For the past few months I’ve found several dozen blogs that I really following. Through a combination of bookmarking and RSS feeds, I check in frequently and read items that interest me. Mostly these are sites pertaining to personal development or financial information or life hacks. 

Lately I’ve begun to wonder if I am spending too much time on these blogs. Many of them contain similar information, often presented in a different way. There are very few that actually make me think long and hard about something. Is it possible I am reading all these blogs as a way to avoid doing something of my own? How many times can I see the same quotes analyzed to death in various personal development blogs? 

I swear, it’s almost like an addiction – like people who need a cup of coffee in the morning to get going. On a day when I miss a particular blog, I find myself thinking about what I may be missing even though I know in my mind that I’m not really missing anything at all. 

I know some people who are addicted to the Weather Channel. They have it on all the time as if they are afraid to miss some important weather event in their area. What if I stopped reading all these blogs today? What would I be missing?  Isn’t it possible that all the tools I need to develop myself fully are already in me? Will reading one more blog analyzing Einstein’s quotes will spawn a million dollar idea in my head? 

Perhaps it’s easier to read other people’s work than it is to produce my own. I’m trying to write a blog of my own at least every other day, but some nights I’m so tired and worn out  from reading all these other blogs, I feel like there’s nothing left to say about anything (of course I know that’s not true, it just feels that way). 

I have a smart phone where I get tweets and emails all day long. I also have internet access, so I can check in on my blogs during the day. I’m thinking it’s time to wean myself from this constant flow of information. I need more time to think for myself and to come up with my own ideas, rather than listening to everyone else’s. 

Ironically, I read a blog today where the author talked about trying to do something for 14 days. His theory is that anyone can do anything for two weeks and that two weeks is enough time to find out if you like or dislike something. So I am going to try and limit my blog reading for two weeks and see how I like it. If it doesn’t work, I will just start reading them again. If the two weeks allows me to be more productive, then maybe it will be something I keep for the long term.

Should be an interesting two weeks.