Taking Time Off

As vital as BOC (behind on chair) time is for reaching our writing goals, so is time off.

Maybe that’s politically incorrect to say in this day and age when most of us put in far more than forty-hour work weeks, but if we don’t take time away to recharge and live life, we’ll burn out faster than a short fuse in a wind storm.

And we’ll teach our kids to do the same.

So how exactly do we step off the treadmill and learn to relax? For this Type A author whose year is framed by deadlines and lesson plans, it’s not an easy thing.

But it’s vital.

The first step for me was keeping family a priority. We have a family game night once a week and take walks (and naps) most Sundays. Writing does not intrude on this time. I don’t check my email or answer the phone. Sometimes I’m weaker than others and try to sneak in a “quick” few minutes on the computer. But I’ve learned the hard way that I don’t benefit and neither does my family.

We also take a week’s vacation in the summer sans laptops and any talk of writing. With my first book, I had major revisions (had to rewrite the entire book) and a gracious two months to turn them in. Smack dab in the middle of this time was our family vacation. I played around with planning to work during this time or not going to the beach. But in the end, I simply explained to my editor we had a vacation scheduled.

Praise God she was willing to work around that.

And the time off helped me body, soul and spirit. It also showed my family they win over writing.

Another important step was learning that God can do more in five minutes than I can do in five days. It never ceases to amaze me that when I’m obedient to His direction in taking time away to rest, He does so much more in and through me when it’s time to get back to work.

And lastly, there’s no substitute for prayer. When I’m convinced I can’t take time off or the world~ both real and imaginary~ will cease to function, God has a way of bringing it all into perspective. When I stop and listen to His Word and His whisper, He reminds me that true rest is only found in Him. Then He issues His invitation to Come unto Him all who are weary.

Thank the Lord His offer is good any hour of the day and every day of the year.

This oft-interrupted writer is still in process and learning more and more to take Him up on His invitation and rest. I hope you will too.