I’m sure you know what I mean when I say that I feel like my ability to task switch and be creative has been degraded lately. Fixing that means a break, and while a good four day weekend can work wonders, it’s not the same as a real break. Of course the challenge of working mostly solo is that if I don’t work, I have to do it before the break or when I return. That’s not quite as much fun as just walking out the door without a care in the world!

The PASS Summit is actually a break of sorts, a total change in routine, and a chance to hear new things, get energized about the tech side of things. But the trade off for me is the travel and the time away from home, neither my favorite things. Then it’s into the holiday season and the end of year flurry of stuff to do. So…when to take the break?

There’s no good time, but as of now my plan is to take four weeks off, the last two weeks of December and the first two weeks of January. I’ve got some cabinets to build for the workshop, tools to buy, landscaping that badly needs attention, books to read, and we’ll see what else. It won’t quite qualify as a vacation or sabbatical as I’ll still have to monitor email and deal with the odd problem. Not perfect, better than not doing it.

It’s something to look forward to, a break from the relentless grind of work (as it seems right now!).