The Importance of Taking a Break as a Creator

Aug 17, 2022

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As creators, an entrepreneurial spirit often lends itself to fantastic work. Unfortunately, that entrepreneurial energy also makes it difficult for us to justify taking time off. And regardless of your job title, profession, or proclivity for side hustles, it’s no secret that the hustle culture instilled in us by today’s world means taking time off can feel like a step backward rather than a productive step forward.

Both back from month-long sabbaticals, Charli and Haley can speak to the “productivity” they experienced by shutting their eyes, shutting their screens, and silencing their slack notifications for an extended period of time. Not just a luxurious perk of working for ConvertKit, Charli and Haley’s break became a necessary escape from the day-to-day pressures of work and an essential reset before embarking on new ventures.

In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the challenges of finally taking a moment to unwind, how to ensure time off is actually time off, why vacations don’t have to be luxurious to be restful, and why taking breaks is the best thing you can do for yourself, your business, and an audience hungry for more.

Key Takeaways

[01:33] - Have you heard?
- [01:37] - TikTok is launching a new e-commerce hub.
- [02:57] - YouTube just launched an updated editing UI to help creators quickly pivot to Shorts.
- [04:38] - Despite seeming like a one-man operation, MrBeast has a massive team, something we don’t often realize of our favorite creators.
[06:20] - Today’s main topic: The importance of taking a break as a creator.
- [07:33] - Sometimes it takes a while to unwind when you finally close your laptop and decide to relax.
- [09:19] - Breaks and sabbaticals are great ways to prepare yourself for a career transition.
- [10:23] - Staycations can be just as restful as fantasy, luxury vacations.
- [12:24] - Use tech tools to your advantage. For instance, program Slack to send automated reminders to colleagues while you’re away so you can fully check out without worrying about someone else’s to-do list.
- [13:30] - In other words, checking out of work fully takes proper planning.
- [16:50] - Breaks allow you to create new habits that you maybe didn’t realize were missing from your typical routine.
- [20:26] - Breaks also remind you how important your time is. Find ways to increase efficiencies when you’re back up and running.
- [22:13] - Taking a break can help you spot inefficiencies or anything that isn’t serving you because it forces you out of the routine you’ve built.
- [22:31] - Rest is just as productive as busyness.
- [24:45] - The time and freedom of sabbatical gives many the freedom to launch a new venture. Having space to prioritize what’s important is essential to taking the next step in your life and your career.
- [26:32] - You may even discover new hobbies on a break.
- [29:29] - As a creator, don’t feel guilty for taking proper breaks. Pushing through burnout is not the best way to recover from burnout.
- [30:21] - Figure out what periods in your business are slower and use that time to take a full, extended break.
- [31:33] - Give your audience a heads up that you’ll be on a complete break. Expectation setting gives you the freedom to enjoy time off without anyone nagging you for updates.
- [33:51] - We all try and accomplish a lot before taking time off. Be OK with not crossing everything off your to-do list. Prioritize the work that will impact your business if it’s left undone and don’t stress about the rest.
[35:07] - Remember to submit a listener shoutout! ConvertKit Sponsor Network is an amazing new feature that even Charli’s taken advantage of.

Quotes

[09:00] - “I think another thing I learned was that I needed more rest than I realized and that it wasn’t until I did slow down that I noticed how tired I was and how burnt out I was. And that the break was not just a fun option for me but that it actually felt necessary.” ~ @charliprangley

[15:04] - “Even though creating is something that I feel inspired to do and that gives me energy, it still takes a lot of energy to put into creating. And just because something’s fun, doesn’t mean it’s not draining you and that you don’t need a break from it.” ~ @charliprangley

[21:10] - “I feel like in a weird way, sabbatical helped me prioritize my time again. It helped me recognize the importance of my time.” ~ @haleyjani

[22:32] - “There’s this fallacy that we feel like the only way that we can be productive is if we’re actually actively doing something. And we forget that not doing something can be just as helpful to a process.” ~ @miguelp.img

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