Two steps forward, one step back. And how not to get caught in the middle.

Welcome to September. The leaves are changing, that Green Day song seems to be on repeat, and I am going back to school.

After three years of being out of school and 10 months of freeloading off my mom and dad while traveling the world, I am finally doing it. I am finally going to start my MBA program. And I have to admit, I am pretty damn excited.

My step back is coming to an end. And with full-time course work and a part-time job, I am going to be taking two steps forward! But, I am worried that I am bitting off more than I can chew with my current posting schedule. Although they may only take a few minutes to read, my blog posts take much longer to write. From conceptualizing the topic, completing my writing process, adding pictures, editing the content, and finally tagging the post, hours have passed. Since I post three times a week, I look at my blog like a part-time job of its own. A job that I am very happy to do because I love writing. But a good way to kill your passion is to let it burn you out.

Having worked full-time for Target while going to school full-time, I know how burdensome it can be. If it taught me one thing, it is knowing when to scale back. Knowing when to trim the fat and lighten my load. Sometimes it was skipping a workout class, passing up on a weekend trip, or sacrificing the latest Game of Thrones episode. Right now in my life, I know that I need to scale back on my posting frequency.

So, starting with this month, I will only be posting once per week. Based on my analytics, Wednesday is my most popular day, and I like the idea of posting a little treat to brighten up Humpday. So for now, that is the day – but if you would prefer another, let me know in the comments below. If I find that I am easily able to manage more, I will throw in some extra posts randomly. And if you are worried about missing a post (especially now that they will be more infrequent), you can subscribe to my blog on the right hand side and have my postings delivered right to your email.

As for my content, it will remain the same: a recounting of my experiences as I try new things and take on new challenges. I will still be traveling (Seattle, North Dakota, New York, and the Caribbean to name a few upcoming destinations!) and posting about what I get up to. Although I won’t be cranking out a book a week like I have been, I still plan to read one non-school book a month, something that my new book club with a few friends will help me remain accountable to! I will still be playing tourist, although this time in Oregon instead of in LA, and I’ll be sure to mention the good food spots. And, of course, I will share all of the lessons I learn as I do my best to navigate this surprising, thrilling, and challenging thing we call life.

So, cheers. Cheers to a new chapter. Cheers to fulfilling life-long goals and striving to learn something new everyday. Cheers to knowing when to scale back.

-TM

What do you need to scale back on? Let us know below.