Taking Time Out!
It’s been pretty quiet in my blog email the past two weeks. The invitations to events have dwindled from less to zero, and sponsored posts have stopped coming. As a blogger, I know I should have been worried that this happened, but the truth is, I’m quite relieved. This is the way it should be.
I’ve got one last client to write a blog for, but I’m going to need to find the time to visit their branch and register for their class to be able to do so. Other than that, I’ve got no plans on signing up for any event in the groups I’m in. I really want to rest.
Not that I have anything against events and brand blogging. For now, I really just want to simplify our lives and chill it out.
Did you notice I said “our lives” instead of mine? That’s because in our family, the schedule of one person turns everyone else’s schedule around. I don’t know what it’s like in your home, but in ours, that’s how we roll.
It didn’t really take me that long to decide that this was the right thing to do, although I did consider the hard work I’ve put in building up my blog a bit in order to get those precious client emails.
But because I’m part of a family, I need to keep up with its seasons; and in this season, my blogging has to take the backseat so I can prioritize my relationship with God, my relationship with my husband, my kids’ homeschooling and their dreams, our family’s health and my work.
Having a lot of stuff piled up a mom’s plate is nothing new, but when they start eating into the things that truly matter to us, we moms need to put our foot down and put things back in order.
My husband can’t wait. Our relationship certainly can’t wait either.
My kids can’t wait. Their homeschooling can’t wait.
Our health, both spiritual and physical, can’t wait.
For a time I’ve hoped to turn blogging into my main income-generator, but at the rate I’m going, it’s going to take a few more years before that happens and I just don’t have the time to wait that long. Yeah, I think I’ve given my blog a lot of time to fly already. I don’t think I can push any further.
You know that quote that goes “if you don’t build on your dreams, you’re going to work for someone else to build theirs?” If you put it that way, it sounds so terrible. But the truth is, what’s wrong with working for someone else if working for someone else allows you to fulfill some of your dreams, too?
Because I work for someone else, we manage to enroll our children in DepEd-accredited providers, take them to their training, spend time with them, take them out, buy them shoes — once in my life, that was just a dream I had.
And let me ask you…what is wrong in helping someone else achieve their dreams? Is that so wrong?
You see, it’s all a matter of perspective!
Anyway, some people can pull off working from home AND blogging — and for a while, I think I hung in there. But my back’s been hurting and I really just want time off the internet. Don’t you?
Been wanting to read, too. But if I’ll have to cram blogging about brands in between my currently fully occupied hours, where am I to find the time for that?
I used to justify my blogging schedule with – these are things that I actually use and things that actually matter to my family. But you know, they still take a lot of your time, haha! Seriously.
So here’s what I’ve got.
I’ve had enough of the technicalities and all that, and will just continue to write from the heart.
And if I do write about brands, I may have paid for the stuff I will write about in the coming months. But hey, I don’t mind. I just really need this time out.
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“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.” Psalm 127:2.
14 Comments
Gilian
It’s nice to hear I’m mot alone. Haha
I wanted to tell others to not write for others, instead write to build your own.
I agree that what we do affectsother members in the house. 🙂 I always go back to family. To what matters most. They are the ones to whom my time should be invested in. 🙂 We serve God and them first. It hurts at times but everything seems to come to place whenever we do it. 🙂
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Awww…thanks Gilian. It’s quite encouraging to know someone’s in the same plane as I am haha!
Yes! God and family first. I can’t take the disarray of my life anymore haha I just need things to get back in place. 😉
Jerellt
Hi, May. Thank you for putting into words what has been bugging me for the past few weeks. I’ve also been dreaming of making my blog as my primary source of income, but it’s not happening maybe because I have less time to write and I turned down a lot of PR invites in the past. (And who would want to invite me again after that, right? Haha!) I used to feel bad about it, but I realized that I have to straighten out my priorities. My team at work is getting bigger. My soon-to-be two-year-old daughter won’t be a baby forever. I have less time to blog, but I now have more time to cook for my husband, play with my daughter, catch up with my KDramas (haha), revisit my relationship with God and basically just LIVE LIFE without the I-need-to-blog-this-experience pressure.
I hope you feel refreshed after your TIME OUT. 🙂
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Thank you Jerellt! And yes, we need to really know our priorities. It’s like a compass, we always have a direction to go back to when we’re lost.
Isn’t it more wonderful to genuinely enjoy our family without the pressure? 🙂
Cel
I like what you said, that you will continue to write from the heart. 🙂
Hope to see more posts about your priorities.
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Will do my best. 😉
Celerhina Aubrey
With everything that’s happening, some stuff should really take a back seat. Ganun talaga. But I’m so happy with everything that’s happening to you and your family. 🙂 We’ll be here to support all the way!
May De Jesus-Palacpac
heehee YOU KNOW IT! 😉 Thanks for all the support!!!
Berlin | Momi Berlin
I would like to say or believe that I write from the heart. Only that my husband notices that as I write, I abandon our kids in the process. He told me yesterday that I did nothing but write, I am forgetting to even check the boys.
Honestly, I am feeling a little down and depressed thus turned to writing.as a way to cope up and forget this depression.
Perhaps I need to take the time out, too and check my priorities. Like what you’ve said, my family can’t wait as well and I need to address this concern asap.
Thanks for the reminder.
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Oh Berlin! Maybe you guys need a vacation to unwind. A good day at the beach is the best! HUGS!
Michi
You are not alone! I’ve been blogging for 6 years already but I only attended 5 events so far. I know attending events is good for the blogger because you will meet new people, you can connect and build network, and blog exposure too. I declined a lot of events in the past because I want to spend more time with my family.
I always remind myself with this “There are seasons in our life that we need to say NO to GOOD THINGS in order to say YES to GREAT THINGS”. My family is more important to me and blogging is just my “Me-Time so I always choose my family.
May De Jesus-Palacpac
YES to great things! Thanks Michi!
Nerisa
breathe in and breathe out, May. In this fast pace world, there are times talaga na we need to step aside from what we normally do and just do a time out. else, we become so stressed and unhappy.
Angel Caronongan-Enero
When I got pregnant last 2014, I have the same sentiments, been away from blogsphere then came back after a year. Sometimes, we really need some rest and away from the internet. I have haven’t attending blogger event because I’m a working mom, and my weekends are for my family alone. But since I’ll be a SATM sooner, might considering attend one. It’s ok to time-out and set high priorities and that is your FAMILY. 🙂