I need to slow down!

I have suddenly had to stop and slow down.

These last few weeks a lot of things have changed for me; all of which is great. Yet, as it always seems to, a lot of things have all come at once and subsequently I have been playing a massive life juggling act.

This last month has seen an increase in my blogging:

I have a notebook of things to do, write and what I want to achieve with the blog and with that I have, or so I thought at least, been doing these things slowly.

Realistically it was just over 2 months ago that my Mental health had a massive flare up and it hit me quite hard. Once I had taken time to climb a bit up and maintain certain aspects I do what I always do and throw myself into a project; this time I chose to focus on what I wanted to achieve with the Blog.

Now, when I am focused and determined I achieve a lot but with that I also learn how to balance and maintain it. However, time and time again I fall into the same trap: I achieve what I want and seem to have a good balance and then I start adding to it.

These last 6 weeks especially I seem to have thrown myself into more and more. Let me break it down for you:

Blog

I have written and applied code to the blog to add different features that I wanted to achieve. For example: I now have a menu and functioning drop down tabs.

I have posted consistently every day for the last 2 months.

I have been promoting the Linky (#BigFatLinky) that I co-host.

I have been applying for different products to review with the aim to at least have one review a week.

I am working quite closely with a brand with the hope that I will soon have them be an official sponsor for the blog.

I have joined in with multiple Linky’s (I at least join 3 or more a week)

I have upped the amount of posts I read a day and subsequently a week (I don’t think you really want to know how many)

I have been busy networking amongst many of you and trying to a: build better relationships with you and b: be more comfortable with some of you when it comes to BritMums Live

Real life though has a habit of joining in when you want to focus on things:

Real Life

I have finally signed and received my keys to a fully adapted, 2 bed, flat but on doing this it does mean that I am committing time to decorate, move and settle in to it.

I have had an increase with of pupils with work so I have had to commit more time preparing lessons as well as teaching them.

I started Dating; which again is very time consuming, but equally it is going well so have been spending more time socially.

I have also committed time to a weekly church event.

Finally, I have had the boys slightly more than I would normally have had due to a variety of day changes etc.

You see that none of this is bad; in fact everything that is going on is extremely good. Yet, everything here takes up time and subsequently I seem to be pushing myself too much. It was recently listed to me everything that I do and upon reading this I just stopped and realised how much I am actually doing.

Something therefore needs to give:

I won’t be taking time away from the Boys, they’re my absolute world and I do truly love spending every second with them, however hard they can be!

I can’t financially be taking time away from work because this has real life connotations.

I need to sort moving out and moving into the flat as soon as possible and although I don’t have any real time restraints in doing so I do know how good it would be for me and the boys.

Dating is new, and extremely scary, but I have spent so long trying to hermit myself that I have only dipped my toe into dating occasionally for many reasons. So for the fact that it is going well I don’t really want to take time away from that.

So, ultimately, this leaves blogging. The one thing that I have massively forgotten is how much fun blogging is and at the moment it is feeling like it is verging on a part time job rather than a hobby; something that I really need to rectify. I've been told by a few people and especially Natalie from Plutoniumsox recently to slow down and remember the fun part of blogging and this will be the plan. 

(It's either that or be on the wrong side of Natalie and she scares me so best behave ;) and listen)

I want to continue blogging everyday as I find it therapeutic and I do enjoy it but aspects of it do need to change. I need to cut down on all the products that I am saying yes to review and I also need to cut down with how many Linky’s I am joining in with and just stick with a definite 3 for a while.

With this then will be a lower level of social networking and hopefully I will feel less pressure and have more free time.

Do you ever question if you’re doing too much?

Do you ever think that you’re putting too much into something that is just a hobby?