Back to Basics

2 months later, comin’ atcha with a new post. This one’s a bit word vomity…grab a beverage of your choice and settle in, folks!

Today we’re talking about priorities.

Aside from friends, family, and maintaining good standing at work, I have a handful of things that I consider to be my priorities. Organization, a clean house, musical theatre, being healthy, and lastly, my blog. These things are SO important to me, but lately I haven’t been prioritizing any of them.

I’ve mostly been running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to keep all of the plates spinning.

This has resulted in gym & eating habits that are less than stellar, a disorganized & disheveled life and – the part that is bugging me the most – a blog that hasn’t been updated in weeks (or 2 months, as I just noticed…)

This has kind of made me sit back and think about why I let my priorities spiral like this. I was talking to my dad the other day, and he mentioned the importance of downtime. I told him that I do take downtime – which is mostly true. I sit at home and do nothing occasionally. But the truth is that I rarely have a day of the week that I’m not killing myself with activity, but I’m still being productive. My life seems to have two speeds: all over the place trying to fit everything in, or sitting at home on the couch watching Netflix as the mess builds up around me. I don’t seem to have a balance where I’m able to do the things that are important to me AND take me-time without sacrificing some semblance of sanity.

I feel like I’m always making excuses. “When I’m done my show, I’ll have more time.” “When there’s more daylight, I’ll be able to take more photos.” “My job makes me not want to blog.” (NOT true. I love this little passion project.)

I’ve spent a lot of time lately listening to The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast by Lauryn Evarts & Michael Bosstick. I’ve always loved Lauryn’s blog, but hearing these two badass entrepreneurs talk about productivity, making it happen and #hustle, I’ve come to some sort of epiphany regarding my bullshit excuses.

No more bullshit. It’s all about priorities.

I started this blog because I love all things beauty, fashion and lifestyle – I love sharing my favourite things and reading about other bloggers’ favourite things. It wasn’t about beautifully styled photos, the perfect outfit shoot, or trying to look & sound like the ideal blogger. And I want to get back to that.

Granted, I’m all for improving my content and making my blog the best it can be. Pretty photos are still my goal, and I’m always brainstorming new content that I can add to my blog. The trouble is that I have all of these ideas and haven’t executed any of them. Baby steps, chickadee. I’m taking it back to basics and posting about whatever I want. Don’t have a perfectly staged photo of my coffee perched on a stack of books next to a candle and a cute puppy? No problem.

(Except for the dog part. Dying for a lil pupper.)

I’m making it my goal this month to reset my priorities and find balance. Keep it simple – clean & healthy food, regular gym sessions, updating my day planner, and going back to my roots of constant list-making (I LOOOOVE a good to-do list). All with the end goal of living my best life and being the “me” I know I want to be (and can be!). I’m done putting pressure on myself, and more focused on doing everything I can to be happy and proud of myself.

The part that ties back to “no bullshit”? Make time for the things that matter. If my blog is “sooo important to me”, why don’t I make the time to do it? I need to make the conscious effort to shut off my TV and phone for a few hours and focus on this project that I care so much about. There are 24 hours in a day…the time is there, I just have to use it!

SO anyways. That’s my brain dump of the day. I’m feeling way more centred and focused on what’s important in my life…just need to execute, y’know? I’m off to listen to more TSC Him & Her to feed my newfound positive attitude. I love and appreciate every single person who stops by The Clydescope and cares about what I have to say. Every visitor, every comment means the world to me. So let’s go back to basics on this blog together, shall we?

What are your tips for prioritizing what’s important? Neeeeeeed to know.

PS – The Phrase I’m Removing From My Vocabulary and 4 Words to Live By in 2017