Why I Haven’t Been Blogging

Butterfly

Over the last couple of years I haven’t been blogging on a regular basis. I didn’t know what to write about anymore. I began to doubt that my words were being read by anyone much less helping anyone on their decluttering journey.

When those kind of doubts enter your head it’s hard to be creative.  It’s like being a butterfly looking for nectar but there aren’t any flowers blooming.

I could have shared links to old blog posts. I’ve done that a little. But I’m a writer so I wanted to write about new ideas even though they seemed hard to come by.

I began to feel like maybe I was burning out on the topic of my blog.  I knew it wasn’t because I’d become so organized that my life and home were completely simplified.

Far from it!

Actually my home was more cluttered and unorganized than when I started blogging eight years ago.  So what happened?

A Little History

For those who have been reading my blog since the beginning  (I thank you so much) you probably are aware of the course my life has taken during this time.

For those of you who are newer I’ll briefly list the timeline of events that have lead to my house being less organized.

1. Three Months After Starting My Website and Blogs:

I was diagnosis with HER2+ breast cancer.  What followed was surgery, chemo, and radiation. Because of the kind of cancer it was I also had a targeted drug (Herceptin) by IV every three weeks for almost a full year.

2. Ten Months After Diagnosis:

My older sister was diagnosis with breast cancer six months after I was. She had a different kind (less aggressive). Since she had three daughters she decide to get genetic testing done. She was positive for the BRAC2 gene. I then went and got tested. I too have the gene.

That meant I was high risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. The kind of cancer I had (HER2+) already put me at a higher risk for re-occurrence. With the BRAC2 gene it became a double wammy.

3. Seventeen Months After Original Diagnosis:

I had a full hysterectomy including the ovaries removed. It was preventive surgery but gave me a little peace of mind.

4. Just Shy of Two Years After Original Diagnosis:

My mother had a major stoke during surgery for possible lung cancer.  The stoke left her permanently in a wheelchair. Fortunately she lived in a ranch style home so it could be made accessible. But she did require full time caregiving. Since I was the only daughter in town (my two sisters live out of town) I basically had to oversee most of what the caregivers were doing. Plus I took on the responsibilities of paying her bills, managing her home maintenance and repairs, handling her medical insurance, etc.

5. My Mother Passes Away Five Years Later:

My mother stayed at home with the full time caregivers for four years. Then we moved her into a nursing home. She lived for another year there. It was a total of five years where I had those added responsibilities.

The Result of Those Seven Years:

During the first two years of my own illness I was able to continue blogging. I also was able to keep my house and the clutter under control. But during the five years of my mother’s illness it became more difficult to control the clutter or continue blogging on a regular basis.

The routines to keep the house clean and decluttered were gone. Although I kept up my own bills and my mother’s, the filing was getting out of control. I began to feel like a hypocrite. How could I write about decluttering and organizing when I found myself unable to follow my own advise.

Deciding Whether to Keep Blogging or Let It Go:

This past year has been a transition year for me. I’ve learned to re-evaluate what is really important to me.  I’ve learned to forgive myself for past mistakes and not take life so seriously.

So at the beginning of this year, instead of beating myself up about feeling like a failure, I decided to use a common decluttering tactic on this blog.  It’s where you  pack up things you can’t decide if you want to keep or let go of into a box.  Then you date the box for six months or a year before storing it somewhere out of the way. When the date on your calendar shows up it’s time to let go of anything that is still in the box. Some experts even say to take the box to a charity, etc. without even opening it.

I’ve done variations of this tactic with clothes and other items.  I decided to do a variation of it with this website/blog to help me decide whether to let the blog go or start it up again.

I’ve only written and published two blog posts since the first of the year.  I worked hard not to feel guilty about not writing in it. That’s part of the letting go process.

During this time I would post and share information on my Facebook page but even after awhile I didn’t do that very often.

So I began to think that maybe it was time to let it go.  I was starting to work on my fiction again, which I did enjoy.

Changing My focus

Life has slowed down a little for me. I feel calmer. I’ve rediscovered myself. As a result I’m starting to feel the passion for blogging on this site return.

My focus has changed. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older. Maybe it’s because of all I have gone through over the past eight years.  I’m finding it is easier to make decisions as to what adds value to my life and what doesn’t.

I decided this blog does add value to my life and should be kept. I’m proud of all the posts, articles, newsletters, e-courses, and eBooks that I have written for Cut Clutter With Scissors, Organize By The Month, and Cut Out The Paper Clutter.

Although many of the posts are dated there is still a lot of good information that can help others on their own journey to a more simplified home and life. So now I feel it is my calling to continue to share this information and write updated posts.

Decluttering and organizing is a journey, not a destination. Sometimes it’s not easy to balance all that life throws our way.  There will always be things and relationships that enter our lives.  And, to prevent it all from overwhelming us, we will have to let go of what no longer adds value to our lives.

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I’m grateful for all of you who have continued to support my effort to share my passion. I look forward to reigniting the online conversations I’ve had with many of you through the blog, Facebook page, and emails. You’ve added value to my life. I hope I can return the favor.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors

P.S.  If you aren’t already signed up to join me on this journey please do so now.  You’ll receive updates when I write a new blog post or article. Over time I’ll be redoing this website to make it a better resource for information to help you along the way.

 

 

2 thoughts on “Why I Haven’t Been Blogging”

  1. This is great! You have been through a lot and I think by telling us all your trials and tribulations it helps us t0 not be too hard on ourselves. Best of luck to you! I look forward to being a part of your journey!

    1. Thank you Rosanne. I’ve learned from other’s stories so I hope by sharing my stories I can help others. I look forward to you being part of my journey as much as I hope to be a part of your journey.

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