Prioritise

Image by melinda257 from Pixabay
Image by melinda257 from Pixabay 

Funny how you can have a vague idea for a blog post floating around in your head and then coming across a meme that fits it perfectly. Yes, the word ‘Prioritise’ has been the prompt for the whole month of September, but only now did it match my mood and inspire a post.
My September was bad this year. I’ve felt, and still do, bad. Part of it is adjusting to my new diet, but the Covid-19 situation is a large part of it too. I miss going out. And no, not to bars and restaurants, but even going to the store, to a garden centre, to Ikea. I’ve needed a haircut since last February, but I don’t dare. I’m in relatively good health, but still, I try to avoid getting sick. Which means I’m stuck at home. Our house is not even that small, but it feels like a golden cage. Anyway, how am I going to pick up myself again?

Why Blog?

Sometimes I, together with my husband, wonder why I blog. What does it really bring me? It’s not making me rich, neither does it bring in any money.
So far, my blog has brought me plenty: a friendly community, writing opportunities, and overall an outlet for my personal posts.
When I’m feeling down, it might seem useless. It does cost quite some time and effort, and for what really?
But then I do blog, even a silly post about buying a washing machine, and people react to it. Writing it, publishing it and reading the comments all felt amazing.

Rhythm

For the longest time, I would sit down on Monday morning, check all the memes and decide which ones to write on Monday and which on Thursday.
The last few months, I’ve let this rigid structure go, thinking I could freewheel it. Turns out: I can’t. I shouldn’t wait for inspiration to hit. I should plan to write at least two blog posts a week. Maybe an extra review will come up, and I can substitute it for a blog post, that’s fine, but I need to get back to publishing something twice a week. Full stop.

Priority

I need to prioritise my writing. Yes, playing Animal Crossing and Lord of the Rings Online is fun and relaxing, and there’s definitely a time and place for it, but my work should come first. It’s the butt-in-chair philosophy. When I sit down and decide to write, eventually something will turn up.
As long as I set a deadline for myself, I’ll stick to it and actually produce something. It’s more fun and relaxing to play games, but for my sanity, I need to write.

My Blog, My Priority

I noticed when I write for someone else, it’s easier for me to hit a deadline. But since I’m a freelancer, there is no one above me. In different ways, I’m pretty strict for myself, so I’m gonna be strict with myself regarding my writing—two posts a week, with room for reviews and fiction writing on the side. When I’ve written something, anything, I feel better and lighter. So I’ve made my schedule for the upcoming three weeks. From now on, there’ll be less time for distraction, and my blog will be my priority.


6 Comments

    1. Thanks ☺️
      Every once in a while I let things slip and I think that I’ll be all right, but that’s usually not the case. I’m better off with structure and planning posts.

      Lizblackx
  1. I have to schedule my writing, too, and basically term it “self care.” Like you point out, it isn’t about money, it’s about how it feeds our soul. The connections, the interaction, the sharing. It is a way to be part of something bigger than ourselves, which is always good, but especially important in times such as these.

    1. I like the term ‘self care’ when it comes to scheduling writing ?
      I tried to go without my todo-list for about 2/3 months and it had detrimental effects on my mental health. I hardly produced anything, as a result I received little feedback, which made me feel worse…etc…etc…
      It feels great to be part of something bigger, like you say, especially during these times of disconnect.

      Lizblackx

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