When I first started writing this post, I was thinking specifically about blogger burnout. But as I wrote it, I realized that many of these things can be applied outside of blogging. Whether it’s a goal, a hobby, or a job, sometimes it’s hard to know the line between hustle and burnout. So while I wrote this from the position of blogging, I hope it helps you in whatever you’re pursuing!

I started blogging in 2010. When I first started this hobby, I had literally no expectations. I was taking ugly pictures with a Droid cell phone (oh hey there, flash). I didn’t spend time thinking about the “SEO” of my post, and I basically wrote about whatever I wanted. It was a hobby and I fell in love with it.

Over the years, the blogging industry has changed a lot and so has this hobby. I spend more time thinking about keywords and analytics and photo editing. Posts are less “stream of consciousness” and more planned out. Overall, I’m happy about it. It’s taught me a lot of valuable skills that I’ve actually used in my day job. I like learning and I like pushing myself. But these things can also make a hobby feel a lot like… work. And when something feels like work, it’s easy to lose the joy. And isn’t that the whole reason we started?

Can't find your blogging mojo? Ready to give up on that marathon goal? Here are a few tips for avoid burn out in whatever passion you're pursuing!

I’m sharing some of my tips for avoiding burn out over at VirginiaBloggers.com

What’s your passion/hobby? Has it ever left you feeling burned out?