Big Changes = New Inspiration

I purposefully quit one of my biggest teaching jobs and moved to a new side of town into a much bigger place all at the same time. It was incredibly deliberate, and I did it for important reasons.

Essentially, my brain was burned out.

I don’t necessarily know how to completely stop my wheels from turning, so instead of making my brain work overtime (which is usually all the time), writing a new book, making more YouTube videos, or guest posting for additional websites, I decided to completely change my routine and stay busy in a way that felt more normal and sane to me.

I started taking my time with things, rather than adding ‘to dos’ to an already busy schedule. I concerned myself with how to decorate, rather than how to network more efficiently. I learned new driving routes, rather than learning new online university systems.

Then all this ‘concerning myself with normal things’ really started to wear on me, which is when my day-to-day shifted in a wonderful way.

This is what I had been waiting for.

Again, I had been giving my brain a break from ‘deep work,’ and changing my daily routine in the hopes that new and different inspiration would eventually make an appearance, and it did. It took two months (two long and inane months), but it came back, and it looked completely different this time.

If I had to take a wild guess, this new and different inspiration is not what I would have predicted in a million years, but I have a habit of following my bliss, so I’m going with it.

List of epiphanies and inspirations (at the moment):

Being busy is not necessary
Cooking can be calming
Reading books (rather than listening) makes me a better writer
Podcasts are amazing
Being quiet inspires creativity
Spending time walking in the sun is not wasted time
Caffeine never made me as productive as I thought it did
Long talks with friends have been missing from my life for too long
Not having to set an alarm clock helps me sleep better, yet, ironically, I wake up earlier than I used to for work (and I feel better)
My brain feels less foggy
I don’t have the urge to do or create anything amazing, and I don’t feel the pressure to; I’m very happy to enjoy this one life in the simplest ways possible (for now, at least)

It may be a tall order, but I encourage you to drastically change your routine in some way, and/or take a hiatus from trying to create the next best thing. Work in a different room, start taking a new route to work, shop at a different grocery store, learn to cook, or start gardening.

You may find that a break from the usual is just the vacation your brain needs to come back refreshed, and ready to introduce you to new and incredible ideas.

Happy learning and happy living.