Quit Everything Month

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On Monday, October 11th, I’m quitting everything. For a month.

Everything, that is, but my most basic commitments — the bottom line, pay-the-bills necessities. Really I should call it Bare Minimum Month, but Quit Everything Month sounds so much cooler.

My September has been rich, but crowded. Sticky eBooks is a large slice of what I do and within that I have clients, the blog and running the 45-Day eBook Boot Camp. I also write a dining column for a local paper and do other freelance writing. I created and launched Engaging eCourses this month, and thank god that I had Pace Smith as a business partner to keep me sane. Add to this the usual home, family and social commitments and … you get the idea. I haven’t seen the light of day for awhile.

Most of us are running up time debt — and time is something you can’t pay back.

I recently re-discovered this great post by Sierra Black wrote for GetRichSlowly.com about the concept of time debt. She tells the story of how she decided to declare “time bankruptcy” — wiping out all commitments from her and her children’s overbooked schedules in one fell swoop.

Declaring time bankruptcy sounds liberating, but it’s drastic.

Plus, I like the stuff I do.

It occurred to me that I could scale back for the equivalent of one month. What would it be like to have four weeks of not pushing so hard, of deciding I’ve done enough for the time being?

On the professional front this means maintaining the minimum base line. I won’t be seeking out new clients or starting new projects. No blog posts, no guest posting, no speculating on how to grow my business or updating my website. No networking, interviewing or being interviewed.

I’m going to cut back on email and social media — though I won’t be taking what my friend Tammy of RowdyKittens.com calls a “digital sabbatical” — I’d love to do that one day. I’m not going to define strict rules for myself. I do think I’ll disable the email on my iPhone for the month to help me abstain from obsessive email-checking. All or nothing thinking just sets you up to fail.

As for social commitments, I plan to be flaky and non-committal. If I feel like going to that dinner party when the day comes, great. We’ll see.

Here is what my bare minimum looks like for my month:

Paid work I’m already committed to (clients, existing contracts, dining column)
My bi-weekly writing group (writing optional)
Necessary errands and maintenance — buying groceries, brushing my teeth, etc.

It’s not like I’ll be living in a cave. Largely the shift is going to be internal.

The feeling I’m looking for is one of spaciousness — of having large blocks of unscheduled time to do with as the mood moves me.

Maybe that will look like cleaning out the attic — or not.

Maybe it means lying on the couch for four hours reading the Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest instead of trying to keep up with the world.

What the heck does this have to do with eBooks?

Yeah, I know, this isn’t Zen Habits. So what gives?

Well for one I wanted to let you know why you won’t see new posts for awhile.

But also, it’s about an important step in the creative process.

Awhile back I wrote about the five stages of creativity. The second stage is incubation. Backing off, taking a break, letting things stew and, well, incubate.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, stretched too thin — creativity cannot thrive. Just quit. Give up! Stop trying so hard and see what happens when you allow some space. I know I’m curious to find out.

When I told my friend Kyeli about Quit Everything Month, she told me that it partially coincides with “the fallow time” on the pagan calendar, a period between October 31st and the winter solstice in December. The word fallow first referred to fields that were plowed but left unplanted for one growing season. This restored the soil, made it ready to take seeds the following year.

It’s my hope that I’ll emerge with fresh energy, ready to take Sticky eBooks in new and exciting directions and ready to sprout the seeds of new projects.

Or maybe nothing will change. That’s ok, too.

Either way, I’ll get back to you — in a month.

P.S. Pace & Kyeli launched the Connection Revolution today, following an epiphany they had about their brand and the change they want to see in the world. There’s a lot of asking why going around, I realized after talking to my friend Susan Johnstone. Asking myself why will be a big part of this month.

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14 Responses to Quit Everything Month

Mark Wolfinger
October 7, 2010 | 10:35 am

Not a bad idea.

I know I’m time bankrupt and see no way out
Kelly
October 7, 2010 | 12:18 pm

Mark, I know the feeling. Maybe it’s time for something drastic… starting with what drains you the most.

Whenever I felt that icky trapped feeling coming upon me at my former day job, I reminded myself that even though it didn’t always seem to be the case, everything I do, I do by choice. I chose that job. Recognizing your ultimate autonomy is really uplifting, even if you choose to keep your job — for now.
ALi Hale
October 7, 2010 | 2:01 pm

Hope you have a brilliant month, Kelly!

