Finally Getting Around To It: I Give Up
Letting Go of Gimmicks, Themes, and Over-Planning & Fine-Whatever Link-Up

Last week, I came surprisingly close to walking away from blogging. Not because I’m out of ideas, or tired of writing, or bored with the blog — but because I was feeling boxed in by the very structures I’d built to keep myself inspired.

Given the gaps in my blogging activity over the years, it’s obvious that this is not the first time I’ve had this crisis of direction. And as before, somewhere along the way, the themes and schedules and “what comes next” I was initially excited about started to feel less like creative tools and more like obstacles. With it comes a creeping weight that brings back an old, familiar voice: Maybe it’s time to stop. But instead of listening to it this time, I’ve decided to try something else.

I’m throwing my hands in the air and giving up. Yes, after 10+ years, I’m giving it all up — the gimmicks, the over-planning, and the belief that my creativity has to fit inside neat little systems to be worth sharing. And just to be clear before there’s any misunderstanding: I’m not stepping away from the Fine-Whatever Link-Up. What I’m giving up has much more to do with how I write than whether I’m still here hosting.

What I’m after isn’t a better plan or a more clever framework, but a different way of being here; one that leaves room for whatever shows up. I want to write about what’s on my mind when it’s on my mind, connect the dots back to the core values that matter most to me, and let the rest unfold without trying to choreograph it too far in advance.

That’s where a new series I’m working on comes in. I’m calling it Finally Getting Around To It, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: a loose collection of “to-do’s” that I want to start checking off in 2026. Some are practical, some are personal, some are long overdue, and none of them come with a strict timeline or a master plan. The only rule is that I stop waiting for the “right” moment and start paying attention to the one I’m already in.

Oh, and let’s say there happen to be 26 things on this list.

Yeah — believe me, I get the irony!

That said, I’m not publishing the full list in advance. Partly because I don’t want the pressure of treating it like a contract with myself, and partly because I already know some of it will change as the year unfolds. What I do know is that each post will be one of those things I’ve been meaning to get around to; something I’ve postponed, avoided, overthought, or quietly hoped I’d circle back to “someday.” 2026 feels like a good year to stop waiting.

And that’s why this — I give up — is the very first thing I’m finally getting around to. Not giving up on writing, or this blog, or the people I’ve connected with here, but giving up on the parts of the process that have made it harder than it needs to be. Giving up on trying to out-plan my own curiosity. Giving up on the idea that creativity only counts if it follows a system. This feels like the right place to start, because everything else on that list depends on it.

When I first built this blog, I gave the categories clever, wink-wink names like Hooks the Look, Hustles the Muscle, Skates the Plate, Spins the Grin. It felt playful and on-brand at the time. But somewhere along the way, they stopped serving the blog and were just serving the gimmick. So I’m giving that up too. I’ve relabeled everything in plain language: Style, Wellness, Food, Just Because. Not because the old names were wrong — they just belong to an earlier version of me.

Along those same lines, I’m also letting go of the rotating weekly themes for the Fine-Whatever Link-Up. They were helpful when I was looking for structure, but over time, I’ve found them to be more limiting than inspiring. The concepts that fueled “Style Notes”, “Would You, Could You”, and “Reuse·Reclaim·Recycle” will still surface from time to time, just not on a set schedule.

What isn’t changing is the heart of this space. I don’t expect a dramatic shift in what I write about — style, wellness, food, everyday observations, and the occasional tangent will still show up here just as they always have. I give up isn’t a reinvention so much as it is a release, and a way to make room for my usual content without forcing it into predetermined shapes.

If you’re still here reading along, thank you. This blog has always meant more to me than a schedule or a series, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this looser, freer way of writing leads next.

Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photo credit: MMPerez

Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program, where I earn a small commission for each click at no additional cost to you.

Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. The featured post from the last party, Forget RESOLUTIONS Try INTENTIONS!, was contributed by Pamela, who pens Style Yourself Confident. Her post is a thoughtful take on why intentions can be far more powerful (and forgiving) than resolutions when it comes to real life.