Know When to Take a Break

close-up of Play/Pause button

Sometimes we need to listen to the gentle whisper of God’s voice. The easiest way to do this take a queue from our anatomy. Two eyes, two ears, and one mouth. We need to look and listen more than we talk. You feel pressure to produce content and post updates. Maybe you need a change of pace. This 250th milestone article is about taking a break.

I started this blog after life made me press pause. I had lost my job and was unemployed or underemployed for 18 months. When I got back in the saddle, I began writing. The surge of creativity came with the fact that I had started a new career path. This began an amazing new part of my professional career. I learned many new things along the way that I tried to share with you. But when do you know it is time to press pause? Do you need a break? Or do you need a completely different change of pace? No matter what you decide, here are some ideas I would like to share with you.

Take a Break

Sometimes you just need a break from work. This could mean taking that well-deserved vacation time. If you are a volunteer, ask to take a few weeks off. Use the time wisely to recharge your batteries. Go somewhere nice and do something relaxing. Get inspired with ideas I mentioned in my last article on creativity. Come back energized to tackle problems with new solutions.

Switch Jobs

I am not asking church communications people across the world to resign. Maybe there is another job in the church you can move into. Perhaps there is another church in your city that could use your help. Even a temporary switch can be helpful. Regardless, it may be wise to train a replacement and move on to something new.

Change Careers

The only reason I’m putting this one here is because it did so much for me. You might need to switch your entire career path. Try not working at a church. Slide out of the technology space. Move to a new city or even country. Just do not abandon your faith. God is big enough to find a way to use your talents in that new place.

Action Item

Your first course of action is to pray. Be still and wait for God’s guidance. Next seek counsel from good godly people in your life. Talk it over with your pastor and/or church elders. Hopefully they see that you want to develop beyond what is currently in front of you. They may grant you a sabbatical, or assist you in transitioning elsewhere. But before starting down that new path, seek the Lord. Pray. Fast. Go on a mission trip. Wait for Him to nudge you. Then when you go, continue to seek Him in that new direction.

First, thank you for reading! This has been an amazing journey of faith, discipline, and learning. But after 250 articles, I need to press pause. My well has run dry. I still have ideas about articles. But the words often escape me. I fell behind in my weekly writing and I want to deliver quality, not quantity. Plus I know there are many new people out there producing fresh content. Seek them out, but come back every so often. The website will be here, as I fully intend to pick this back up!

Photo courtesy of Miroslav S.

Author: Stephen Morrissey

I have been making websites since 1996, and using social media since 2006. My current profession is designing user experiences for corporate software, websites, and mobile applications. I started sharing my knowledge with the world in 2011, about a year after a revival in my faith.