I think one of the worst things a blogger can do is get to the point in their blogging career where you feel obligated to post and apologetic if you don’t.
If you’ve been doing this for any length of time, I guarantee you’ll go through this if you haven’t already. It’s where balance is called into question.
Let’s face it. We don’t put in a salary for this stuff. Sure, some of us are lucky enough to be paid for sponsored posts or working with a brand but this career path is hard. It’s hard because you’re constantly trying to go after opportunities while you’re also waiting for the surprise email that makes you an offer of a lifetime.
And it’s also a bit of a catch-22. We want opportunities and visibility so we need to be consistent in writing and posting. But we’re also told to be authentic and write when it feels authentic. The two don’t always align. And then there’s the complication of life.
First and foremost, I’m a wife and mother. Even if I were still bringing in enough to put me in that “high wage earner” category, family comes first. It’s got to.
Luckily, I’ve never made the mistake of thinking a company actually cared about me.
Okay, well, maybe just once or twice. But I’ve learned from it. I’ve learned that a company is in business to make money and typically if you aren’t somehow contributing to that bottom line, you are no longer an asset.
You don’t sacrifice the relationships that count for those that don’t.
When it comes to blogging, it’s a complicated order. There are some obligations but ultimately, we set our own schedules. We are beholden to ourselves. But it’s also about relationships too. With our readers and friends and “fans.”
Today I had a day where I wanted to write about Mitt Romney and s’mores (not together, but wouldn’t that make an interesting post?). But I had a playdate with neighbors and friends. And as is par for the course, it did not go swimmingly with Evan and the other kids. He’s struggling. And I’m struggling as a result.
Nobody told me there'd be days like these.
Even though my workload is overflowing and lately I feel like I make more apologies than posts, today was a day that I felt emotionally spent (and maybe just a little physically exhausted). So I let it all go. Life got in the way of blogging and I was okay with that.
