MIA from the Blogosphere

/ SueBC
https://pixabay.com/vectors/milk-carton-milk-missing-31473/

I always used to scratch my head wondering why people went MIA from the blogosphere. I couldn’t imagine it ever happening to me! And yet, here I am. (Or, here I wasn’t!) Only 18 posts last year and this is only my 6th for 2022.

So, what happened? It really isn’t that I have nothing to say. In fact, I have written so many blog posts — but only in my head. My phone is full of pictures I’ve taken, thinking that they would be great for a post, but then never posting them.

Thinking about what happened, the key reasons I stopped blogging were (mostly in order of importance):

https://pixabay.com/vectors/woman-desk-stress-exhausted-6552956/
  1. Too much work
  2. Exhaustion and inertia (see 1.)
  3. An inability to prioritize myself over my work
  4. An emotional need to “circle the wagons” and turn inward, making interaction difficult
  5. An inability to focus on reading (including other blogs) or writing (except for 1.)
  6. Discouragement about and preoccupation with myriad (mostly minor) aches and pains and health concerns
  7. The thought that if I don’t have anything good to say, I should just not say anything at all (especially if the issue is recurring and it is clear that I haven’t been able to fix it)
  8. The idea that I could be judged as not being grateful for what I have (see 10.)
  9. Perfectionism, or the idea that anything worth doing is worth doing (very) well
  10. A fandom experience that left me wanting to withdraw
  11. A reduced need for the Richard Armitage, or even a Richard Armitage, in my life

Do any of these resonate with anyone else?

I’m coming back to the blog to share some of the positive steps I’m taking to try to change things:

  • I hired a great assistant who really made a difference to my work. Unfortunately, he left after only 7 months when a much more interesting opportunity (in the arts) came up. I started the hiring process quickly, and I have a new guy starting October 31 after only a 5-week vacancy. Fingers crossed that he proves to be just as great!
  • In the not-too-distant future, my portfolio will be split, allowing me to focus on two main areas, instead of four. Before that can happen, though, I need to recruit, interview, and hire my counterpart. We had someone close to perfect lined up, but we were not able to meet his salary demands and we are back to square one. (A budgetary reality of working in the non-profit world.)
  • I’ve started working with a wonderful life/leadership coach who, supported through my workplace, is helping me look at various mindsets that are not serving my desire to be happy. We are working on my inability to prioritize myself over work, but also on other things, including perfectionism. As well, we are working on what I can change in my interactions at work that may help. I’m also going on a leadership course/retreat in November (in Whistler!) that is along the same lines.
  • By clearing my mind on an August vacation with my family and setting appointments with myself to read, I’ve found that I’ve been able to read more. Now that I think about it, I seem to have let this slip again. Not everything works the first time.
  • I’m advocating for and focusing on my health and have been pursuing various medical and dental appointments to try to feel better. Not to get too deeply into this, but one of the big things is that I have now given in to walking with a cane and having a disability parking tag. Not giving up, but giving in for now. Hip bursitis seems to be hard to kick. (Pun intended.)
  • I stopped following the fellow fan in #10 above long ago, but it took me longer to stop peeking into her blog and forcing myself to emotionally revisit what had happened. (Another thing I’m exploring with my coach is why I keep revisiting things that make me unhappy.)
  • In any case, and whether the Armitage is doing it for me right now or not, I want to blog again about what feels good to me. After all, this is supposed to be fun!

Thank you for your continued friendship and patience as I try to return from my MIA status. Hopefully, we will see each other around the blogosphere.

18 thoughts on “MIA from the Blogosphere”

  1. The title is “I’m feeling this” (as you have reminded me at least once)!

    Glad to see a sign of life here. I resonate with so many things you’ve put on your various lists. (And am also struggling with blogging, and can’t imagine stopping, but am having issues with continuing, too.) I’m glad you’re getting support in making the changes you want to make.

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  3. Hello Sue – so glad to see a blogpost from you popping up. I’m sorry to read about some of the issues – many of which I can sympathise with. It’s great that you have taken concrete steps to address those issues. Fingers crossed that you can work through them and also regain your joy on blogging. And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be Armitage-related. It’s simply nice to hear from you. Lots of love!

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  4. Yes, it’s lovely that you are not MIA Sue (although I’m sorry that you have been having a difficult/frustrating time). I totally understand about the inertia, withdrawing and turning inwards and blame the pandemic for feeling like this . Fingers crossed for your new colleagues!

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  5. Right there with you. I’ve had a heck of a time getting motivated to post anything for my own blog, given all the writing I do for work and related blogs. I start a lot of posts, but by the time I get back to them to finish, time has marched on and made them obsolete.

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  6. Dear Sue, I am sorry to hear of your struggles. I can identify with many of them (which is why my blog exists in name only—I just can’t work up the energy atm and haven’t been able to for a long while now). I’m very happy to hear that you are tackling your challenges head on and wish you much luck and an improved outlook on life as a result. ❤️❤️

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      • I admire you taking the initiative to identify the issues and to tackle them. That’s a big step.
        I haven’t always felt the crafting “from my soul” so to speak, but the extrinsic motivation of a group project for a good cause is very helpful. It always makes me happy in the end, even if it is sometimes difficult in the moment.
        I wish you all the best for your continued ‘marathon’ in 2023.

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  7. So very nice to read you again! I’m glad you are taking steps to make changes in your life and work balance and taking care of your (mental) health. I too can relate some of what you say here, especially points 4, 5, 7 and occasionally 11 as well (although he still is my fave and interests me enough that I keep on following what he does).
    Yes, this blogging thing is supposed to be fun and every time I doubt about what to write about I tell myself ‘eff it, so what if I don’t have anything to say? I’ll just post what preoccupies me at a certain time.’ This blogging is more for me than for anyone else. It’s lovely if people read and interact, but if they don’t, well, at least I will have unburdened myself and that’s worth a lot as well. 🙂
    Hope you will find some sort of way to stick around for a bit longer. (((Hugs)))

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