Don’t quit blogging for the wrong reasons
There’s never been a shortage of posts about quitting blogging in the blogging community. I’ve contributed a few myself over the years.
It’s been a while since I last did it, so it’s hard to remember what the explanation was. Probably something that sounded wise and understandable at the time.
But was it the right reason? Was it really true?
I don’t know, but I honestly think it wasn’t.
Even though I haven’t actually gone through with it lately, the thoughts of quitting still pop up every now and then. Instead of acting on them, I’ve started trying to understand why they show up in the first place.
It always starts with something that sounds true to me. “I want to spend less time online. I want to focus on other things. I’ve enjoyed blogging, but it’s time for a change.”
Hard to argue with that, if it’s honest. But when I stay with those thoughts instead of acting on them, a different story slowly appears.
The embarrassing truth is that underneath that shiny armor of reasoning, this is what’s really going on. “I spend all this time writing, creating, and sharing. For what? Does anyone even care? Why bother continuing?”
That’s the sad soundtrack playing in the background. That’s the need for validation hiding behind something that sounds reasonable.
It’s a lie.
Yes, I do spend time writing, creating, and sharing. But I do it because I love it, not to be recognized or to make a living from it.
And I know that at least some people care. I see it in wonderful emails, lovely guestbook comments, and links from other bloggers. Thank you.
If you ever find yourself thinking about quitting blogging, don’t reach for the delete button right away. Stay with the idea for a while. Sit with it for a day, a week, or however long it takes to find the honest answer.
Just don’t quit blogging for the wrong reasons.