It’s Time to Start Writing Again
It’s been nearly 6 months since I’ve written a blog post. For those that read and follow my blog, I’m sure many of you wonder why.
I don’t think there is any one reason, but rather a number of factors combined, starting with the pandemic.
COVID
Like many of you, I can’t help but feel that this pandemic has taken at least some toll on my mental health. Everything seems just a little more taxing and a little more overwhelming.
It’s been 18 months of cancelations, disappointments, adjustments, and added stress. While I haven’t lost anyone close to me to the virus, I take care of and interact with people at work everyday who have. And the constant media headlines of fear, negativity, contention, and political strife certainly don’t seem to help.
One of the main ways I used to recharge my batteries was travel. For me, taking a week or so off from the pager and away from other responsibilities really helped me to recenter, refocus, and come back refreshed and ready to go. Since the pandemic began, I honestly have lost track of the number of trips and plans we have had to cancel. And as a result, I’ve felt the cumulative effect over time.
As the pandemic has gone on longer and longer, the energy and desire I used to have to write has slowly dwindled away. I guess it feels like COVID has taken away some of my freedom; freedom to go and do the things that I want to do.
More Work than Pleasure
When I first started the blog in 2019, it was great. I loved writing. I loved sharing the things I was learning about financial independence. I loved hearing feedback about how it was helping others get their own finances on track. I loved taking pictures I could use on my blog posts.
But as time went on, especially over the last year or so, likely for some of the above stated reasons, it started to feel less like something I enjoyed, and more like work. And since it felt more like work, it became one of the last things I wanted to do.
Time Consuming
Writing blog posts is very time consuming (at least it has been for me). From writing, to editing, to publishing it on WordPress, I would estimate it takes me between 3-6 hours per post.
Most people that know me well usually wonder how in the world I find time in my schedule to have a blog. Between juggling my responsibilities at work, at church, and at home, I can tell you it’s not easy.
But for a really long time, it didn’t feel like one more thing to do. It was something I actually looked forward to. Almost like its own escape. There is something extremely satisfying about writing and/or creating something. But since it’s started to feel more like work, I’ve no longer made or found time in my schedule for something that consumes so much of my time.
Time for A Change
Well, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of the pandemic. I’m tired of feeling like I’ve lost some of the things I enjoy, some of my freedom. I want to take back some of the control in my life. To act rather than be acted upon.
The other day I was thinking about 2019. I’m not sure about you, but for me that was a pretty awesome year for a lot of reasons. I felt really happy then. And it’s not that I’m unhappy now, but I don’t feel like I’m as happy as I was then. I’m not living life as fully as I was.
So I’ve asked myself, “What was I doing then that I’m not doing now?” I’ve identified a number of things and made a list. And while I can’t do all the things I was doing in 2019, I’m going to do my best to do as many as I can.
One of those things is writing. I’ve decided to start blogging again. After a six month hiatus, I feel the itch to write and create. I’m not going to commit to any set frequency, but rather write whenever I have the desire. Also, I’m going to try to write shorter posts so it doesn’t feel quite so daunting or overwhelming.
Conclusion
I’m excited to start writing again. I’m not sure when this pandemic will end, but I can tell you what has ended: me feeling like it is dictating the way I live.
There are a lot of things I’ve been learning about in personal finance over the last year and I’m excited to share them with you. The list includes refinancing your home mortgage, the economy, fiat currency, inflation, precious metals, cryptocurrency, private equity real estate investing, donor advised funds, donating stocks directly to charity, and more. So stay tuned in for more to come.
As you read my message today, here are some take home points to consider:
- How are you dealing with the pandemic? It’s taken me some time to understand why I was feeling the way I have been. It may be healthy to take some time for introspection and really ask yourself how you are doing with everything going on in the world.
- Is there anything you love that you’re not doing now because of the pandemic, that you were back in 2019?
- Make a list of those things in your life you want to re-take control of and a plan to do it.
- If not now, then when?
Thanks for reading. I hope you are doing well in your progress towards reaching FI. If you have any questions or comments that might help other readers, please list them below. In the meantime, keeping working towards Freedom Through FI!
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