If you haven’t picked up on it yet — I like goals. They give me structure, challenge, and satisfaction. But sometimes you make a goal, or aspire to do something, and just plain fail. You can’t keep up with it. It’s not fun any more. It’s not worth finishing.
I started this year off wanting to participate in those one-a-day photos trends on Instagram. I really like the challenge of taking your photography to the next level, and I love following people who consistently post a day. It’s fun to see how people interpret a word differently through an artful photo and I thought it would be a great chance to improve my photography.
But in reality? The exercise stressed me out. I just don’t think about Instagram when I am at work all day, which left a short window of time in the evening, and I usually ended up climbing into bed upset that I forgot to post… yet again. I wasn’t good at it, and the challenge brought me stress instead of joy, even when I did post. So, I said sayonara to the challenge and continued to randomly post whenever I felt like it.
This may be a silly example, but I think a lot of us do things just because it’s popular, not because we really like it. Just because something is popular, doesn’t mean it’s something you should do. It’s oddly freeing giving up on something you don’t like and admitting you aren’t good. It relieves the pressure.
And while we’re confessing things, I don’t like kale. I really don’t. I know it’s popular, but people, it doesn’t taste good. I also am not a creative cook. I wish I could whip up random ingredients together in the kitchen and serve a masterpiece meal, but I can’t. I have to follow the recipe every single time.
Now your turn: What are you giving up or admitting?
Maybe you think Downton Abbey is boring.
Or you started a blog and can’t keep up with it.
Or you hate chevron patterns.
Or you can’t stand Ryan Gossling.
Or you would prefer to buy a pillow than to make one yourself.
It’s okay. We don’t all have to do or like the popular thing.
I agree. It’s totally fine to not be into the latest craze. Sometimes, I think the blogging world only makes those crazes more crazy by posting a million photos of chevron patterns or Ryan Gossling. I’m actually not a fan of Ryan.
YES. That’s why I quit blogging things I was thankful for every day in November. It just wasn’t for me and it was stressing me out.
Also, I don’t really like Adele. THERE I SAID IT.
There is so much freedom in being able to admit you aren’t into the latest craze! All my friends are really into the bachelor/bachelorette and I personally have no interest at all! Does that make me “un-cool”? Ha! ;)
I ALSO HATE THE BACHELOR! It’s a popular show at work and every Tuesday there’s a “Bachelor” talk. So each year I’d try to give it a chance, only to stomach about ten minutes of it before turning it off. That’s one conversation I don’t mind being left out of!
Oh my god everyone has to love Ryan Gosling! haha
But no I’m with you. There are so many thing that I do not like that everyone else likes.
I DON’T LIKE ADELE EITHER.
my husband thinks I’m lying.
I’m definitely not.
love this. I’ve never been one to enjoy the things everyone else does — I used to think I was weird + too different + that people wouldn’t like me if I didn’t like what was popular. the past few years have been so freeing for me as I’ve broken those chains + admitted that I don’t need to like these things! I don’t need to put my worth into how many friends I have on facebook — so I quit facebook. cold turkey. haven’t looked back in four years. I don’t need to be constantly checking up on the latest “big thing”, to keep up with the masses. incredibly liberating.
I’ve never watched even a moment of the bachelor/bachelorette. I can’t imagine enjoying it, from what I’ve heard from peers.
I don’t like kale, or Adele music. I hate the iPod, iPhone and iPad. I can’t stand Facebook and don’t get Twitter… so yeah. I stick with what I like and ignore the rest. Makes it quite easy.
Best post ever. Thank you, that was remarkably refreshing!
Ok, I tried reading your January book, Bossypants and didn’t like it, so I didn’t finish it.
OMG THIS IS AMAZING. I gave up yoga and the city-wide yoga blog/community I created because I started hating it. I was like…this pose…again…how creative….NOT! All these mean thoughts would circle through my mind about yoga. Teachers and friends were like, “you need to calm your monkey mind!” and I believed them for a while. Then it dawned on me–yoga and this web community I created are draining me day in and day out. So I dropped it. Massive relief. Sometimes we just out-grow things, right?
Lastly, I find Pinterest to be overwhelming and unmanageable and scary and totally not for me. That puts me in the minority of, oh, everyone ever.
I hate bananas.
i hate the chevron pattern, like seriously! where’d it come from in the first place?!?!? suddenly its all over my etsy screen! and it’s such a boring pattern !!!EURGH!!- rage over :) XX