Coming back to write for my blog after such an extended hiatus is both exciting and daunting. Things have been so busy the last years, as you yourself surely knows, and I really don't want to make those sad years into a topic today. But I guess my topic will, actually be just that in a round about way. "I'm back" and with that Welcome Back!
Today I am going to be writing about two things, the first one is picking up the digital pen again and the other is something that has really become dear to my heart. That will take up the majority of today's time, that is work-life balance. You see the last years have shown me personally that there are more important things in life. Through the imposed family time I realized just how much I was missing out on. But, regardless of that it was hard to achieve a true balance once I returned to work. But enough of that for now.
When I decided it was time to breathe new life into my site I hadn't realized how much time had really gone by, it was intimidating, the few of you who followed my musings surely have left for greener pastures and I contemplated just leaving it all be. But I wanted to write again, I needed to write. So I chose to go ahead with my plan. On the one hand, you're eager to get back into writing, to channel your creativity and create something new. On the other hand, restarting after such a long break can be intimidating. If this sounds familiar, don't worry; there are plenty of things you can do to ease your return to blogging.
I read up on getting back into the flow when I decided it was time. As it seems, this is actually a pretty come thing. So today I will share a bit of that with you to maybe encourage your to stretch your fingers and share your thoughts.
First and foremost, spend some time reconnecting with your audience. They may have grown or changed since the last time you posted, depending on how long you've been gone. Before you begin writing your next post, make sure you understand who they are now and what type of content would be most appealing to them. Once you've determined who is reading your blog, create content that speaks to their interests and needs. This will help ensure that your post resonates with them and that you don't miss out on engagement opportunities when you return from the break.
Consider spending some time re-familiarizing yourself with whatever blogging platform or CMS you use if you haven't logged in in a while (like me)! I use one called Bludit which my BiL suggested because it is easy to use and the learning curve it really not that steep to begin with. Whichever one you are using it is time to refresh your memory on any changes or new features so that everything feels more at ease when you start working. Actually I just opened up a new post and started typing, but I was always the type of person to jump right in.
Finally, try not to be too concerned with posting perfect content right away; instead, focus on having fun creating something new! Writing is a creative process that takes practice to master, so don't expect instant gratification when returning after a long absence. It may take some time for things to click again, but they will - just keep at it and good luck!
The Work/Life Balancing Act
To be completely honest, this post, the one that you are reading right now, was going to be my first contribution to the site after almost two years, but that felt somehow wrong. Like I was cheating myself a little bit. I needed to ease into the process, have some fun, and just get a feel for it. Then I realized that they shared very much the same topic with one another and I decided to just go with it. Both are about how life has a way of changing even the best plans (I'm big on planning). And in our hectic lives, finding quality time to spend together as a family is becoming increasingly difficult. With longer working hours and more distractions, it can be difficult for families to connect. We all understand how important it is to prioritize our families, but having a successful professional life may require you to sacrifice some of your family time.
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of achieving work-life balance:
Pros:
- Flexible work hours: Many employers now provide flexible work schedules so that employees can easily adjust their work commitments to accommodate family activities.
- More quality time spent with family: Balancing your professional and personal lives will allow you to make the most of the time you spend together.
- Better physical and mental health: Taking frequent breaks from work can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.
- Increased work productivity: When you spend more quality time with your family, you'll have more energy to devote to work tasks and projects.
Cons:
- Limited career advancement opportunities: Taking frequent breaks or changing your schedule may limit future career advancement opportunities.
- Increased financial stress: Choosing shorter working hours may result in less money coming in, putting additional strain on other areas of life such as paying bills or taking vacations together.
- Overworking yourself: It is easy to become so caught up in balancing everything that you end up overworking yourself in both personal and professional roles. It's critical not to put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect all of the time!
Finding a good balance between professional success and giving quality time and attention to your family should be viewed as an achievable goal requiring dedication, compromise, and understanding from all parties involved! This is going to be something that I plan to revisit occasionally here going forward. For one, it is something that needs to be reaffirmed in my life from time to time, and on the other hand it is something that we should all at least consider now and then. Are we really as well balanced as we think? Could be do better? I know that I can.