Wow. I think this is the longest I’ve gone without writing a blog post and I don’t like it at all. I’m going to offer up two excuses: The first is that I need a break from the internet to get my creativity going again and the second is that I really just don’t have much to write about.
I’ve definitely found myself settled into a weekly routine here involving the kinds of things that settled-type people do. Mornings I go to the gym (or opt to veg out in my hammock instead), afternoons I work or hang out with a friend and evenings are spent doing various activities: Quiz night on Monday, Tuesday nights are usually spent cooking a meal and then watching 30 Rock or Dexter, Wine Wednesday on, well, Wednesday at Papyrus, Thursdays are sometimes spent watching my housemate rip it up at karaoke, Friday nights at Republika before heading out for a night of dancing, Saturdays are usually spent vegging out and watching movies, and Sundays are almost always spent on the couches with friends at my favourite cafe, Shokola, before having a quiet night at home. Throw in the occasional party, visiting friend, meal at a local bar, walk around town or dinner at friend’s houses and you have my life. The whole thing kind of runs like clockwork and I think I like it.
But this routine doesn’t bode well for the blog. I’ve been working hard on my Kigali site which I’ve written about. Now I’m getting to work on my backpacking in Africa site but things are going slow. Then there’s the Haiti charity bike ride that I’ve mentioned but haven’t gone into too much detail about. I need to build a site for that. Then there are a couple of sites that I’ve volunteered to build that need some finishing touches. Plus all the usual email answering and maintenance. I’m busy but I have nothing new to report because I’m avoiding working, even though I have loads to do!
The reason I think things are moving so slowly and I’m not really getting much new work done is because I haven’t taken a break away from the net in months. I recently spent a couple of nights in a city called Gisenyi which is on Lake Kivu, the main lake in Rwanda. It’s gorgeous and I left my computer behind. But I was in such a vegetative state that I didn’t think about work at all. I normally get my ideas when I’m away from the net but, since I’ve been overdoing it lately, I haven’t had any time to be creative. When I went to Gisenyi I think I just wanted to shut my brain down for a couple of days, sit in the sun and listen to music.
I feel like I’ll be in this situation until I take a longer break. Fortunately for my business, that’ll be soon! I’m heading back to Haiti, leaving Kigali on April 5th. I’m excited about this trip for lots of reasons but an added side bonus is that it’ll give me that much needed time offline for me to get excited about working again. I really do love what I do, but I’ve learned over the years that I have to have breaks in order to keep that excitement for creating new sites or improving old ones. Up until recently I’ve always weaved periods of travel or volunteering into my work, usually four months at a time. Four months in one place working, four months travelling and volunteering, and repeat. It works.
So basically this post is one big excuse for being lame and neglecting my blog. But I guess it’s also a glimpse into how I work best. I know this on/off thing works for me and now I know that it’s kind of a requirement for me to take breaks every few months. I’ll be gone from Kigali for six weeks (or maybe longer if All Hands end up in Japan) and I’ll miss it. But I’m looking forward to all of the stops on my trip and I’m already looking forward to coming back to Kigali. I’m excited about travelling again which is something that I also know only comes once I’ve been settled in one place for awhile. This is a part of the balance as well, it would seem!
So that’s that. I might be a crappy blogger this month but things will get interesting again soon, I think! How do you guys balance your working and playing lives? Do you feel like getting away from the internet boosts your creativity and desire to work, or do you get too used to the ‘vacation’ and dread getting back to work?
I try and maintain balance by taking a few months off each year to go do something creative. (It also lets me escape the northern hemisphere winter – an added bonus)
Some years I’ve had computer-related work to take away with me, but I managed to spend the last few months off the computer just doing various artistic and physical projects. (Restoring a few old British bikes was one of my fun projects)
Now I feel refreshed and raring to take on a new development project. I’ve got several options and am energised about programming once again. These mini-breaks definitely help!
The only thing is, I think I wouldn’t mind doing the creative/non-computer related projects on a full-time basis. I’m a geek at heart, but I really enjoy doing physical work. Maybe I should just keep the IT-stuff for my own little side projects?
Who knows…
I find that when I hit a rut and know that I am not working effectively and spend more time looking at stats than working on new content, it’s time to take a few days off. By the end of the 2nd or 3rd day, my brain starts buzzing with new ideas.
I’ve only been at this for a year now, so I’ve only got 4 sites on the go right now. My latest is a cheap flights guide that I thought up while taking a break at Christmas. I would love the flexibility to take more time off, maybe in a year or two as traffic and rankings have increased.
I often get in similar positions. If I’ve been online, or in a routine for quite a while, my energy levels drastically drop. Usually it takes a couple weeks of spontenaity, or travel to bring that passion back. By that point, I’m usually so driven though, that nothing can stop me and the rate at which I plough through amazes those around me. Only for them to be shocked when I find myself in that lull once again.
