Summary

The author discusses the importance of planning for rest and setting boundaries to avoid burnout when committing to daily article posting alongside other life demands.

Abstract

The author has embarked on a challenge to post articles daily for 500 days, driven by the goals of producing a large volume of work and establishing a consistent writing habit. Acknowledging the potential for burnout due to upcoming work deadlines and a house move, the author emphasizes the necessity of incorporating productive rest into one's routine. The solution proposed is to take proactive small breaks rather than being forced into a long break by exhaustion. The author, who is also a children's book illustrator and a family person, has been managing this by taking Saturdays off and scheduling posts in advance. However, they admit to occasionally breaking this rule, which has led to feeling more tired. The article concludes with advice to approach such challenges as a marathon, prioritizing longevity and sustainable progress over short-term intensity.

Opinions

The author believes that posting daily can be beneficial for building a substantial body of work and for habit formation.
They recognize the risk of burnout when balancing daily posting with other significant life events and work pressures.
The author suggests that rest is not only necessary but also productive, and it should be planned and prioritized.
They point out that American hustle culture can be an obstacle to taking rest seriously.
The author advocates for setting clear boundaries between work and rest, such as taking weekends off, to maintain productivity and well-being.
They acknowledge the challenge of sticking to one's own advice and the importance of learning from personal lapses.
The author advises approaching long-term goals with a strategy of slow and steady progress to ensure both success and sustainability.

If You Plan to Post Articles Every Day, You Also Need to Plan For Dodging Burnout

There’s a way to make it work, and a way to make it miserable

Photo by ANTONI SHKRABA production from Pexels

I declared a couple of weeks ago that I intend to post every day for 500 days, or about a year and a half.

I’ve seen varying opinions on the merits of posting daily, so I’ll just say that my main aims are 1) a big volume of work, and 2) a consistent writing habit.

I’m pleased to say I’ve kept it up so far, but I’m also aware that I’ve done this during a lull period in my primary job as a children’s book illustrator. Big honking deadlines will stack up sooner than later. I’m also in the process of packing my house for a move this summer. Moving is a giant energy-sucking vortex.

Inevitably by this coming July, I can 99% guarantee I’ll be running on fumes and I’ll find myself butted up against the deadly burnout zone.

The solution to the burnout problem is simple:

Make time for productive rest.

Obviously, right? Maybe… maybe not.

The thing is, you’re an organic being, not a machine. You’ll have to stop working at some point.

You have a choice:

You can proactively take small, deliberate breaks.
Your exhausted body and mind can reactively force you to take a long, unplanned break.

If you’re an American in particular, rest-as-productivity is likely a tough one to implement. (Hustle culture is finally starting to wane, but it’s a massive hulking beast that will likely take a long time to disappear.)

If you’re a motivated freelancer, work will almost always steamroll rest.

Set boundaries between work and rest

For me so far, deliberate rest has equated to taking Saturdays off to spend time with my family.

I make this happen (and maintain a one-post-per-day average) by writing shorter or lighter-bandwidth pieces halfway through the week and scheduling them to go live on my days off.

If it turns out I eventually need both weekend days off, I’ll schedule for two.

Again, duh, right?

Nope. This weekend, I already broke my own rule by outlining this very piece on Saturday and finishing it on Sunday evening. And sure enough, I’m kinda paying for it: I woke up this morning feeling a little more groggy and scattered.

Bro. Follow your own advice.

Some last old man parting advice

Here’s a good rule of thumb:

The enthusiasm that comes from novelty burns hot and bright at first, but it goes cold quickly.

Everything I’ve ever seen about success on Medium (or any other platform, really) says that this is a long game.

Elite marathoners can zip through 26.2 miles, but they’re still not running as fast as the 100-meter sprint.

It takes heaps of training to transform into a pro marathoner, especially if you’re starting from the couch. The best path to both progress and longevity is to keep the tempo low and slow.