When Less Means More

Arbitrary deadlines have been dictating my blog post production. Each week I sit myself down with pen and paper in hopes to write something of substance that will inspire, or atleast resonate, with others. Some weeks it is easy to come up with a topic upon which to write, and other weeks I end up writing something just so that I have content to push out, afraid to miss a week of regular posting. This can lead to a sense of “going through the motions”. If it happens to be a busier week, one where my evenings are full of other objectives to meet, then I may rush my own writing process…simply trying to “check one more item off of a list”. I don’t want this blog to be just “one more item to check off a list”. The purpose behind this blog was, and is, to write my way back home to myself, and through that, maybe help you navigate your own way home. So, with this purpose in mind, I have made the decision to scale back my postings a bit.

Scaling back  has been an option I’ve turned over in my mind for a while now, examining this choice from multiple angles. Change isn’t easy, I often resist it. This is reflected in the resistance I have felt towards reducing the number of blogs I post. My reason for resisting the change isn’t strong enough for me though, which is why I have ultimately decided to lean in. Thoughts like, “What if less frequent posts leads to less engagement?” Or, “If I slow down my writing, will I end up deciding to stop altogether?” And yet, a few competing thoughts assure me that it is in fact in my best interest to slow down my posts. For one, things don’t need to stay the same – in fact a shift can be indicative of evolution and growth. Second, by slowing down on my blog postings, I am allowing more room in my life for other passion projects and sources of joy. Finally, by writing fewer posts, I can bring more intentionality and thought to what I decide to put out. 

Evolution 

Nothing in the natural world stays the same – snow melts, seeds sprout, flowers bloom, petals fall. Such is also true for our lives. Just as there are seasons to the natural world, so too are there seasons for our lives.

When I started this blog I had just left my full time teaching career. I had no job and was spending my days traveling the country, playing outside and enjoying an abundance of time with family and friends. During a time of such little structure, my blog was like an anchor. Weekly posts held me accountable to my own self reflection and development. 

Now I am back to working a full time job. I am also in the thick of wedding planning. With multiple other deadlines competing for my time, my blog can start to feel like an added stressor. This isn’t at all what I intend for something that started out as such a source of joy. As I shift and evolve, my blog will also shift and evolve. There is beauty in allowing ourselves that kind of grace. 

Passion 

I doubt that I am alone in my desire for more time in the day. When the evening rolls around there is so much that I want to do, but this often gets neglected as I prioritize what I have to do. The thing is, I don’t have to write my blog, but it is starting to feel a bit like I do. So I begrudgingly sit to write when what I really want to do is dive back into my book or pick up my paintbrushes and splash across a canvas. By removing some of the weight that I place upon producing weekly blog content, I free up a bit more space for some of the other activities that nourish me. 

Words

“Some of your most recent posts are lacking in their depth.” I had a friend share this with me recently after I expressed my waning inspiration towards weekly blog posts. He wasn’t saying that they weren’t good, just that my connection to the topic didn’t seem as deep, my voice not as strong. I was skimming the surface as opposed to submerging myself in the water. I agree with this sentiment. To go deep takes time, thought and intentionality. 

With posting less, I hope to spend more time diving deep and swimming within the dark waters of the topics upon which I choose to write. If I am going to put words out for the world to read, I want to do so intentionally. 

❤

In pursuit of doing “fewer things better” I am scaling back on my blog posts. Instead of weekly posts, I am moving to monthly, occasionally bi-monthly. At least for now. We will see what the future holds; as I continue to evolve, so too will my blog. My passions will ebb and flow, and perhaps maybe one day writing will overwhelm them all. Depth of words may come more easily. There is room for it all, and I am here for that ride. 

What area(s) of your own life might you allow for a shift? For room to evolve? What area(s) of your life no longer fit in the way they once did? How  might an acceptance of change in this/these area(s) benefit you?