Wow! It's been a long time since I've blogged. I took a bit of time off because my whole family was sick with some kind of yucky flu for a couple weeks. I have to confess that I actually started it and then shared it with everyone else. Usually, it's the kids who bring it home from school. But this time, it was mom. So I took some time to lay aruond, drink ginger ale, and administer cold medicine.

Taking Time Out

The last week or so, I've been taking some time to once again reevaluate some things. The past year that I've been blogging has been wonderful. I've learned so much and made so many online friends. But I've realized that I'm not where I had hoped to be professionally by this time. I started blogging as a springboard to freelance writing. I wanted to get myself in the habit of putting words down on a regular basis and learning to handle the fear of putting myself out there. I've done that, but I haven't accomplished what I'd set out to do.

I've gotten some paid writing jobs, mostly blogging gigs. And I've enjoyed them greatly. They've taught me about choosing content, dedicating myself to posting daily, how to work with a virtual boss, how to write concisely, and how to invoice. What I haven't done is score good paying gigs on a regular basis, as I had hoped I would by this point.

My New Outlook

After taking this down time to think things through, I'm feeling better about where I'm going. I've started researching writing markets and planning out queries. I'm also taking time to get some business cards printed and make some connections in my local community. I've arranged to put the baby in part time daycare when school starts back up for the older kids. My amazing husband is supporting me in this decision, even though we really don't have the extra funds in our monthly budget for childcare. We're doing the daycare thing on a trial basis. If I'm not able to bring in some worthwhile income with my writing within a few months, I'll discontinue daycare.

I'm also working on developing a new blog project with an online friend. I'll tell you more about it when it's off the ground, but it has to do with advising college students. That's what I did in my professional life before leaving the traditional workforce to become a work-at-home mom. I've blogged about higher education for others; I think it's time to take the leap into starting my own blog using what I know to help others.

Feeling Optimistic

I"m feeling very excited about my new professional outlook. Taking some time off these past few weeks has really helped me to put things into perspective. I know that I have the ability to use my writing skills to earn a living, and I plan to move forward in a more productive fashion than I have been. Not that I regret anything I've done over the past year. I'm glad I took the time to test out the waters, do my research, and meet amazing people who've inspired and motivated me to succeed.

And I'm thankful that my family has stood by me in this exploration and that I've been fortunate enough to be able to take this time to explore. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.