The Why Factor
Following my whirlwind trip to Melbourne on Saturday (blogged here) for the Kidspot Voices of 2015 breakfast and masterclass together with the announcement of their top 100 blogs, I have a huge case of blogger’s block and find myself questioning why I blog at all.
Nothing to do with not making the top 100 (I don’t blog for awards). Nothing to do with comparisons (I run my own race). Nothing to do with being over inspired (it’s my constant state of being).
I think it’s a simple case of complete and utter exhaustion following 40ish hours without sleep, mixed with a huge dose of I have so much to say, I hardly know where to start. There’s also my ever growing to do list and the business diploma I’m about to commence.
Rather than start at all, I’m giving myself some time out. Not from blogging altogether, although there may be a complete social media free weekend coming up. This is more a case of stepping away from the publish button for the time being.
Instead, I’m aiming to get myself super organised with a bit of a blogging spring clean.
While I’m putting up the ‘Gone Shopping’ sign and I do have a number of live events I will be attending, this doesn’t mean I’m not around to engage with you or respond to your emails and messages. So keep them coming.
I’m also looking forward to getting back to basics, which for me is finding the time to not just case my favourite blogs but making more of an effort to engage with them. Something I’ve been a tad slack with these last few weeks with so much on.
The break will also give me some much needed time to spend on promoting some of the blogging initiatives I’m currently involved with including Blog Exchange and our Aussie Giveaway Linkup. Although for anyone already involved in Blog Exchange, you could argue that it has already taken on a life of its own and hardly needs promoting.
You will still see me across all social media platforms, just not as much as you are use to. Why I might even find the time to case a couple of new platforms, although I’m really not convinced Snapchat is ever going to be my thing.
Normal blogging will resume on Monday (June 22nd), where anyone that has taken part in our first Blog Exchange challenge ‘Blog like there’s nobody reading‘ and hit publish on their posts can link up via I Must Confess.
If you have a blog post worth casing this week, this is the place to link up.
Why did you start blogging and what do you love about it?
What you do when you come up against the dreaded blogger’s block?
What social media platforms are your favourites?
While your out you couldn’t get me some peas please 🙂
It’s on the list. lol
Completely understand your need for down time. You go to a lot of events which impresses me. If I have more than one or two social outings a week I get stressed!
I keep thinking I need an interpreter but what I really need is a mind reader. Someone that can read my mind and transcribe it, so that it makes sense. I wouldn’t say I’m close to being stressed but putting myself in time out so I don’t get that way.
Wish you lived closer, we could have some blogging fun together.
How fun you get to go to all the events, Im sure you must meet some interesting people along the way
I’ve actually started turning down a lot of events. There’s only so much you can do and I felt I was spreading myself a little too thinly. Although you are right, you do meet some interesting people.
You sound like you definitely need some time out, you do so much in so many different areas, BUT I have to say your time out sounds extremely busy and not like a real time out at all! 😉
I like to be occupied (trying hard not to use the busy word here) and organised. I don’t think I do well with real time out. lol
Ingrid, I’ve been meaning to touch base about something. Can you email me when you get the chance (ms.mystery.case@gmail.com). Thanks
You’ve certainly got your fingers in so many pies, you must be running out of fingers! It’s so hard to keep up isn’t it, especially with almost zero sleep! As my friend Katie said in the blog on her recent interview “it’s completely ok to look after and take care of myself, so that I can show up in the world for others.” Instagram is still my favourite but I just don’t get to spend nearly enough time there as I’d like. I think I have the opposite of blogger’s block because my brain is just too busy!
Blogger’s block probably isn’t the right term. I have the ideas. I just need a mind reader to pull them out of me and make some sense of them. It’s also the whole end of financial year as well and prior commitments that I need to finish before I can move on. This time next month, I will be exactly where I want to be, doing exactly what I want to be doing.
Sounds like a plan. And a good one!
Yes, it’s just the interim period that is a bit of a nightmare. Something had to give.
I lose my blogging mojo every once in a while – best thing to do is step away and rejuvenate. I love that you run your own race 😉
Not sure if I’ve actually lost my mojo, it’s more a case of it going into overdrive and I can’t keep up. Time out will give me a chance to regroup and refocus.
Yes I must say I sometimes wonder why I blog, and tell myself to take a break, and then Monday comes and I am scrambling to get my weekly blog post up. And I wonder what it is all about, and why I am yearning for more readership. Oh well, everyone is doing it these days it seems. I am going to check out this “blog exchange”. Enjoy your break and thanks for the link up!
