This week, I was given some very specific instructions.
Stop posting!
Apparently, my social media needs a little reset.
And, as it turns out, maybe I did too.
At first, I thought this would be fabulous.
No thinking about what to post.
No wondering whether I have a photo to go with it.
No turning something that happened during my day into “Ooh, I could make a post out of that.”
A little forced break from social media?
Lovely.
Except it didn’t take very long before I realised something.
I missed writing.
Not necessarily posting.
Writing.
I missed having a thought and following it somewhere. I missed telling a story. I missed taking something completely ordinary that happened during my week and thinking, there’s actually something in that.
And strangely enough, the thing that made me realise it was Food Shop Travel.
My little corner of the internet where I can talk about somewhere I’ve eaten, something I’ve bought, somewhere I’ve travelled, a great coffee, a fabulous shop or whatever else has caught my attention.
There’s no grand strategy behind it.
I’m not trying to teach anyone anything.
I’m not wondering whether every post perfectly represents what I do for work.
It’s just…
fun!
And I think I’d forgotten how important that is.
Somewhere along the way, particularly as adults, we seem to become very good at turning everything into an outcome.
We exercise for our health.
We read to learn.
We network for business.
We walk to get our steps.
We take courses to improve ourselves.
We post because apparently we’re supposed to be building a personal brand.
Even hobbies can somehow become another thing we’re meant to be good at.
And I started wondering:
What do I actually do simply because I enjoy doing it?
Not because it makes money.
Not because it’s productive.
Not because it will help my business.
Not because I can turn it into content.
Just because I like it.
It’s a surprisingly good question.
And maybe a slightly uncomfortable one.
Because sometimes the things we once loved haven’t disappeared because we stopped loving them.
They’ve disappeared because life got busy.
We didn’t consciously decide to stop reading novels, painting, gardening, dancing, travelling, cooking, writing, playing sport or having friends over for dinner.
We just… stopped.
One day became one week.
One week became a year.
And eventually that thing we used to love became something we used to do.
Maybe this is part of reinvention too.
I talk a lot about what’s next.
About identity.
About the labels we give ourselves and the person we’re becoming.
But I’m starting to think reinvention isn’t always about finding something completely new.
Sometimes it might be about going back and picking up something you accidentally put down.
Something that still feels like you.
Something that makes you lose track of time.
Something that makes absolutely no sense on a spreadsheet.
And perhaps that’s exactly why you should do it.
I’ve recently started learning German. I’m certainly not doing that because I have plans to become a German translator.
I just want to learn German.
That’s enough.
Food Shop Travel isn’t part of some carefully constructed career plan either.
I love food.
I love shopping.
I love travelling.
I mean, the name isn’t exactly mysterious.
And this week, having that space where I could still play made me realise how much I enjoy creating when I’m not putting pressure on the outcome.
That feels worth paying attention to.
So here's my question for you...
Actually, I have a few.
What did you used to love doing?
What have you stopped doing without ever really deciding to stop?
And what would you do more of if you didn’t have to be productive, successful or even particularly good at it?
Maybe there’s something you’ve been thinking about trying.
A language.
A pottery class.
A solo weekend away.
Going back to the gym.
Writing.
Cooking something ridiculous just because you saw it online.
Joining a class where you don’t know anyone.
Starting the garden you’ve been talking about for three years.
Or pulling out the camera, guitar, paintbrush, golf clubs or whatever else has been sitting in the cupboard gathering dust.
It doesn’t have to become your next business.
You don’t have to monetise it.
You don’t need to become brilliant at it.
You don’t even have to post about it.
You’re allowed to do something simply because it makes your life more interesting.
And perhaps that’s my little reminder from this week.
When something gets quiet, you notice what you miss.
Turns out…
I miss writing.
So I think you’ll be hearing a little more from me here.
And I’m actually really looking forward to it.
Kylie x