Time out is not just the name of a seminal Dave Brubeck jazz album. And time out is not just what you give kids when they misbehave. We all need to take time out but for adults it’s called self care.

You’ve probably heard of this term. We know self care is a real thing because now Oprah Winfrey has suggestions. Even high-profile social media influencer Gary Vaynerchuk has proposed Disappearing December where you disappear (presumably just from social media) for the entire month.

I’m one of those people who’s regenerated after doing something other than work for a few hours. The daycare kids I help my mother take care of for one to three hours a day are good for this. But I feel that I have to take more time to think than work in December.

Three to Get Ready

I’m still going to work. I have to finish producing my Adobe RoboHelp 2019 course for Udemy. I also have to finish writing the first draft of Ultimate Guide for Social Media Marketing with my co-authors. And I may participate in a book presentation about Instagram for Dummies.

This year, December is interesting because Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday. New Year’s Day 2020 falls on a Wednesday, too. So those weeks won’t feel like holiday weeks. I’ll still be in my home office. I may be playing more with daycare kids because several graduates will be here during their winter break from school.

Take Five

But I have a lot of stuff to read, digest, and incorporate into a strategy. I need to do that for my website and marketing work and for my new online business news venture. And my medical situation hasn’t changed since I wrote about my health in August, though I’ll probably start taking new medications. That’s another reason to take a time out and think more in December.

So, I’m going to put this blog and my BCG Brief e-newsletter on hold through at least December. I’ve set a tentative return date of January 13 since people try to get back into gear the first full week of January. And I’ll still post on my social media profiles when I have something interesting to share.

On November 22, I finished 50 orbits around the sun. It’s time for me to get ready for a productive 2020.