Addicted

I think I've become addicted to blogging. Looking back, I posted 13 times in 2005, 15 in 2006, another 13 in 2007, and 90 times in 2008. This post will already be #40 for 2009, and we're not even halfway through the year yet...

Silly as it sounds, I worry slightly about this addiction. I don't like feeling out of balance, whether it's my uncontrollable attraction to the open bag of chocolate chips or my unconquerable desire to check my e-mail. Recently Jason and I joined the bandwagon of Twilight afficionados and poured through the first three books in less than three weeks, with the last one being in French. I've actually refused to purchase the final book in the series right away because I hated feeling like I simply couldn't put the book down, even if my family needed me. I want to be in control of my life, not Edward, Bella, or Jacob.

While I don't think that blogging is a poor use of my time (after all, I have slightly more natural ability for writing than basketball, for instance), I sometimes worry that it's not the best use of my time either. While blogging has the advantage of doubling as a family record that others can enjoy, I no longer journal the way that I used to. Sometimes I worry that this trade-off is a loss: after all, this blog is much more guarded than my personal journal. Because a blog is so public, I admittedly display only the rosy side of life--never writing anything that I wouldn't want everyone to read or know. But what you read isn't the whole me.

I also sometimes worry about my motivation for blogging: why do I really do it? As fun things in life happen, I find myself thinking, ooooh, that'd make for a good blog post. I wake up in the morning and excitedly check my e-mail to see if anyone's responded, as if the response from my "readership" (all five of you) :) determines whether or not something was interesting or exciting.

So my question is, how do you keep balance with whatever you find addicting--be it blogging, chocolate, reading, or Facebook? What helps you gain enough control to turn off the computer screen when tiny voices behind you say, "Mommy look at this!"? How do you balance the public and private spheres of your life when staying connected with friends and family? In today's connected world, what responsibility do we have to nurture virtual relationships across space and time? How do you manage to keep online friendships alive without neglecting the real relationships right next door?

I have a few ideas for combating my personal addictions. Impossible as it might sound, I'd really like to limit the number of times I check e-mail to once, maybe twice a day. My inbox obsession really is absurd, and I'd like to kick the habit. Has anyone managed to do so? Any suggestions?

I've also started keeping a personal blog that only I can access about "Peaceful Ponderings": it's the place where I write about those things that are too special, spiritual, or even sacred to share with the entire world. In general, I'm really enjoying the perks of a blog lay-out (permanent yet modifiable) without the pressure of anyone else reading.

If anyone else has any suggestions about how they've been able to find balance, I'd really love to hear them. And, if no one responds at all, perhaps that's answer enough that there's really much more to life than a blog.