Friday, December 5, 2014

Challenge: Holiday/Winter Break Needs

People respond differently heading into their winter breaks.  Some scholars view their time away from teaching as a time to take a break from writing, while others double up their efforts to produce.

While I am an advocate of slow, steady, and consistent, this does not mean that we have to keep on the exact same schedule all the time. We have the desire/need for rest, and we often also have the desire for times of intense productivity.

Consider what you really need for your holiday/winter break. Consider the risks of taking a break; will you easily start things back up?  Do period away from writing energize or sidetrack you? Also, consider the risks of a upping the intensity of your writing; will it burn you out?

Should you stay the course and keep your daily writing habits steady? If you have made changes in the past during breaks, how have they worked out for you?

Spend about a half an hour considering your plan for your winter/holiday break. Share it with someone and get some feedback/reality testing. use this information to carefully engage in some planning. The key is to be intentional, and then reflect back upon your choices and learn from them.

1 comment:

  1. I really, really struggle to get back to writing after a break. But I also find it very difficult to sit down to write during this festive season (you know: family around, meals, presents...). It really is a no-win situation: guilt, anxiety, and no writing.

    Do you have any advice for how to keep your mind on writing, or even squeeze in a few words here and there, when you are travelling or have family around?

    Maybe I could try recording my evolving thoughts?! Or maybe go back to pend and paper...

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