Play

I haven't had a clue what to say in this post. My mind has been mulling over ideas, but nothing has seemed just right. The best thing I could come up with?

"You ain't seen nothing yet..." (Feel free to add the "b-b-b-baby" at your own discretion.)

I'm excited about moving over to my new space. Settling in, making it feel like home. I have plenty of new ideas and things I'm looking forward to rolling out in the next few weeks.

Folks, it's a new dawn. It's a new age. It's a new life. And I'm feeling good.

And I'm feeling like I could pearl-string songs together as long as I need to...

So, here it is: just, lindsay is moving to Lindsayhawkes.com.

 



There isn't much there yet, but I'm working on having something new to share with you every day. I'm not making this announcement over Facebook or through any larger channels just yet, because it's something I wanted to share with you, my faithful reader. You're the one who shows up regardless of whether there's a catchy title or a Facebook post. You comment - on this blog and in real life. And I can't even begin to tell you how much you and your support all means to me.

just, lindsay's new home isn't done just yet. There are some small tweaks and readjustments that'll likely happen between now and its big ol' launch. But, between now and then, I'd love your feedback. What do you love? Is there anything you hate? What would keep you coming back to read every day?  If you have any comments or questions, feel free to get in touch. (There's a fancy new Contact form if you'd like to give it a whirl.)

I want my blog to be the kind of place where you feel comfortable kicking off your shoes and engaging in the conversation. I want you to be inspired and encouraged. And, well, I'd like you to laugh.

Feel free to wander over to my new blog and take a look. I'd love to have you. And, after this post, that's where you'll find me.

Here's to new adventures, new stories and new experiments.

xo,

Lindsay

Pause

Alright, guys. Here's the story.

I'm in a great space right now. Not just because I'm sitting in a comfortable chair, wearing my favourite new shirt and listening to a snazzy jazz playlist on Songza. Although it does help. Since Friday's post, brand new opportunities have been opening up. It's pretty exciting. And it's a good lesson that I need to be a little more "balls-to-the-walls" in putting myself out there.

Since December, I've been on an interesting journey. Truthfully, it's more like "since forever," but late 2012/early 2013 is a more accurate (yet vague) timeline for this specific instance.

Truth is, I've been evaluating, reevaluating, deciding, reevaluating my decisions and moving forward... then backtracking, reconsidering, reworking and moving forward again. But likely in a different direction. Or a similar one. I can't keep up. Hubs can't either.

And that's where I come to this blog.

Initially started as a way to keep track of the insanely chaotic wedding planning process, I faithfully (and not-so-faithfully) tracked my journey to the altar. And then our adjustments to sleeping in the same bed and sharing a bathroom. And then life in all of its beautiful and ridiculous and crazy glory.

As I looked forward, I started to feel growing pains with this little blog. I made plans to jump ship and start something entirely different. I had great ideas. It was all coming together well.

Until, that is, I started telling people about it.

At best, the reaction was lukewarm. Mediocre, even. But I can't leave you thinking that I decided to drop that new blog because of their opinions. Their less-than-enthused responses reflected my feelings about this new idea I tried to stuff down and block out: I just wasn't that into it.

So I started to think. There were pieces about this blog and that blog (which was well underway) which I appreciated and didn't want to lose. I thought I was at a crossroads. I thought I was panicking. I thought I could never love a new blog as much as I loved my first.

And then I snapped out of it. Who was I kidding? This isn't Sophie's Choice.

So I got practical. And when I did, the verdict didn't work out in favour of this dear blog for a variety of reasons. Mostly because of the design flexibility. As much as I tried, I couldn't replicate the work I did there.

It was nice though. My decision made itself.

Get ready to revamp your links and refresh your RSS feeds, folks. just, lindsay is moving. With more of the sassy ramblings and creative ideas and crazy topics you've come to know and love. With, hopefully, a more attractive look. And, maybe, more intelligent things to say. But maybe don't count on that just yet.

I'm hitting pause on this blog for one week. Yes, one week. Only one, I promise. I'm taking time to spruce up my new place for your arrival.

You know, a little tidy here. Fluff some pillows there. Prepare some refreshments. Get ready to host you in my new space.

See you in a week!

News

My blog is moving.

I'm currently processing how and what to share about this process. (Providing you actually care.) Hang around here and I'll get down to it as soon as I sort it out. 