Only something another blogger with blogging in their veins would understand. Would love to have you on board for blog exchange. Heading over to case your ww post now.
I love your office! And the last quoyte just made an impact on me. Sometimes I held back posts as I dont want to get away from being PR friendly. I will use that when I am feeling that way. Blog like now one is reading!
Office photo is from the files, although mine doesn’t look too different from this but we’ve recently had a flood in the office and it wasn’t photo worthy.
Blog like no one is reading is our first challenge in Blog Exchange. You should join us.
I guess I am different because I have no sponsors, no ads and don’t want any. I don’t worry about PR. MY blog is really about nothing other than the things I do and see. I don’t make any money off my blog or get anything free. I blog because it gives me a creative outlet that I need in my life.
Enjoy your break and I am a big fan of Facebook.
I think all our blogging journeys look a little different. I try not to have too much sponsored content on here, so for the most part I’m not too different from you but my work is blogging related and occasionally collides, which makes things seem more like work than it possibly should.
Great reason to be out of the office! 🙂
I love my ‘gone shopping’ sign. Even if I’m just window or online shopping.
Wishing you lots of time off to get refreshed! I’ll pray that you have wisdom to know how to balance it all. Take care and God bless!
It’s just a crazy busy time of year with the end of the financial year. This time next month, everything should fall into place.
Oh good on you, Raych. I hope you enjoy your mini bloggy break. I’m suffering a little bloggy block this week myself when it comes to FB and Instagram. I think I’m a little tired too, my busy schedule at work is not helping, anyway some time out always does a world of good. Enjoy x
Thanks Renee. This time next month things should all fall into place.
I’m not surprised you are exhausted! I hope this will also give you the chance to look after your health as well – something that is sometimes forgotten amidst the whirl of everything else. I was some pics of your office transformation – I’m still in need of a little inspiration there myself!
I had planned to sleep on the plane, clearly things didn’t go to plan. Health is my number 1 priority. If I’d known I wasn’t going to sleep, I probably would not have gone in the first place. Live and learn.
Wow Raychael – how come you had some a long period of no sleep! That would stuff me up for a month I think! Good idea to take a break. I find I need to do that quite often. Catch up time I call it. In fact I feel like I need a wee bloogy break now! I still haven’t caught up since being away in Tassie. Usually I have about a fortnights worth of blog posts drafted up and at least a weeks worth scheduled. At the moment I am typing up posts the night before. For today’s post – I hit ‘schedule’ at midnight. I’m so excited for you with your upcoming study – how exciting! 🙂
It was the fly in fly out trip to Melbourne for Voices 2015, I thought I would at least sleep on the plane but that didn’t happen.
I usually have six months worth of blog posts on the go but since merging blogs, I’m wanting to take things in a slightly different direction.
Oh I experienced the same after I attended ProBlogger in 2013 — I don’t know if it was just me being overwhelmed by it all but I had ideas I just couldn’t pen. Sometimes, a break is good to get past the block. Other times, it’s good to just write anything. 🙂
I love your blog exchage idea but am blogging sporadically this month due to holidays. I will check in during July and try to participate then. Enjoy the break and get some sleep!!
No need to blog for blog exchange. Just join in when you can and if you haven’t already join our Facebook group.
Have a wonderful rest to find inspiration… we do need that from time to time!
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Thanks. I think I might actually pull the plug for the weekend and be completely social media free. I have a couple of events but I wouldn’t mind just getting out and about with the camera doing something with the family.
Enjoy the break and catch up Raych! 🙂
Thanks Mary. I’m going completely social media free this weekend. I do have events on and they may want Instagram shares but apart from that, I’m having some much needed time out.
Take care of yourself Raych. I have been behind in some of my writing and blog reading. I often feel like its either writing, or social media that I am great at…never both at the same time!
I’m a bit the same at the moment. Being pulled in too many directions.
Thanks so much for doing all that you do for the blogger community Raych. You are a breath of fresh air and I love that I have connected with you. You are someone I want to squeeze in real life one day very soon! Hugs (((())))
I don’t nearly do enough but I do what I can when I can. You are definitely on my must meet soon list. Need to find a way to make it happen.
Hope you get some rest! Snapchat – I have to get more into it. It’s how my college girl communicates best. 🙂
Thanks Jill. Yes, I was thinking Snapchat might not be for my generation.
