If you've been anywhere near the blogger or entrepreneur sections of the internet in the last few years, I'm sure you've noticed the major emphasis on doing the hustle –– and, no, I'm not talking about the super hot dance craze from the 70s. Being all about your brand all the time is where it was at, and if you weren't doing it that way you were doing it wrong. Post daily; make sure your Instagram has a theme; stay connected on your social media; have a workflow schedule that you stick to without fail... Add two tablespoons of sugar and an egg white and mix until frothy. Let's be real: 2016 was awful for a lot of us... Was the constant hustle a way to keep ourselves busy and distracted?

Maybe that's a little too heavy of a theory. We're all just trying to get to where we want to be in life. But sometimes it seemed like the constant call to be at the top of our game was actually keeping us from where we wanted to be. Some of us were so busy hustling that we forgot to stop and actually enjoy the moment.

I'm happy to see that 2017 is bringing about a little change on that front. Many of my favorite bloggers and vloggers are taking a step back from the constant hustle this year, posting what they want to post when they want to post it. For a web-o-sphere that has talked so much about authenticity lately, this is the first time I feel like I'm really seeing signs of it. And it is so, so refreshing. Part of why I follow others –– their blogs, their YouTube channels, their business pages –– is because I feel a connection to them, to their aura or their spirit or whatever. Last year, it totally felt like 90% of the people I was following were the same person. Everything was bright white with marble and rose gold... And don't get me wrong, I love a bright white background and some rose gold as much as the next girl, but c'mon!

A few months ago, a friend of mine posted about how much happier she was now that she didn't focus so much on being busy. I was still in that hustle mindset and commented about how I was all about productivity over being busy. Her response was not a positive one and several of her friends agreed –– different word, same connotation. At the time, I was super offended. I mean, I'm a business owner! Productivity is good!

And it can be. But not when it is forced and scheduled and made to fit someone else's ideas.

Here's to 2017. May we all walk our own paths and focus on quality over quantity, authenticity over popularity, and chilling over hustling.