Well folks, I have an announcement to make.
You obviously know it already, thanks to the title. But I’m gonna say it anyway — I’m taking a break. To be more precise, I’m going on an indefinite hiatus.
For the past 6 years, I’ve been publishing articles every Saturday and reading lists every first of the month, at 12 a.m. sharp, without failure.
I started this routine when I was going through a deeply traumatic heartbreak. I didn’t have a vision of what I wanted to achieve, except that I simply intended to comfort myself, to help myself push through the crippling depression I was experiencing.
Quite literally, this blog was a life-saver, as writing the articles gave me the clarity and the inner strength I needed when I was wrestling with suicidal thoughts.
I carried this routine through busy schedules, and through all the ups and downs that life had to offer, unwaveringly showing up at the 12 a.m. deadline.
But after 6 years, I’m no longer just surviving. I’m in a much better place than I was when I started, and I think I deserve a proper rest.
Lately, I’ve hit a wall. I still have plenty of things to write about, but I’m too burnt out to give them life. If I’m being honest, I’m not proud of the recent articles I’ve written. You could probably tell that they come from a place of exhaustion, of simply wanting to get the job done. And I’d hate to create something that isn’t the best it could possibly be.
So I’m taking this break not because I’m giving up, but because I’ve outgrown the headspace this routine once came from. It served its purpose beautifully for 6 years. But I think it’s about time for me to reassess who I am now, and what I want this blog to mean going forward.
I gotta admit, though, I debated on this decision for quite a while. I often asked myself, do I really want to break that hard-earned 6-year streak?
But, you know, if you have to ask, that’s your answer.
I don’t know when I’ll be ready to write here again. But in the meantime, I’ll be doing some other writing-related projects. I also plan to make some enhancements to this website, which I never had the time to do.
As I end this run, I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading. If my articles made your life even a little better, I’m truly grateful for the honor.
If you’ve followed my articles for a while, you might recall a song I’ve written about a few times called Time Bomb by Rancid, which emphasizes being mindful of where the finish line is.
Here, let me quote the lyrics one more time, “The secret to a good life is knowing when you’re through.”
Now that we’re through with this run, I’ll see you in the next one. (Whenever that may be.)
Izzat Zailan 