About a year ago I changed this blog’s focus. I renamed the blog and my Facebook page, Dan Erickson: Life. As time goes by, not only do I have no regrets about that change, technically, Life should really be my only category on this blog.
When it’s all said and done, everything I’ve ever posted here and at Hip Diggs has been about Life. In fact, all the other stuff is meaningless without Life.
Currently, this blog has eight categories:
- Creativity
- Life
- Politics
- Productivity
- Simplicity
- Success
- Super Habits
- The Internet
Heck, I could add writing and music into the mix as well, but really it’s all about life.
Life Has to Come Before All the Other Shit
In eight years of blogging I’ve learned one thing: Life comes first. Yes, I love to be creative and productive. Sure, I have something to say about politics and the Internet. Super habits and success can go a long way, but nothing trumps life.
Life includes both daily decisions and long-term planning. It includes what’s best for you and your family. And quite frankly, sometimes productivity gets in the way of what’s best. Some people chase success and happiness at the expense of the best interests of the ones they love the most. And that, in the end, fucks up their Life.
Of course, you can always get back on course. If you’ve spent too much time focusing on shit that pushes living to the curb, the first step is to recognize your error. From there you can begin to focus less on making tons of money, or minimizing down to a tiny house with less than 500 things, and focus more on actually living.
The Other Stuff is All Just Part of Life
But wait, before you give up all motivation to be creative and successful, don’t. Every category on my list, and many more are all a part of who I am, of my life. It’s when one focuses too intently on any given category that problems can arise.
It’s easy for me to write about creativity, because I’m a creator. I can write a crapton of articles about simple living, because I’ve practiced living simple and being frugal.
Recently, I said I may remove my “success” category because my idea of success is often at odds with the world’s concept of success. The verdict is still out on that idea. But sometimes I think I should just say to hell with categories all together and just stick with Life. And I just might.
I’m tired of compartmentalizing everything into categories and boxes. Interests and ideas change as we grow. Why would we want to limit ourselves into a few categories?
Looking at the Whole Picture
I encourage you to consider your own lives. Are you focusing on the trees too intently to see the whole forest? Have you got so caught up on one thing that you’ve let other aspects of your life go to pot? If you have, don’t worry, it happens to all of us, even the ones who look like they have it all together. Just know that it’s never too late to make changes and to seek out Life balance.
As for my blog categories, I’m not making any immediate decisions, but don’t be surprised if they all just disappear one day.
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