The Benefits of Taking a Purposeful Pause
I took a break around the holidays and, for a while, I wasn’t sure I was going to return to the podcast.
Spoiler alert: I’m back!
2020 was a beast of a year in its own right. With the pandemic, quarantines, racial and political tensions, it was anything but a “balanced” year. Despite all that, some great things came out of 2020 for me:
- I continued to grow my business in the online space
- I learned new skills to build a thriving community
- I created some content-rich and really helpful courses
The year was challenging — some of it self-imposed and much of it not.
Then we decided to sell our house and move. And, with many big moves, there were some hiccups along the way. Bumps involving water leaks, contracts falling through, and deals suddenly landing on hold. Fun stuff like that.
And by the end of the year, my nervous system was exhausted and craving a break. At that point, I was uncertain about the future of this podcast. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy podcasting. I was just… tired.
So I intentionally took a break, and in doing so, I got some much-needed perspective.
Here’s my 4-step prescription for a purposeful pause:
- Refresh. I stopped. I gave myself permission to disconnect and do nothing. I took a break. I let go of “have to” thinking. In fact, I emotionally let go of the podcast altogether. I even told a friend that I had recorded the podcast’s final episode, that there probably wouldn’t be another one. And I felt a weight lift from my chest.
- Restore. After releasing myself from self-imposed obligations, I felt renewed. My energy started coming back.
- Reassess. At this point, being free of immediate pressure and feeling revitalized, I was able to reconsider what I truly wanted to do and how I wanted to show up for you.
- Reenergize. Once I got clarity and perspective, I felt energized about the work I love again. I refocused and was ready to get back behind the mic.
One of the learnings from this experience is that I didn’t need to wait to feel tired before taking a purposeful pause. Intentional pauses along the way bring a perspective that helps tweak our path and bring focus to what most lights our fire.
I’m so glad to be back, friends. Let’s rock 2021.
Thanks for listening!
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