I’ve had a 150 week writing streak going. My writing software has been very pleased with my progress, giving encouragement, awards, and badges for every week I’ve used their software again.
But last week, I broke it. And, at first, I felt bad – oh no, I never wrote anything last week! But then I realised something else; 150 weeks of writing probably isn’t that healthy for me or good for my writing.
The break was glorious. I watched whales, swam in the sea, ate and drank incredible food and built personal connections with small communities. When I write that down it feels like I’ve lived a little – become more human.
And now, with a week off, I’m ready to write things again – write things a lot like this. But it’s no longer about writing streaks for me. In fact, if unbroken streaks are a sign of anything, it’s that, perhaps, it’s time for a break.