I’m taking a mini sabbatical
Starting at 3 p.m. on December 21st, I’m taking a three-week sabbatical. It’s a ritual I started a few years ago: I take three weeks off at the end of the year to unplug, reflect, and recharge.
I don’t over-plan it. I don’t set alarms. I give myself permission to start each morning by asking myself, “What do I feel like doing today?” and then I go from there. In general, I know I’ll be doing a lot of reading and movie-watching, spending time with family, resting, exercising, cooking and eating good food, and most of all, a whole lot of thinking and reflecting. I do my deepest and best thinking in these three weeks. There’s something about unplugging at the end of the year that puts me in a really creative state. I always have to keep a notebook nearby because the ideas overfloweth.
Last year when I took my mini sabbatical, I pre-wrote posts that went out while I was off. To the outside world, it looked like I hadn’t missed a beat because I never acknowledged in my posts that I had taken time off. But in reality, I wasn’t writing or working at all.
This year, I want to do it differently. I don’t want to give the impression that I’m always on because a) I’m not, and b) I don’t like the message it sends. I don’t want you to compare yourself to me and think, “How can she whip out a blog post each and every week?” I never want my actions to make you feel like you have to work harder or that you aren’t doing enough or that you always need to be “on.”
I want you to know that during this sabbatical, I’m taking a break from writing. I’m taking a break from everything. I have to take breaks. We all do. It’s human. It doesn’t mean we don’t care about our work. It doesn’t mean we don’t care about people. If we want to do our best work and take care of people in the best way we can, then we have to recharge and refuel. And you know what else? I want my people to take breaks, too. I don’t want them to email me or catch up on work during the holiday season. I want them to unplug. I want them to do everything but work. I’ve given them permission to join me in taking as much time off as they’d like.
That being said, I’ve been struggling with what I should do with this blog during the three weeks I’m gone. It doesn’t feel authentic to pre-write posts that make it appear as if I’m chugging away over here. I thought about going completely silent to show you that I’m truly off, but that doesn’t feel right, either. Many of you have shared with me that this blog provides a consistency that you count on every Tuesday, and I don’t want to leave you hanging. 2020 has been a hard year, and there’s been a lot of loss. I know many of you will be alone this holiday season. It’s heartbreaking.
Here’s where I’ve landed: I’m doing a roundup of my favorite things that I’ll be doing during my break in case you want to do them with me. I have already written the next three posts and scheduled them to go out every Tuesday I’m gone. When you get them, please, please, please know that each time you open one, it’s not me in real time. The real me will most likely be lying around in pajamas.
And so, for now, I’d like to leave you with one action item: Can you take some time off over the next three weeks? Like off off? Even if it’s just a couple days? Even if it’s just a day?
I’ll leave you to work on carving out some time, and next week, you’ll get a list of books I’ve ordered to read and movies I plan to watch over the break in case you want to read and watch along with me.
I can’t wait to see you back here on January 12th refreshed, recharged, and ready for 2021. What a year, my friends. We did it. We made it. I’m thankful for you, and I’m so proud of you.
Hugs through the screen until we meet again in 2021,
Kristen
PS: I can’t promise I’ll be posting over the break, but if I do, it will be on my Instagram, so be sure to follow me there! (@kristenhadeed)
PPS: We will have our usual LIVE show tomorrow (Weds, 12/16) at 11 a.m. ET! After that, we will take a pause, and we’ll be back on Wednesday, January 13th at 11 a.m. ET! If you haven’t registered, you can do so here: https://bit.ly/3kWe2kT. Once you register, you will get the Zoom link, and it’s the same link every time. See you there!
