It's easy to get wrapped up in the numbers game. How many followers you have, pageviews, comments, etc. It's exhausting and not helpful, but I do it all the time. Usually, I find blogs really inspiring, but sometimes it makes me feel I'm falling short if I can't think of anything interesting to say or come up with a cool and unique DIY.
It's ok, though. I have to remind myself that I'm doing something that I wasn't doing a year ago, and for me, that's awesome. I can't compare myself to anyone else. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own path. While I can work harder, on some things you need to just throw your hands up and say, "Enough. I'm going to watch TV." I want to do things that make me happy and help me become the person I want to be, so that's all that matters. What other people are doing is wonderful, and I applaud them for it. The biggest thing is to be happy with what I'm doing and where I'm at so I can be happy for other people.
Do you ever notice that the bar you set for yourself always seems to move once you reach the point you were striving for? You tell yourself that you'll be happy if you get to this point, but once you reach it you realize that you won't really be happy until you get to the next point over there. I guess it's what keeps us striving ever onward, that we always need goals and something just out of reach to see what we can achieve.
What all this makes me realize is how appreciative I am of you! Yes, you! I just want you to know that I think you're awesome!
Don't worry Kari . Everybody suffers this number game . Even I . We just have to over come with positivity . And..you're awesome :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Noor! It helps to hear I'm not the only one, and you're right that we just have to keep up the positive attitude:) I hope you're having a great day!
DeleteEveryone goes through feeling like this at some point with blogging, but I really do think it's a self-imposed numbers game. No one looks at their numbers and goes, "Ooooh look! I'm beating Kari! I've got more followers!". That would just be ridiculous. (At least I HOPE no one does this.) Instead, WE look at our numbers and find ourselves lacking, not the other way around. Keep doing what you're doing - you've got a great blog and a great personality. I like coming here to read what you have to say. :o)
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your sweet comment, Sarah:) I can't tell you how happy your words made me. It's getting to connect with people like you that does make it all worthwhile. And you're right--it's just a self-imposed thing I'm doing. The reason I started this blog was to connect with cool people like you and to share my story, not to stress myself over how many page views I get. Thank you so much again, and I hope you're having a really great day:)
DeleteYou're awesome too Kari! I find I question myself and blogging quite a bit - what I should write, whether I should plan more or have a clear idea of where I am going. But I don't, I just log on and write, and that's the way it works for me. Like you, I didn't have a blog a year ago, so it's all quite new still. And you're right, everyone's blog is different, and that's a good thing. I love reading your posts and hearing about your life. I think as you say, it's human nature to want to progress. I hope you have a good weekend Kari.
ReplyDeleteCJ, I can't tell you enough how much I always appreciate your comments. You always have something so sweet and uplifting to say that really makes my day:) Thank you for this sweet comment. I'm glad I'm not the only one who questions myself about blogging. I love your blog because it is like I get to follow you around on your daily adventures. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are having a good start to your week, friend:)
DeleteIt's good to want to do more, be better, learn, grow, etc. However, I think when these motivations are counterproductive and actually make you feel worse about yourself and therefore give up, then it's bad. I feel like with any topic, I'm constantly coming back to that allusive thing called "balance." You have accomplished and learned so much in the last year - it's amazing to see how far your blog has come and I'm excited to see where it goes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kate!! You're right about the balance thing. It is so hard to find it with a lot of things, but it's what is needed to keep all things in perspective. I really appreciate you reading along and always being so supportive. What would I do without you? I hope you're having a great day:)
DeleteYeah I think we all suffer from this, Kari. Not only online either. It's a real shame and sometimes a fine line between admiring someone and gettign obsessed with keeping up with them.
ReplyDeleteHere's to being ourselves, because we are awesome how we are :)
x
http://heidis-box-of-various.blogspot.fr/
Yes! You are so right, Heidi! Thank you so much for this awesome comment and the reminder:) I'm glad to know I'm not the only one, and I really appreciate your comment to let me know I'm not alone. I hope you're having a day just as awesome as you are:)
DeleteWe all feel that way :( And I know I definitely have, both in the blogging world, and at university, sports, and performance (flute), photography, etc etc... It's really easy to fall into that rut, looking at numbers and feeling like you could never be like someone else, and well, that's true! Because you are your very own you :) It helps a lot to just compare yourself to yourself and just look at how you improve on a day-to-day basis. you'll feel a lot better and a lot more accomplished that way! xx
ReplyDeleteThis comment really hit home for me, Mouna. Thank you so much for it, because it's so true. You're right that I need to just look at my own improvement, because that will make me feel better. This was very insightful, and I truly appreciate it:) I hope you're having a lovely day:)
DeleteLife is all about learning to be content. Learning is the key word... It's also really good to stretch ourselves, and Kari, you seem to have the perfect balance between stretching and knowing when to throw in the towel. You're such an incredible person. I'm really proud of you. I learn a lot from your thoughts. :)
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