Did you miss me?

Did you even notice my absence the last few days?

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, the last Daily Note was written on 10.8.25, which means there are five missed Daily Notes. Thankfully, the missed Notes were by choice and not an emergency that kept me from writing.

Last Thursday, Ang and I took off to spend a few days in Sedona, Arizona, for a belated anniversary celebration. I decided after writing the Note for the 8th that I wouldn't write any Notes while we were in Sedona. In fact, I wouldn’t spend time on social media and would only check my computer a few times a day on Thursday and Friday for work-related things.

I’ll admit, it was a little unsettling not to write a Daily Note each day.

I don’t think the unsettling feeling was an attachment to the Notes from an identity standpoint, but more from the enjoyment I get from writing a Note each day. I also didn’t love the idea of not being in your inbox each morning, but I reminded my Self that the Notes are for me first and I share them in hopes that they will resonate with others, so I ultimately decided I wouldn’t be letting anyone down.

This short break wasn’t out of need–I’m not burned out on writing, especially since the Daily Notes are really just downloads from the Divine; I’m not exerting a lot of energy writing each day. The Daily Notes continue to be a relatively easy task for me, which tells me I am far from done writing. Instead, the short break was to reduce the number of things I needed to do or think about while enjoying one of my favorite places with my wife.

Not having to write meant I could be more present and do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted–I didn’t have to write a Note before watching a little TV or going on a hike.

It was a nice break–having fewer things on my mind was really nice.

But now that we’re back, I’m excited to be back on my MacBook, typing away.

I thought I’d share a couple of “lessons” from my few days away from the Notes:

• The Notes are certainly a project of love and I will continue to write them as long as I love doing so. While I’m sure a few readers noticed my absence, no one reached out to see where the Notes were, which is 1,000% ok, and I don’t share this as an attempt to get positive feedback. Instead, it is meant to be a reminder to do “the work” because you love it, and for your Self—good things will come. As Rick Rubin has often said, you need to do it for your Self first.
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• The Daily Notes weren’t diminished because I took a few days off. There is a belief in our culture that if you’re not growing, you're dying, and that you always have to be “on.” Yes, we need to work hard, but working hard doesn’t mean that you can’t take time for your Self and take a break from time to time.
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• This weekend was the first time I really reduced the number of things I had to think about. Sure, on Thursday and Friday, I still had work on my mind and needed to check in and complete a few tasks for clients. However, since inbound communication from my clients was quiet, I didn’t have to worry too much about missing an important call or email. I also didn’t have to think about running to practices, games, friends' houses, and all of the other busyness of life that the boys bring. We FaceTimed with the boys multiple times a day, but I was able to think less about their needs since they were back home with my parents and in good hands. It was refreshing to only think about the beauty of Sedona, figure out what we wanted to do each day, and then be present with Ang — no writing, no clients, no errands, no house projects, no social media posts, no content to create, no marketing, nothing.

These few lessons are important ones for to remember–I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to learn them, but I’m also glad to be back!
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See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC