In an amazing four-hour studio session with Cairene last week, she reminded me that everything runs according to seasons. Regardless of what you’re creating, whether it’s in the space of an hour or years, the process will go through six phases:
- Birth
- Growth
- Maturity
- Turbulence
- Dropping Off
- Fallow/Hibernation
After two big launches in a row — for Time to Glow and ArtEmpowers.Me — I’m seriously ready for some fallow/hibernation time.
I’m also ready for clearing ground. Yanking the weeds from the field. On Friday I emailed my subscribers a newsletter about how I’m taking a machete to the overcommitment in my life.
When you’re leaving town in 4 days, and still have about 7 days of work to complete before you go, you start to get really ruthless about what gets the axe.
Then once my business triage is done, it’s time for some intentional hibernation.
I leave on Saturday for Jazz Camp West, then it’s off to the World Domination Summit five days later. This is not the time to produce and create.
To borrow a word coined by Danielle La Porte in this timely post, it’s time to hiate. As in hiatus.
So I’m hiating.
I had thought about scheduling blog posts from my archives to publish while I’m away, but the lesson I need most to learn right now is about creating spaciousness, rather than rushing to fill any void.
So I’m extending that to my blog. Expect no new posts (or newsletters) for the next few weeks.
Breathing room.
Letting go.
Clearing ground.
Hiating.
Hibernating.
I’ve got way too many cool projects in the pipeline to burn out now. Time to recharge, rejuvenate, and practice flexing my spaciousness muscles. (Which happen to be the same as the saying no muscles.) You might want to try it too.
This Passion Pluralite is ready (finally) to do things differently. To truly practice self-compassion by building wider margins into my day, week, month and year.
Here we go.
Have a great few weeks!
PS — Pssst! Know someone who might benefit from seeing this today? Pass it on!
Melissa, happy hiating! Though a week at Jazz Camp followed by WDS doesn’t sound like time off. So be sure you get time off in between your time off 🙂 Will miss your smart and insightful posts and look forward to having you back. When you’re ready and not one bit sooner! (Now I’m off to see whether there’s any room for No in my next few weeks.)
Yeah, you’ve nailed me there, Laureen… I’ll be completely UNPLUGGED at Jazz Camp, but it’s not *really* a true hiatus, if I’m totally honest about it.. I always need a vacation after my Jazz Camp “vacation.” :}
One step at a time, right?
I hope you’re able to make room for No! 🙂