Anyone got any ideas on how to avoid that lull??
I’m busier than ever now. Too many irons in the fire. I certainly don’t get to disconnect often enough. But, you are right about getting away from things and recharging. I find that I start to “zombie” out after a few weeks of sustained work days. I can’t get things quite right many times because I’m not sharp like I need to be.
I don’t think you are being “lame” at all. Rather, it’s all about finding out what works best for you and doing that. I think you’ve done quite well and you should celebrate your success!
What is driving me to keep at it is the 2012 Olympics and starting to plan my trip. I’m going to try to take 3 or 4 weeks and see some of the events and also visit the south of France. In between now and then, there will be a few short breaks, but not nearly as many as I’d like! Good luck with your Haiti trip!
P.S. I don’t think I’ve ever had too much vacation or gotten sick of being away. I really want to try that, though!
I’ve only been at this for a year now, so I’ve only got 4 sites on the go right now
Hey Kirsty, glad to see a blog post.
Seriously though, what forum plugin/software are you using on that Kigali site? I’ve been looking for something exactly like that – WordPress integrated, etc.
Great looking site btw.
Also, how do you generate traffic to it? I mean, having a forum with no posts looks just dead… do you seed it with posts or anything like that?
Hi Kirsty!
I’ve found it hard to be creative in the settling in phase of a new place. I have to get the basics sorted first: SIM card, internet, food, the basics. Then, after awhile I can relax and start to write again. But I can only really write when I am calm. So, ya, I take time out just to do that and just came back from a month or so of not blogging on my site either. Was a much needed break as all of my other projects have been going off! Happy to hear you are enjoying your life and your new site looks awesome. Cheers
Thanks for the comments everyone! It’s interesting to see that this is a common thing.
@rob I’m not sure avoiding the lull is necessary, at least not for me. I don’t think I’d want to work non-stop, full-on for a long period of time. It’s nice mixing the super efficient times with the downtime, or the lulls.
@10Minute Might see you at the Olympics! I’m still undecided about whether I’ll go but I do want to.
@nate I’m using miniBB and I had it installed by Paul, the guy who created it. He integrated it all with WordPress and tweaked the layout, added forum plugins and stuff. The forum is free but some plugins cost a bit extra. With the plugins and install it all cost around $220 which is totally worth it, to me. Now that he’s spent the time tweaking the Kigali forum to exactly how I want it, when I get him to install a forum to my Africa site, it’ll be a lot cheaper because there will be fewer design tweaks. He’s a nice guy and easy to work with, too.
@brooke Ya the settling in phase can take a bit out of me as well. It’s difficult to take a step back with so many projects but I’ve never found that being delayed a bit has had a negative impact on anything I’ve done, so it’s no big deal to step away and relax before going at it again.
I’m grappling with work life travel balance at the moment, Kirsty, and this post really spoke to me. I think the key thing is to experience where you’re at, and maybe ease off a little on the work. Because otherwise, really, you might as well be sitting in an office anywhere.
I’ve always had a habit of biting off more than I can chew even as a kid and I still get lured into doing that ever so often every now and again. Until a year ago, I was trying to balance three responsibilities together, a full-time job, a freelance job as well as trying to be successful online. Finally, I realized it was driving me nuts and I wasn’t able to give any one the full attention either so I decided to cut back and take a vacation once or twice a year, as well as short vacations during the weekends sometimes and it’s definitely helped me regain focus and helped me work better.
Yes I definitely agree that you need some breaks to keep motivation going. In this line of work, it can get dull working in front of a computer too often. Sometimes you just need to go out there and experience things. When you get back you are all recharged and ready to roll again. I think this is a mistake I made when I tried to make my side business my full time job. I tried to overwork myself to the point that I couldn’t keep up the pace. Rather than take a full break I just gradually lost focus and income slipped. Enjoy the trip to Haiti Kirsty.
I absolutely LOVE to travel to different countries and experience their different cultures.Therefore, what are some careers that would allow me to travel for a living?Thanks
I also love to travel… I guess travelling will help you think more on how to make your business better… Some place like beach and you can relax and work at the same time…
I am not a traveler. I hate travelling before not until I read your blog. I hate travelling. It was because I found it tiring to travel. However when I read your blog, you seem that you enjoy travelling very much and I would like to try it again.
I never dream on travelling outside my country and even exploring beautiful places in my country. I tried it last time but it knocked me for 3 days due to 16 hours travel back and forth by land.
Your blog entice me to travel again. However, I find it hard to clear up my schedules. Though my schedules are routinary, I still need to attend to it. Probably, I need to find a way to break away with my routinary schedules by travelling. Please continue to write. I want to know your experiences. It makes feel that I am also travelling with you.
I try and write every couple of days – I usually have a “to do” list pinned on my wall and check it every time I walk by – I find it really helps