I’ve come to realize that now that I am 40, even though I am a huge people person with a strong and vibrant outgoing personality, I am very much a loner.
I enjoy truly spending time by myself (I think it’s the only child in me). Some people think this is because I am standoffish or stuck up, self-centered, or just insensitive, but I like my space. I like having time to myself. I spend so much time “on” with my blog and online business endeavors, that when I get an opportunity to unplug for real, it’s cut my mic off please time.
We’ve got to remember this as we go about our daily lives running our empires. In our quest to be the hottest thing on the web, we can forget that it’s okay to go somewhere and be quiet for awhile. Everyone will be there when you get back, and you will have a chance to make much needed logged-off moments. If someone really needs you, they will reach out to you. And if you miss something, you can totally catch up when you log back in.
During a trip last month to Hawaii, I totally got it. I understood my need to be offline, to enjoy the view of the beach, to watch and appreciate the sunset, and to get to know the island. Yes, I updated here and there, but I spent most of my time truly enjoying my vacation. I was at the beach for hours by my lonesome, just me and the sun, and the sand, and the waves—it was cathartic and necessary—I’ve never felt so inspired.
And with this inspiration, I came back to the mainland locked and loaded and ready to go. I’ve accomplished several more of my goals because I was so reinvigorated from my trip. And I am well into planning my goals for the upcoming year, which I plan to knock out the park.
As a friend of mine likes to remind me, it’s destiny time.
You can do good work behind the scenes. You can work in silence, and you don’t have to announce your every move. In fact, when you allow people to underestimate your ability (which these days happens because you aren’t making noise about your comings and goings), then when you do hit them with the BOOM, they can truly appreciate it.
Allow yourself moments off the grid. Cut off your mic every once in awhile for a new outlook. Take vacations. You’ll be better for it.
P.S.: We all need those Cut My Mic Off Please friends, who remind us that not everything needs to be on ‘the gram or on Twitter. Keep those peeps in your circle, too. 🙂
