Blogging... can be stressful.

Most of the time, blogging is so much fun.  I love writing, I love doing things worth writing about, and I love connecting with readers and other bloggers.  But many times, especially in my past year and a half or so (since I started this blog), I end up with long gaps during which my posting is minimal or even zero, as has been the case for the past two weeks.  I always say "I'll be back soon!  I'll make better habits!  I promise!" but I have trouble fulfilling those promises.  Honestly, I always have the best intentions, but I haven't yet adhered to those intentions.

A big part of this problem comes from the lack of stability in my life over the past 18 months or so.  Job instability has been a driving factor, especially lately.  I spend so much time piecing together part time jobs all over the city to make ends meet, and end up spending most of my non-work time driving.  When I have the opportunity to build friendships, I also prioritize those timeslots over blogging because I have yet to build myself a network here in Cleveland beyond my family.  Then there are other times when I'm sitting at home at the end of the day with time to write, but my focus is shot to hell from the rest of my schedule, and I avoid my laptop like the plague, piling up a to-do list that intimidates me every time I think about it.  Those moments when something you normally love becomes something that stresses you out?  Those are the worst, and you can easily get caught in quicksand, the self-fulfilling cycle of "too much makes me not work on things which then add to the too much which makes me not work on things!"

I try not to posit my various reasons for not blogging as excuses, but they do affect my ability to take time to blog.  What I should be doing, however, is making time to blog, since it is something I want to continue to build.  I have so many posts that are half finished or waiting in the wings to take the stage, and I'm committing right now to making the time to finish up those posts, get things moving again, and get back on track.  Look forward to seeing my race recap from the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving (spoiler alert: there's a massive PR involved), holiday shopping ideas for the fitness fanatics in your life, product reviews on some of the fun goodies I've been playing with this fall, and a couple surprise topics that may sneak their way onto the blog!

With the new year around the corner, and the divorce possibly coming closer to a settlement, I'm hoping that 2016 will finally be my year to establish stability.  Having my own place to live again will be huge, and having my own space will allow me to set up an actual work area that can facilitate my writing a little better.  I'm waiting to hear back on some exciting job opportunities that could take me closer to the things I love while also finally providing a steady paycheck.  I'm building friendships that have a lot of long term potential.  My fitness jobs are growing too, and I'm excited to see where things go over the next few months.  I genuinely believe my time is right around the corner - and I can't wait to take y'all on the next steps in my journey!

Thank you, as always, for your patience.  Getting my life sorted out has been a struggle, with many ups and downs, but the latest trend has been heavily upward, and I only see that continuing as I go forward.  You'll definitely see some posts this week, and I'd also love to hear about topics you'd be interested in seeing in the new year!  Leave me some comment love and let's talk!