I have once again taken something of a “break” from blogging. After all the conversation and debate of the last few weeks, I found myself drawing a complete blank regarding where to go next – how to follow up something that inspired such fascinating conversation. Despite the many hundreds of blogs devoted to topics such as being motivated, getting things done, etc. I do not believe that pushing ahead is always the answer, and in this instance, giving in to my own lack of motivation and general deficit of ideas has, I believe, been just what I needed.
Sometimes, when the usual sources of inspiration are not forthcoming and one’s heart really isn’t fully in the task, I think it’s best to just give in, rest, and try again later.
Here’s what I do when I’m devoid of motivation and nothing seems to work:
- Unplug – Not necessarily from all technology but certainly the “blogosphere” and related parts of the Internet. Staring at my WordPress dashboard is pointless, reading other blogs makes me feel (irrationally) guilty for not posting to mine and when the usual sources of inspiration such as Flickr, etc. have come up with nothing, continuing to look at them is just frustrating.
- Avoid – Close the notebooks, put the piles of post-its in a safe place and stop looking at them. The more I puzzle over things and try to link my notes together into something worth posting, the more irritated I become, so putting them away and ignoring them for a while means that when I go back to them I look at them with a fresh perspective.
- Wind Down – The body too but particularly the mind, if I’ve been thinking extensively about things and yet being unable to accomplish anything, I know it’s time to switch off. For me this involves doing something entertaining that requires very little intellectual effort such as watching “light” TV shows and movies (Buffy has been my mainstay this week) and reading trashy magazines. Winding down the body is important too, and I tend to use the hour or so per night I would spend reading blogs to get an early night instead, or to have a relaxing hot (and / or alcoholic) drink curled up comfortably on the sofa.
- Indulge – Lack of motivation and ideas tends, for me, to go hand in hand with an overall feeling of restlessness and apathy. More often than not this is indicative of feeling generally low, so in times like these I indulge my whims, where I am able to. I treat myself to tasty food, no matter how unhealthy, or I buy myself something pretty. Shallow? Very, but every little helps!
I usually find that by giving into what my body, mind and / or soul wants and needs is sometimes the only way to get back on the right track feeling rejuvenated and motivated once more. All the motivational tips, to-do lists and inspiring websites are great, but on occasion they’re just not enough, and a break is what is needed to “reset” and re-awaken my creativity again.
How do you find your motivation when it seems to be lacking? Do you ever just give in and take a break from everything?
I absolutely agree – sometimes it is much better to step away from something for awhile and come back to it later with a fresh outlook. I just wrote a post on how I find inspiration & motivation, so I won’t go into too much detail here, but one thing I will mention is that I think talking to people IRL can provide tons of ideas that wouldn’t come otherwise. I think a lot of bloggers don’t really talk about “internet life” with people they know offline & that’s a shame. I discuss what I’m writing – for my blog and otherwise – with my boyfriend all the time and our conversations always lead to new ideas and outlooks. We’ll end up talking about how the subject relates to something that’s happened IRL, which helps me to put a much more personal spin on what I’m writing, which is something I’ve been trying to do a lot more of!
Great post, I’ve really been looking forward to your updates recently. =)
Okay one more thing! I update my blog maybe once a week, sometimes twice and I never feel guilty about not posting more, even though it’s something I’d like to get into. I think that when it comes to blogging, quality is much more important than quantity. If you’re only posting once or twice a week, but your posts are awesome, then there’s no problem. Some blogs go weeks and weeks with nothing but link posts and other fillers just for the sake of having new content up each day. Sure, their blog gets a lot more content much more quickly this way, but the result is a website full of clutter & useless crap. A blogger who updates more infrequently but with quality in mind will create a blog that is filled with wonderful, inspiring information, even though it will take longer to do so. It’s worth it IMO! Now, I don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with link posts, TiLT, etc. once in awhile. But if that’s all a blog is made up of, I don’t care how often it’s updated – I’m not interested in it.
I totally agree with Kylie. I follow tons of blogs. Believe me, I am never without reading material, but I am looking for quality not quantity. I can always count on a good read from you whenever you pop up on my reader. When you don’t write, I read something else until you come back. Better you take a break and come back refreshed and ready to do quality work.
definately take a break and come back! i take baths and read books and sleep sleep sleep! buffy is awesome for tuning out, along with crappy american teen movies
You’re totally right Kylie, and I really enjoy your posts as you do appear to have a really fresh perspective on things