I had such a hectic summer with wedding plans and finishing my MA that I cut back biz to the bare minimum by necessity. I didn’t guest post, I didn’t post much on Aliventures, I didn’t take on any new work (even when that meant turning down offers), and so on.

I’m refocusing on biz now, and it feels *really* good to have had a break — I’m enjoying getting back into things, and I feel like I have a better sense of perspective about it all.

So — hope you have a fab time, and a well-earned rest!
Ronda Kay @ GrandGifting.com
October 8, 2010 | 9:23 am

AWESOME! Great thinking, as usual. Love the ‘time bankruptcy’ concept – off to try it on for size.

Enjoy your month out – see ya’ on the other side!
Sandra @ DebutanteClothing
October 8, 2010 | 10:15 am

Kelly,
I am just coming back from an almost 2 month digital/blogging vacation. It felt good and I feel renergized, for the most part. You are spot on – creative endeavors sometimes need time and space to breathe. i need to remember to take time away for my and my family’s personal needs. I’ll be useless if I burn out.
Kelly
October 8, 2010 | 12:03 pm

Thanks for everyone’s encouragement! Just deciding to do it has already had a relaxing effect.
Gwen Bell
October 8, 2010 | 4:14 pm

Kelly, enjoy clearing the decks.

The month I spent offline this summer refreshed me tremendously. I support annual Digital Sabbaticals. (And hope to take one 4x/year starting next year.) More thoughts on the subject, including a roundup of others who have taking the route of unplugging: www.gwenbell.com/unplug/ – may it be of use as you embark on your offline journeys.
Kazi
October 8, 2010 | 6:16 pm

Enjoy your retreat Kelly. It’s food for the spirit. btw, luving Engaging eCourses. Just what the doctor ordered.
Jennifer
October 8, 2010 | 8:48 pm

Hi Kelly, I just had to write to you. I’m in exactly the same space. I have been yearning for this since mid-July and it has taken me until now, October 8 (actually, mine will also begin October 11) to be able to act on. To unwind those events of life that need to be unwound. To just stop. To just have the day. This is the first time in my adult professional life (30+years) that I have ever not gone into an office and not gone on a trip. Mine will look a little different than yours, since I’m still semi-involved as an employee and not ramped up in a business. The potential closet-cleaning, however, fits right in with yours.

My employment change (having my job cut by 2/3) took place somewhere around the time that your job changed. I think that when busy people, particularly busy people who would like start their own businesses but aren’t sure what that business will be, — when those busy people suddenly have free time handed them, it’s so easy to take on more than we can handle. Because there is so much that we like to do and so much that we’re interested in. So we say yes, and yes, and then again, yes, and life gets full and busy and very, very fragmented.

It feels so good to say “whoa” and “stop.” I’ve been yearning for this time – mine will be two weeks -and as of this morning I nearly restricted myself to one week. Then my better grown-up took over and put her foot down.

Kelly, here’s wishing you well and happy and tranquility and fun over the next month. And I’ll be doing the same.

Your quitting soul sister & fellow Escape Seminar alum, Jennifer
Jennifer
October 8, 2010 | 8:50 pm

Ooops, I guess one can’t ‘wing’ it with html code. I tried to add ‘bold’ to a few of my words, and my entire post turned into bold. But here’s my PS – a few weeks ago I began working through Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” and I’m heading into her week 4 program: a one-week reading sabbatical. As a readeraholic, this should be interesting.
Miranda
October 9, 2010 | 6:54 am

Go Kelly, go! Or is it stop Kelly, stop! Either way, it’s great adn there really muct be something in the air. I have been trying to do something similar, recommending it to friends who are overwhelmed and exhausted. Enjoy it!
Kyeli
October 9, 2010 | 5:33 pm

I am so, so stoked to watch this process in action for you, Kelly. I’m excited about the decluttering and the results of drawing in and relaxing and letting so much go.

Yay! (:
Amy Parmenter
October 10, 2010 | 8:56 am

Kelly! I am so happy/relieved for you. This is EXACTLY where I am and, as soon as I am done with my speaking gig this week at blogworld, I intend to do everything I can to minimize my obligations for a time. We can literally make ourselves sick with trying to keep up. I wish you luck…and peace. We will all still be here when you choose to return. You have earned that.

Amy Parmenter
Sue Mitchell
October 15, 2010 | 11:39 am

I was planning to write my own version of this exact post–time to step back, fallow time, etc. However, I quit working before I got it done. Glad you wrote it for me!

This month, I’m with you–fulfilling previous commitments only.

Enjoy your Quit Everything Month!

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