Late Friday morning, after a busy morning of working, I stopped by our local post office to rent a box.

While I filled out the paperwork and chatted with the clerk, my daughters wandered around the lobby.

Looking at my business name, the clerk asked me how long I’ve been in business.

“I’m just starting out,” I told her. “I’ve been working on some e-books since June and I’m getting ready to launch them soon.”

I paused. “I also have a job,” I said.

She pointed to my daughters, “And kids.”

Leaving the post office, hand in hand with my girls, I thought about all that I’ve added to my life over the last six months.

Mostly this: The new business (12 Minute Media) and all it requires β€” new clients, new relationships, another blog/website, a weekly newsletter, a web video show, another Twitter account, another Facebook page, a Google+ account, a Google+ page for the business. I am delivering social media training in webinar format, also.

The only (small) adjustment I made to accommodate all the new activity is to cut back my work hours at my job by about a sixth, freeing up about 5 hours a week.

Earlier this year, I wrote in this space about my struggle to keep boundaries between my work life and my home life.

Yesterday, as the sun faded into the trees behind our house, one of my daughters stood near my desk, eyes brimming with tears.

“You’ve been on the computer all afternoon.”

It’s true β€” I was.

Seeking to justify myself, I thought:Β  we spent the whole morning together; she seemed happy playing independently with her sister; I had work I needed to get done. But the truth is, that in all of my starting, I haven’t done enough stopping.

I took a blogging break back in June. I enjoyed 9 days offline during our vacation in August. But, I continue to hold onto this blog as an important part of what I’m doing. At times, I do this when I could be enjoying my family.

In the first guide of my soon-to-be-released e-book training series, I talk about the importance of finding your why with everything you’re doing online.

Why are you blogging? Why are you using Twitter? Why LinkedIn?

For every activity, you need to find a compelling why. Your why can help you stay committed, keep you focused.

For me, the why behind this blog has never been completely clear. I started writing here when I stopped writing another blog. I didn’t have any particular goals here, except to share and reflect.

In some ways, my writing here is selfish: I write what I want; I write because I want to.

What’s missing is a compelling why.

I am realizing that it doesn’t make sense for me to continue. For now, I’m going to step away, let go.

If you’re looking for me online, you’ll certainly be able to find me:

  1. You can read the new blog.
  2. Subscribe to my newsletter.
  3. Hang out with me on my new Facebook page.
  4. Send me a tweet. Here or here.
  5. Circle me on Google+. While you’re there, circle my business?

For my job, I am also still managing this blog and writing occasionally there, so you can find me there, also.

I’ll likely come back to this space now and then to reflect and write. Maybe I’ll share some posts from Mr. Becky or invite my daughters to share their writing here. And, perhaps, if I find a compelling why, I’ll be back to post more regularly at some point in the future.

For now, I’m stopping.

Thanks for your support, friendship, and connection here.

Tell me something! What have you started this year? What have you stopped? How do you maintain balance in your life?