Can I Resist?

I'm having a heck of time this month. You see, I'm a joiner. And there are all of these things to join in November, just calling to me! But I'm trying to resist, because I have a busy month that includes a lot of personal projects I want to do, instead of joining something that doesn't get me closer to my goals and dreams.

It started with Art Every Day Month, which looks so fun. I mean, I create most every day anyway in some way, this is right up my alley. But I'm resisting, because I don't want to focus my creative inspiration and efforts just to meet a self-imposed deadline every day when I have so much else going on.

Then there is NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month, which inspires you to write a post every day on your blog for the month of November. Hey, I do that most of the time anyway! But not committing this month, which includes visitors and travel and the busiest, longest work week of my entire year.

Along the way I ran into 30 Days of Gratitude. What a wonderful way to uplift and celebrate the month of November, than to be grateful, for 30 days? But then that focuses me on one specific topic... and again a whole 30 days of commitment to it. Can't do it.

On my internet wanderings I bumped into Digital Detox, which sounds like a wonderful week long little way to simplify your life if you want to participate, and then November in Black and White. Hey, I love black and white photography. But wait, that would commit me to a whole month of it. Right now, when I have other things I'm focusing on. OK, so no.

Thank goodness I don't have any idead for a novel, or NaNoWriMo would be calling to me too.

I hadn't realized that I was such a joiner until I find myself struggling to resist joining in to all of these things. The communities they create are so fun. The things you gain by doing these activities is so worthy. As I read some of my favorite blogs I feel like I'm looking longingly into the windows of people at a party and I'm outside in the cold. But I remind myself, no, I can't put myself through this right now. Because for me, what's worse than being outside looking in? Joining something and then not being able to follow through. I beat myself up, because I committed to something, darn it, I should follow through. Instead, I'm choosing to stay sane this month, without adding extra pressure.

So to satisfy those urges to join, I've decided to create KaNoJoMo - doesn't that sound fabulous? It stands for Kat's Non-Joining Month. This month, I am not going to join or commit to anything that is not on my personal priority list. I am going to resist, walk away, focus on my own stuff in the limited time I have available. I'll just wave at everyone else through the window as I walk by, give them a thumbs up to let them know I support what they are doing.

Want to join me? Haha - I tricked you! You can't join me! That's the idea, no joining. It's a personal decision, one you can make too. No monthly or weekly or daily challenges or commitments to other projects if that is not right for you. Only commitments you make to yourself. You don't need to announce it to the world (as, ironically, I am doing), you just have to make a personal choice.  You don't need permission from anyone else but you, and you don't have to apologize to anyone for not joining.

Week 1 of KaNoJoMo is already over, and I survived without joining anything. Whew. Only 3 more weeks to go...

Today's photo is from Saturday evening in Venice. *Sigh* I love Venice. Still.