I think you might be onto something. Maybe one day I will follow suit. It’s never a bad idea to take a break and re-evaluate, re-energize and re-connect with what really brings you joy. I started blogging in 2006 and have had many a blogger’s block. But you will always find me on Twitter.
I don’t spend nearly enough time on twitter. Might be time for a change.
I started blogging because my friend Bridie told me I should and I had nothing better to do than write Yelp reviews. I haven’t had a major blogger block yet but I don’t often have more than one or two draft posts ready to go so I’m always on the lookout (case!) for the next one. I love that I have suddenly found this whole community of properly cool and nice people who actually respond and engage when I thought I’d be blogigng and commenting into space (or just family and friends). In terms of blog-related social media, I find I get the best engagement via Instagram. I’ve just started a FB page recently which is bombing along quietly and enjoying sharing random thoughts and pics there too. I tweet but don’t get a lot from it and Pin which is just for fun. I have Snapchat but only three friends and Periscope is my new fascination.
I’m really loving Instagram. I suppose in the end you need to work out not where you like to hang out in social media town but where your audience likes to play. I might need to hear more about Periscope. I few people have mentioned it to me this past week.
I love Insta too, I just wish there was some kind of “mark as read” feature or a way to not lose your place if you exit out! Periscope is oddly fascinating. I’ve watched someone walk to work through Camden Town, someone driving through Dallas and a handsome Scottish boy just talking at random to the messages that pop up on his screen. It’s another one of those “normal people doing normal things” type thing that I love!!
listen to your intuition raych! … and your body! … do what you have to do!
hopefully you are catching up on sleep! … I cannot function at all if I have sleep debt!
T = time out to sort out!
much love m:)X
I hear you. It’s a super busy time of year and something had to give.
Yes, it’s true. It’s always a way factor, I believing. My beginning to blog was years ago after an operation on my knee.
Would love to hear more about your bogging journey Heidrum.
I thought only teenagers use snapchat anyway lol.
Me too Toni, but I’ve had a few friends and associates tell me I NEED to be on it lately. I’m not convinced.
Sometimes you just need to take a break! I took a 9 month break. And then following that, I took another 9 month break! I missed it too much though. Hope you are able to become refreshed by throttling back a little. 🙂
Not sure I could come back after a 9 month break. I’m hoping to refine and refocus in the next 12 months as I complete my business diploma and launch my online business. Where blogging fits into that.. time will tell.
Hi Raychael, I started blogging in January. I am loving The Blog Exchange. Such a lovely community and a great idea by you. Thanks so much for giving so much to newbie bloggers. Bron x
Love your blog Bron, would love to feature you here at some stage. Drop me an email when you get the chance (ms.mystery.case@gmail.com).
Enjoy a well earned break. I had February ‘off’ this year for a family holiday and it was just awesome. We had a ‘no computers’ rule for 2.5 weeks. Great for rebooting the brain!
I honestly think I need to do the same, I’ve just picked the wrong time with a 12 month campaign about to kick off.
Enjoy your break and see you on the flip side!
Thanks Lydia.
No wonder you are tired! Do what you need to do, if your hearts not in then have a breather. There is no use in blogging just for the sake of it thats for sure.
I started my blog as a way to document my home renovations and Im still on track with that 5 years on. I do know what you mean about getting a bit burnt out though, its not just about the blog anymore there is so much more time invested in social media as well. I do feel that many bloggers have less time for blog posts when they can easily share on social media. But I think you still need the blog as a base for everything.
It’s purely a time management thing for me and I’m wanting a bit of change in direction. Heart still in it, I was just needing to clear some head space as the first semester of my business diploma is all about profiling… me. I probably need to pull back on my grand plans though. I can’t do everything.
Sounds like you do have a lot on your plate! Thank you for taking the time to stop by and comment on my blog today! This blog exchange sounds interesting, I’ll have to take a look!
Love your blog Haidee. I don’t always have the time to leave a comment and I do a lot of my blog reading on my mobile which often makes commenting hard.
You know, I always struggle to find any words when I’m exhausted. I tend to get muddled with my own thoughts and not be able to get them down as clearly as I wish or I over think things and tell myself no one will want to read what I have to say in that current state. I little time out can never hurt. The words will come back. You are a crazy busy go cat so have the weekend for yourself I say xx
Thanks Vicki. How are you going? I have three events on this weekend but hoping I can just make a quick in and out appearance at all of them or find a stunt double.