Take A Guilt-Free Break

Do you feel like you really just need a break from a goal you are working on? Good. Take that break.

There is one major lesson I have learned throughout all of this novel writing, and that is the importance of taking a BREAK. Take a break.

It’s interesting because we all know that taking a break is beneficial. It’s why we look forward to weekends or days off, long vacations, and even lunch breaks. It’s the same with our goals.

Read more below, or check out my YouTube video where I discuss in more detail:

The truth 

Really be honest with yourself. Do you feel unmotivated more than you feel motivated? Do you feel tired? Do you feel less inspired? Have you taken any significant breaks since you’ve begun your most recent project? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions (I answered “yes” to all of these in January), then a break may be what you need right now.

I’ve said it before, but this time was different for me. I needed a break from everything writing-related. I spent too much energy telling myself I’ll write “tomorrow”, but always found an excuse. I doubted myself, started thinking that if I didn’t have this natural motivation, maybe this whole novel-writing thing wasn’t for me. Maybe I was meant to do something else. But I came to understand that it just wasn’t true. I just needed a break.

My writing hiatus 

Let me tell you: I took a hardcore break for two whole months. I didn’t write anything, read anything, blog anything–nothing. I gave myself permission to let my mind wander, scroll on my phone, watch more TV or movies guilt-free…anything to give my mind a complete break from working in overdrive by writing or pressuring myself to write. Because the pressure I put on myself to write arguably took up just as much energy it did to actually write. 

Now that I’m back, I am more on fire than ever. I feel completely rejuvenated and motivated to pick up where I left off and crush my goals. I am about 5,000 words away from finishing the first draft of my second book, I developed a social media calendar for my author brand, and started thinking about self publishing my short fiction on Amazon. Back at the end of January, none of this was attractive to me. This break saved my dreams.

Reap the benefits

If you are feeling like I was in January–unmotivated, uninspired, burnt out, and constantly procrastinating–then you may just need some space from your work.

If you do, it will be very telling of how you actually feel about it. You will more than likely return feeling that spark again and you’ll want to dive into your goals again. If you don’t, it may be the perfect opportunity to think deeper about what you enjoy and what you don’t and pivot your direction. 

Remember, you aren’t quitting when you do this, you’re just needing space. If you’re working on a goal that you are truly passionate about, nobody can take that away from you. It will always be waiting if and when you decide to return.