There’s a small problem with taking a carefully planned podcast break: apparently you have to do a whole lot of work first!
You were on break from GTGE in August. We were not. We recorded and edited and scheduled episodes so Shannon can actually disappear for more than three weeks in September—without a computer—while Janine gets to enjoy a break from podcasting in the comfort of her apartment.
From there, we wander through northern lights, unexpectedly expensive rustic accommodations, strategically scheduling the relaxing part of a vacation at the end, and the very sensible idea of leaving a bit of time to catch up before returning to real life.
Which leads to the less relaxing question: What happens when you step away from something long enough that you worry you’ll forget how to do it?
What We Talk About
- 01:57 Why planned breaks were part of bringing the podcast back
- 02:43 Staying off the hamster wheel—and keeping the podcast fun
- 03:30 What an actual vacation looks like when you’re self-employed
- 04:46 Doing a lot of work now so you can really stop working later
- 05:20 Norway, Sweden, Denmark, northern lights, and some pricey “roughing it”
- 07:49 Ending a trip somewhere relaxing so you don't need a vacation after your vacation
- 13:26 The slightly unnerving side of stepping away for a while
- 14:42 Writing things down so Future You doesn’t have to remember everything
Key Takeaways
- Apparently, a real break sometimes requires a very busy stretch beforehand.
- “We only do it if it’s fun” is still a useful measure for the podcast—and one reason taking breaks matters.
- There’s something appealing about putting a buffer around a break: time to settle into being away, and time to settle back in when you return.
- Worrying about what might happen while you’re gone doesn’t necessarily mean the break is a bad idea. Shannon can worry that she’ll forget how to podcast and still go to Scandinavia without a computer.
- Writing down a process is useful even before you need the instructions. And checking the instructions while you’re actually doing the thing may be the best way to discover whether they bear any resemblance to reality.
The Bottom Line
Taking a break sounds restful. Preparing to take one? Not necessarily.
But Shannon and Janine keep coming back to the same thing that has guided the podcast since 2018: if it stops being fun, something needs to change. This time, the change is a planned break, some real time away, and a little room around the edges for reentry. There are still nerves about stepping away, but there are also notes, backup plans, and some real-time documentation.
And if Shannon almost forgot the tagline before the break even started, perhaps updating those podcast instructions really is a good idea!
Want More Like This?
Episode 100: Our 100th Episode!
Shannon and Janine celebrate making it to 100 episodes and revisit the agreement they made at the beginning: they’d keep doing the podcast as long as it was fun. Six years later, that principle is still doing some useful work.
Episode 150: Creating Helpful Work Boundaries
Work has a way of sneaking into the rest of life, especially when you work for yourself. Shannon and Janine talk about ways to make work and non-work time more distinct—including what Shannon learned from a beach trip that wasn’t quite as vacation-like as it could have been.
Episode 183: Taking a Break
The earlier version of this very experiment: Shannon and Janine announce a five-week podcast hiatus and talk about what they might gain by actually stopping instead of filling the gap with more work.
Connect With Us
We would love to hear from you, our listeners. Do you remember to take a break? What is it like for you when you do?
Meta Description
Shannon and Janine talk about taking a real break, planning time off, easing back in afterward, and the nerves that can come with stepping away.
