I used to have a personal blog. I wrote all sorts of things there. Poetry, rants, nonsensical essays, lists. Stuff that I couldn't fit into a journal and was faster to type than write. I didn't renew my domain name last year, and my blog went by the wayside. And I have to say that besides giving up Project Life, it was one of the most freeing things I have ever done. Blogging had become something that I felt I had to do to be consistent and retain followers, but it wasn't something that I loved anymore.

One thing that kept my blog moving forward was personal projects. I started my favorite, a 52 week photography project in 2015, and I took a photo of Reagan once a week every week for the entire year. In January, I compiled them and had her first book made.

This year, I stopped at around week 6. It has been a busy and crazy and exhausting and stupid year, if I am being truthful. I had no energy for a personal project, and it had somehow become just another thing to mark off the to-do list. Now, I am sad that I didn't keep up with it. I also realize just how much GOOD it did me to have that few minutes every week to plan a different photo than the week before. It helped my creativity and gave me that calm I need.

Looking forward to 2017, I plan on picking back up on the 52 week project for Reagan. One day, I will truly, truly cherish every single moment I have in those books. I don't want to regret not having them just because I got overwhelmed.

What kinds of personal projects do you keep? Are they something you really love? Or are they a chore?

(If they're a chore, cut that crap out now. Life is too short to waste on something you don't love.)