I've Stopped Writing on Weekends and Holidays

Writing is a bit of a double-edged sword for me.

On one side, it’s the best adventure I’ve ever embarked on. Countless words written over the last 5+ years have sculpted my personality and sense of self into one that I’m extremely proud of.

Writing has:

• Helped me to process my thoughts and feelings and better manage my anxiety
• Introduced me to the creator’s side of the internet, how to blog, and how to build an audience
• Made me money when I had no other means
• Broadened my knowledge and vocabulary on so many things — both useful and useless
• Strengthened my creativity and confidence
• Expanded my work and social networks
• Improved my memory and enabled a means for me to reference past forgotten moments (See Homework for Life)
• Bolstered my resumé and raised my value as an engineer
• Refined my skills as a private and public speaker
• Enhanced my productivity and happiness (there’s nothing quite as satisfying as pressing the publish button)

Choosing to be a writer is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

But on the other side, because I’m obviously in this thing for life, writing is also an unending plague I can never recover from.

I’m always thinking about it. I’m constantly writing down ideas for new stories. I always feel bad about not doing more. And quite frankly, I’m tired of feeling that way.

Writing is way too important to me for me to start resenting it, which is why instead of fabricating deadlines and forcing “writing time” on the weekends and holidays, I’ve chosen to enjoy the time off to relax with family and friends.

My first foray into this new idea was a few weeks ago when I changed the publish day of my newsletter from Sunday to Monday. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Instead of sweating Sundays pecking away at the keyboard while struggling to form thoughts, I enjoy them full-heartedly. The newsletter can wait until Monday much like the rest of my work.

And you know what? So far, no one’s really cared. Yet that one small change made all the difference in the world for me.

It’s only been a few weeks but I’m happy with my decision. Yes, I still journal every day, but I do it on my own terms. No more self-imposed deadlines. No more forced writing. No more stress.

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my tenure as a writer, it’s that writing is exactly the same as investing. You can stress all you want about doing more now, but time is your greatest asset.

Time, if you are consistent, will amass a huge library of content that will work for you (even on weekends and holidays when you don’t want to). You just have to stay in the game long enough to reap the rewards.

So, cheers to enjoying more days off to rest and recover. God knows we all need more of that.