It's Time To Step Back, Regroup, Plan and Prepare!
When I began this blog, I was posting six-days-a-week. After about a year I decreased my publishing to a Tues.- Wed.- Fri.- Sat. schedule. I was faithful to this commitment until the past month or so.
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If you subscribe to my daily emails or you've stopped by this blog since last Friday, I am sorry that you found nothing new. Despite good intentions, I've had nothing prepared to post. I used to have a really good blogging routine - - and then it broke.
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| I previously published this picture to show some of the tools I use to stay organized. They haven't been used enough for a while! |
Several months ago, my husband and I began working-out together before he goes to work, so I've been getting up an hour earlier than usual. My creativity has always been best late at night, and that's when most of the contents of this website has been written. While I understand the benefits of daily exercise and I love the extra hour with my spouse, I lost the rhythm of my routine when my sleeping patterns changed. An earlier bedtime became imperative. For a while, I was still able to keep up with my blogging tasks, but I was no longer following the schedule that had become a habit.
The demands of the recent holiday season and a desire for more family time limited both my writing and my time spent on social media in December. Everything sort of fell apart. Blogging requires a lot of self-discipline and it is easy to be tempted to let tasks slip. Before I knew it, I had used up my reserve of pre-written posts, and this week I found myself with nothing prepared, no plan in place ... and the worse case of writer's block that I have ever experienced.
I've learned that I need to implement a new blogging system.The importance of preplanning and a good working routine should not be underestimated. In fact, I've been thinking a lot lately about the role that routines play in our daily lives, and I may even write about this in a future post.
Sometimes the best way to make the most of a moment is to step back, regroup, plan, and prepare. The frequency of my blog posts may decrease a bit as I do so, but it will hopefully be worth it in the end.
What time of day are you most creative?
Does switching to a different sleep schedule interfere with your routines?
This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!
I have to admit I was getting a little worried about you Susan! But I totally understand. I do my best writing at night as well. I've switched around my schedule a little bit, and I'm getting up earlier too - I'm actually writing about that on Monday on The Blended Blog. If only we didn't need to sleep :)!
ReplyDeleteSorry to give you reason for concern Lana. I think I just needed to step back for a bit. Doing a little traveling this week, then hopefully back full swing into planning and getting back on track after that!
DeleteI also was wondering - checked your Instagram account and here, thinking I'd somehow missed out. Having said that, I absolutely understand. Good on you for making time for exercise! That's wonderful. I look forward to seeing how you adapt over here. I used to do my best writing at night and now I'm doing it in the late afternoon. Like now. I'm walking in the morning, doing house stuff and then trying to sit down and write. It's hard to be a task master when you're the boss, I find.
ReplyDeleteAnd I haven't even posted much on Instagram. I guess I really did drop off the radar for a bit! Late afternoon does sound like a good time to write - I may follow your lead. How is the book coming?
DeleteA different sleep schedule definitely interferes with routines, but if the new sleep schedule is stuck to, it becomes routine and other regular tasks fit themselves in and also become routine again. It's constant chopping and changing that causes the biggest problem.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll get something worked out eventually and you'll slip into a new routine.
I agree -and traveling this week is not helping me establish any kind of a routine ... but hopefully the rest of the month will lend itself to that.
DeleteI completely understand! I worked my way through what was beginning to be a glut of posts and now I need to get back in a rhythm of making more! Glad to hear all is well!
ReplyDeleteThanks Carlee - and I always enjoy your posts, so I will look forward to them all!
DeleteBlogging (wonderful as it is) sometimes needs to take a back seat to life. And River is right, a new routine is always a time of adjustment. Take your time. We will be here when you are ready to return, and will be very happy to see you.
ReplyDeleteI am at my best early. Before dawn.
I agree. And thank you for your patience and support! Before dawn is not my best time...
DeleteI agree, it can be very hard to come up with new material. We strive for the best and not just to post anything. I appreciate your honesty and feel a sigh of relief because I'm not the only one. lol. Take your time, ease into your new routine, and we will be here. Btw, I write my best at night too... after midnight, so it can get hairy in my house too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary - it is reassuring to me that others feel this way too!
DeleteI am in the same boat. I've been taking courses to better my grammar and punctuation and coding and with everything that happened at Xmas I just haven't been able to write anything really. I'm using guest bloggers for awhile to give myself a little breathing room. I've fallen in love with html and css what can I say...
ReplyDeleteGood for you for doing the courses - there will be huge payoffs for that in the long run, I am sure! Give yourself the breathing room you need, Rena - and you will find your voice again, even stronger than before. Hang in there!
DeleteI'm so glad you're back, Susan. I completely understand about life getting in the way of blogging, when I lost my dad last month I feel like I lost my voice. I'm doing some writing but mostly hosting guest posts until I'm feeling more myself again.
ReplyDeleteI feel so badly that I didn't even know about your dad, Karen. My condolences are belated, but I am so very sorry.
ReplyDeleteI write when the whim takes me but there are definitely dry spells - I've also cut back on how much I post because it's too hard to keep all the balls in the air if I'm doing too much. You're sure to find your rhythm again and now I need to catch up on your newer posts too now that you're back up and running.
ReplyDelete