is that I'm spending a significant amount of time seeking out the best of OTHER writers' materials, and I'm even doing it for FREE!!!
What was I thinking? Well, I just wanted to start writing, and prove to myself that I could do it every day. I also thought I would eventually be able to fund my efforts through affiliate marketing or some kind of advertising. But I just couldn't get myself to do it; it just didn't feel right.
Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts, and mine has been telling me all along that I do not want to make money selling OTHER people's products. It's time for me to create something of my own.
I know it won't be easy, but it's something I feel I have to do. What the outcome will be, I have no idea. I do know that it will take my focus away from this blog for a while. I hope you understand.
It's not that I won't be posting anything here at all. I LOVE blogging, and really wish there were more hours in the day for me to spend on it. I will find a way to write a post at least once a week. There will be changes to the categories, though, since I will not be able to cover them all anymore.
I will write a post within the next week about the changes I have in mind for this blog (as a result of the above, and the blog survey from a few weeks ago). Please bear with me as I try to learn and grow as a writer. I hope you'll stick around for the ride!
Thank you so much for reading my blog in 2009. I have really enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you, and even getting to know some of you through comments and emails, and even on Twitter.
Please feel free to share your reaction to this post, or provide me with any questions or suggestions you may have. I'm still here, ready to listen to and learn with you all.
