Renewed Focus

via instagram (@letterfolkco)

Ever feel like choosing to do one thing could change your life? Better yet. Do you ever feel like choosing to specifically do that one thing that you have ignored for so long will change your life? That is where I am exactly at this very moment. Well, not at this exact moment, because if I was answering that truthfully I’d have to say that at this very moment I am sitting in an oversized booth by myself in a coffee shop at 9:00pm on a Thursday drinking champagne (and writing this post). And before I go any further, please know that I’m not that asshole who decides to take up an entire booth even though they are sitting alone, thus preventing larger groups from having a place to sit. It is a coffee shop at 9:00pm on a Thursday. Everyone is going to be just fine. Did I mention I am drinking champagne in a coffee shop? Anyways, I digress.

So, back to the reason for this post.

The one thing that I have been ignoring for years has been this deep burning desire to write a book about my dating life. Part of me was convincing myself that I would fail if I attempted it, but I knew that was a lie. The other part was telling me that I needed to focus on writing for my business’s blog first, and then I could write my book. No matter what excuse I gave myself, though, the underlying problem was that, for some reason, I was denying myself what I knew would bring me both joy and success. Ironically, that sounds nothing like burning desire.  

When I started asking myself why this was happening, the main reason was that I was putting pressure on “The Solution Girl” to write for her business, even though “Lauren” wanted to write personally. So, I found myself having to choose between the two and I ended up choosing neither. Anytime I wrote a blog post for my business, which was either about organization or design, I became super bitter. Yes, both of those things bring me joy, but I felt that I was giving up writing about something closer to my heart as a result. Something had to give.

Then one day over breakfast (further proving that breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of the day), it came to me. The Solution Girl does not have to be separate from Lauren. I have no desire to build an empire like Martha Stewart or franchise it off to others wanting to do the same thing in other cities, so if I make my business more personal, there is absolutely zero long-term harm. I am The Solution Girl, dammit, and if you want me then you are going to get all of me.

So, from here on out, you are going to get blog posts all the time – some still about organization and design; others about why I am apprehensive to date anyone who posts three or more pictures of them holding a fish on their Tinder profile. Yes. Not all of my blog posts are going to interest you; and that is something I have decided does not bother me. If I happen to lose some followers or client business as a result, then I am not going to judge it. I have a feeling, though, that I’ll also gain some followers and new business by being authentic and true to myself.

If you do find that you are grouped into the latter of the two, the ones who follow along as I take this journey, let me go ahead and thank you in advance. I have nothing but gratitude for folks who can appreciate the hilarity of my dating life. I mean, there is only so many dick pics a girl can receive before she feels compelled to share her stories with the world. You are welcome, in advance. Especially for that one story....well, I’m going to save that for another post.