Much love.

That being said...

Wednesday's post had been sitting in the can long before I decided to go ahead and post it. Even the simple act of writing it started to spur me out of my inactive state toward something more fruitful. I walked away from it feeling lighter. As I talk to people about it, I let them know that I'm feeling much better than when I started to write.

Now, it's Friday. And it has been a good week.

I've had a couple of days where I've gone "balls-to-the-walls" with life. (Sorry, mom. You may be cringing, but it's legit term. Even Slate says so. I just add the hypens and the extra "s" as my personal flourishes.)

A couple of times, I blocked my mental naysayers and defeatists to step out and make connections, to put myself out there (not an easy thing for me to do, I'll admit) and to instigate positive change. For all I know, absolutely nothing may come of it. But I did it. I put myself out there.

And I successfully squashed the guilt, the "what-ifs."

Squashed. By a tiny burst of courage. And, of course, balls-to-the-walls.

It's Friday. And it has been a good week.

Hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Inertia

I wrote this post a couple of days ago. As I think about it, I've waffled with whether to post it, but I figure it's harmless. At most, it may be helpful to someone out there. At the very least, it was helpful to me. Since writing this, I've felt less stuck. I've set time aside in my schedule to write more. I've made a list of the final touches for an upcoming project that I'm excited to share with you. Thanks for reading. I appreciate you more than I can adequately express. . .

I figure the best thing I can do right now is to let my fingers do the talking. And walking, I suppose, as they move in rapid succession over my keyboard.

I've wanted to start this post many, many times in the past couple of weeks. And I have. Mentally, at least. I just wasn't quite sure where to start. You see, I've been working toward some goals during the early part of this year and, all of a sudden, work got busy and life got busy and I just stopped. Stopped pushing myself to write. Stopped bothering to update this blog. Stopped working toward achieving those new goals. Just stopped.

Life will always be busy. Or it'll get more busy at points and be less busy in others. In the middle of my stopping, I tried to sort out whether I want to wake up earlier every day (more than just to fit in a pre-work run), but I relish those sweet mornings where I hit snooze at least 2-5 times more than usual. Do I keep moving forward with this blog or start something new? Stick with the old. Move to the new. Stick with the old. Move to the new.

These days, I feel stuck. I began to put away my phone and iPad and laptop earlier and earlier each evening so I wasn't looking at screens all day. That being said, I did spend most of that time watching TV, so it wasn't really a successful venture. Ideas would come and go - they weren't the problem - but I couldn't muster up the energy to open up my laptop and write. I didn't want to type. I didn't want to put myself out there. Much was going on, but little actually wanted to be said.

I felt worn out. I feel worn out. I felt like I was moving in lots of different directions, but none felt right. At least, the combination of all those different directions didn't feel right. I like one or two of them, have to live with another and am not too sure what to do with the rest. I feel stuck when I think about the thing I have to live with. Fear, uncertainty, anxiety - the "impending-feelings-of-change trifecta" - hit me hard and still linger today. In my life, these feelings can lead me to inertia. And that's why I feel stuck.

I enjoy blogging. I enjoy writing. I enjoy interacting with all of you. I enjoy making you laugh. I enjoy creating a space where people realize they aren't alone.

I'm in an interesting place in my life right now. Once-clear goals and dreams feel murky. (Others feel overwhelming and uncertain. It's also entirely possible that I'm making them scarier than they actually are. I do that sometimes.) I'm not sure there's a clear path or an ideal way toward being where I want to be. Some days, I'm not even sure where I want to be. But I'm figuring it out. I'm sorting and shifting and deciding and pondering. I drift between impulsive actions and contemplative thoughts. Right now I'm sorting out where my mind sits, what "ideal" looks like and where, if I could be anywhere, I would want to be. (That tends to always be Hawaii. Bit unrealistic.)

Friends, despite what it may seem, I'm in a good place. It's good to evaluate and reevaluate. Determining that you're headed toward where you want to go. It can get tricky with another person in the picture, but Hubs is supportive and he believes in me more than I do in myself most of the time. It's helpful to have someone like that in my life. I appreciate his wisdom and his ability to see things that I don't.

Even in writing this, I feel a little lighter. Like there's one less thing I need to figure out how to do.