Can you believe it? It's the last day of August... and just 116 days before Christmas (forgive me, it's just my favorite time of the year)! But before we bid August goodbye, let me refresh on you on what happened this month.
- I went round and round on a bookstore for 1 hour and ended up buying just 4 books.
- Posted some amazing trailers of books-turned-movies that I'm excited about
- I won 14 pretty bookmarks with my favorite book covers on it.
- Listed down 10 books I got excited about this month
- Asked you: who will you call if you have a magic landline?
- Reviewed The Giver by Lois Lowry (and still haven't seen the film)
- Wished for a copy of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
- Hoarded too many ebooks from Amazon
- Won a signed copy of Lola and the Boy Next Door, and crushed on this totally hot YA author
- Finally read and gushed over Isla and the Happily Ever After
- Interviewed the awesome author of The Girl He Knows, Kristi Rose (and you should join the GIVEAWAY!)
As some of you may have noticed, I've been blogging less. For the benefit of the few people who regularly visit my blog (I'm talking about you, Laila and Vee), let me explain my situation.
It's been a very eventful month for me, both online and offline. We moved to a new house, I went through a reading slump, and I had tons of work to do. I thought I can balance everything and still be able to publish at least 4 posts a week. I really wanted to. But I have come to the realization that I... can't. Not this year, at least. Because the amount of work I have (in my day job) isn't going to change any time soon and I have to be realistic -- my job is the one that puts food in my mouth, not my blogging. Whether book blogging makes me happier is still up for debate but that's for another time.
To illustrate, here's the hard truth:
Books to read > Time to read
Work to do > Time to blog
Books + Work > Time to read and blog
This is not to say that I don't have the time. I DO. I just don't have a lot of it at the moment. I also believe that to be able to do something you love, you really have to make time for it. And I'm doing that. I'm not going to stop. The past few months have been a blast and I don't want it to stop. I just have to find my happy balance, and I know that it's not impossible. Here's what I'm going to do:
1. Stop buying/downloading new books
Currently, I have around 100 unread ebooks (including ARCs) and about 20 unread physical books -- enough to last me until next year. I've always been a book hoarder and I've never seen it as a bad thing until now. I'm not saying it's bad for everyone, it's just bad for me because it overwhelms me and makes it harder for me to decide which one to read next. So I decided that I won't get new books (except Isla and the Happily Ever After, and The Blood of Olympus because I've been waiting for them since last year) until I finish everything on my shelf. I am allowing myself to buy only physical books that I've read in ebook format.
What about review requests, you ask? As it is now, I have a lot of review copies waiting to be read. This is probably one of my biggest mistakes; I accepted almost all requests I got but I haven't read all of them. I apologize to the authors and publishers... but I promise that I will read your books. So for now, I will not be joining blog tours (I only have a couple more scheduled) and will stay away from NetGalley for the time being. I will, however, still respond to the review requests via email. :)
2. Set mock deadlines but stop forcing myself
Pressure works on others, it rarely does on me. I like having deadlines but half the time I break them. Me forcing myself to do a task doesn't help because even when I do finish the task, I find my output to be unsatisfactory. It's the same with reading and definitely applicable to blogging. I want to read as many books as my eyesight will allow me (I have poor eyesight) but I also want to enjoy it and not see it as a task. I want to chew books, not swallow them. This might result to fewer reviews but I'll make sure to come up with at least one a week.
3. Make time for reading and blogging without affecting my work and sleeping schedule
Several books have kept me awake til the break of dawn and although I rarely regret choosing books over sleep, I also know that I have to do this less, if not totally stop. I get cranky after such nights... and I feel that my young-and-invincible days are over. I have to have at least 6 hours of sleep, or else I'll be useless in the office. I'm not willing to jeopardize my quality of work for a book, no matter how good it is. So again, happy balance.
I know that some of you have also experienced this dilemma before and I'd like to hear your thoughts about it. I'd love to receive advice/tips from you because I'm sure it'll help me manage my time more effectively. So please, don't hesitate to leave a comment. :)
Joy - your post really talked to me, especially since I've been dealing with the same thing as well! I am fine but as soon as work gets busy, I get tired out and the last thing I feel like doing is coming home and sitting on my computer. And then you feel so tired you can't even read. I can relate with the review copies, the deadlines, the pressure and the guilt. Thank you so much for writing this post, especially since I wonder if many other bloggers are working full time as well.
ReplyDeleteoh Joy :/ your blog should be an outlet of happiness for you...that's the downside of blogging coz u get to the point you made too many commitments and then u can no longer post on time...it should be something you do for urself and the joy of sharing them...so i think u should only take on what u can allow at the moment depending on ur work load. you take care Joy, believe me you are not the first blogger who even ended up on a hiatus coz their RL took up much of their time already. i am here to support your blog no matter what :)
ReplyDeleteYAY! A New blog to play with.
ReplyDeleteIt's the time of year when so many bloggers are away on hiatus, exams, book funks or just finding the time to read AND review. We're all so busy and it's so hard to find that balance, but it sounds like you've really got your hands full at the moment. I've had more than a few occasions where I've just felt so overwhelmed that I'd shove aside the review copies and reviews, didn't bother with social media or other bloggers even and read purely for me. It made the world of difference. Hopefully you can find something awesome to read and will get your blogging mojo back soon <3
Hi Joy, sounds like you have a lot on your plate. I'm actually struggling with the same thing. How to balance being a mom, a blogger and of course an employee. I agree that we should always prioritize our work because this is what allows us to do the things we love (books & blogging). I'm hoping that we'll eventually find that balance, but I think what I can suggest is to just take it easy. Don't be too hard on yourself if there's a book that you weren't able to read because you're too tired. Learn to give yourself a break, I know it sounds like a bunch of cliche and it's easier said than done but I think what you have here is special and I wouldn't want you to stop due to pressure. I'm sure your readers will be more than happy to give you some time off and will look forward to your future posts. All the best! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so touched by your comment, Jeann. *hugs* It's really comforting to know that I'm not alone in this and that it's not a dead end. I know that we can find more ways to efficiently deal with this dilemma. Thanks for visiting, Jeann. :)
ReplyDeleteLaila, you're a gem! You're one of the people who've inspired me to keep doing this in the first place and I'm so glad that you're sticking around. You are right in saying that a blog should be a outlet of happiness. I constantly remind myself that I'm doing this because I love this and it makes me happy. So when it feels like a responsibility instead of a hobby, then I know it's time to step back and take a refresher.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely not stopping because I still love this and people like you, Laila, are still here. :)
I hope so, too! It's great to see that I'm not alone in this and your words of encouragement really helps me see this in a new light. I'm sure I'll find that balance. Thanks for dropping by, Kelly! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ana! :) Well, I've never had problems taking a break before because I value my personal time. But book blogging has become really personal for me so the lines get blurry sometimes. Then again, now that it feels like a chore I've decided that I have to get back to my roots and just -- in your own words -- take it easy. Thank you for your advice, Ana. It really means a lot to me. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah. I was really curious last week when I didn't received any email update. Don't worry Joy... Other bloggers can relate to that.. I have the same problem too. I had a heavy-werlalu week. My work don't even seem to understand the meaning of weekends and holidays. ha-ha. Chillax lang. We'll get by. Besides, blogging is not an obligation to us naman. It's our outlet to expressing ourselves. :).. Kaya natin to! :)
ReplyDeleteHugs, Vee! Yes, it's not an obligation or a responsibility and definitely not a task! Once it becomes one, it's not fun anymore. We'll get by. Thanks for sticking around, Vee. :)
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