As I’ve alluded to the past few weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of reflection over the last two months on where we’re at and where our business was headed. In all honesty, I didn’t like the trajectory.
I don’t regret the last three years. They have stretched me far beyond what I believed I was capable of. I’ve grown up as a businesswoman. I’ve had to make hard calls. I’ve had to carry heavy loads. And I’ve had to rely upon the Lord like never before.
Right before we left for South Africa — when I had just made it through surgery recovery and was gearing up for my big book launch — I got an email. It was a short and simple email but it rocked my world in profound ways.
For privacy purposes, I can’t tell you the nature of the email or who it was from, but I can tell you that the whole trip, it consumed every conscious thought. It forced me to step back and really ask, “Why?”
“Why am I doing what I’m doing?”
“Why do I feel like I need to build things bigger and better?”
As I asked myself hard questions, I realized that, unknowingly, I had bought into the lie that says that more is what really matters.
All around me, I saw the signs that I had believed this and let this belief guide my actions and strategies. I was chasing after MORE.
More speaking opportunities, more book sales, more influence, more customers, more social media followers, more traffic, more impact…
More. More. More.
Our culture has convinced us that more is always better. More success equals more fulfillment. More traffic numbers means more influence.
But in all the MORE-chasing, I was losing something of greater value: my joy.
I was tired. My heart was heavy. And I felt a little like I was suffocating.
The responsibilities, the emails, the people needing me, the business demands, the projects, the meetings… they were sucking the life and joy right out of my lungs.
My heart was craving rest, not rushing. Peace, not platform-building. And solitude, not success.
I was tired of the chasing and the racing and the out-of-breath sort of living.
So I came home from South Africa settled in my spirit: I was done with MORE.
Instead, I am pursuing a life of less. Fewer responsibilities. Fewer commitments. Fewer meetings. Fewer to-do’s. Fewer must-do’s.
Which is why I chose REST as my word for 2016. It’s time to slow down. It’s time to savor. It’s time to say “no”. It’s time to stop, to pay attention, to really listen, to breathe.
For 2016, I’ve committed to only focus on three things when it comes to the business: writing, scoping, and producing products. Those are the three things that really refresh and energize me and allow me the space to breathe and to pour into my family and my community. And even with those things, I’m really pacing myself so that doing these things is a blessing not a burden.
{It’s possible I may do a few other things here and there, but each “yes” is going to be carefully and prayerfully considered — and my accountability partners have to agree that it is a wise “yes” for me.}
I’m so happy. So calm. So at peace. I’m ready for #TheYearofRest!
P.S. Just for fun, I’ll be documenting #TheYearofRest on Instagram if you want to follow along and be inspired! And come back tomorrow when I’ll be sharing my 4 goals for 2016 and how they coincide with my Year of Rest.
It is very much the norm that we chase more in our lives. Society is all about the fast pace life and we are told more is better,but if we do this we forget what really matters.
After a year of crazy (that we couldn’t wholly avoid), our family is choosing 2017 for our year of Rest. I’ve been following your blog for about nine years now and it’s been a joy to see your journey. I’d love to see a blog or response on how the year finished out. What did you learn? What did you wish you would’ve done differently? Did you establish rules as to what you would “not” do during that year? My husband and I are both very wired to help, help, help but often to the detriment of ourselves. We see and acknowledge it but are wondering even what boundaries to set to not say too many “yeses”. We have 5 children ages 2-9 so we’re exhausted enough right there. 😉 Would love any thoughts by comment, email or blog. 😉
I just wrote a followup post sharing how the Year of Rest has changed my life here: https://moneysavingmom.com/2016/12/i-am-so-excited-to-announce-this.html 🙂
I just lost my mom in December (after a very stressful season of sickness.) Since then, I’ve been beyond overwhelmed with trying to take over her duties. I don’t even feel like I’ve have a chance to mourn. I’ve had several low moments, feeling like my prayers weren’t being answers as to what to do next. Then I came across this entry about your year of rest. After reading this, I feel like God is also calling me to a time of rest, to be centered and trust in Him. Thank you so much for letting the Lord use you to speak this word to me!
Lisa
Hey, This post is very inspiring and hope it will change life of millions of people.
Cheers!
I’m also taking a year of rest. God led me to a book called the Best Yes by Lisa Terkeurst just when I needed it, and I just finished the book 5 Little Questions That Reveal the Life God Designed for You by Dannah Gresh, and I highly recommend both of them as they speak on the subject of being less busy. In our human efforts to accomplish more, we become tired, and lose our peace and joy. But the amazing thing is, when we stop to spend time with the Lord, He REDEEMS our TIME! I’m learning this and excited by how God will allow us to accomplish so much if we spend the necessary time with Him to seek Him first. As a result, we can be free of the stress associated with living harried, busy lives. I’m looking forward to being on your journey alongside you as you pursue Him and your year of rest! God bless you!
Good for you. It’s hard to go against the grain but more of us need to do it. I hope this post will inspire many.
Wow. It’s takes a lot of integrity to stop chasing the More. I’m proud of you. So many people seem so intent on selling their souls for money. I hope if I ever come to a place of such success that I’ll have the courage to lay it down and rest. Be Blessed by the Giver of Rest,
PS. When we rest God works… -Emily
Thanks so much for your kind encouragement!
Hi Chrystal!
WOW I am so blessed to read about your Year of rest 2016 goal!
We live on a fruit and vegetable farm in South Africa and as a side line we have 6 self catering cottages. Both businesses grew so much and are successful, but we are working 7 days a week! We made the very hard decision to close the guest house business for a year or may be even two! It is very sad, because we love our guests, but for quality of live reasons – we are closing it!
So my goal for 2016 is PLAY PLAY PLAY PLAY with our 3 young children and my husband!!!! Just one other goal and that is to support my husband to be a champion in his work!!
Greetings
Adri
I LOVE this post. It really gives me a feeling of taking a big deep breath! I have a phrase for the year. Its “Let Go”. Oh, how I am in need of some letting go. People pleasing, grief, perfection, and even stuff.
I wrote about how I came to it here. 🙂 http://elizabethchristineblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/words-for-2016-my-take-on-one-little.html
Hi Crystal, I can’t recommend the book “Rest Assured” by Vicki Courtney enough! Your desires for 2016 sound just like what she writes about. It’s one of my top favorite books now. 🙂
Happy New Year’s Eve!
I have that on my 2016 reading list! I can’t wait to read it!
You so deserve rest in 2016. Have a great new year and peaceful 2016. I love reading your posts, they really make me think what i need to do. The last few years have been hard and as a couple we have not set goals like we did when we were first married. This is what i want to work on in 2016. Plus move house in feb!
Okay, can I just say I am so freakin’ proud of you?! Yes! Rest! Since I read your words I’ve been praying for you as you start the new year filling your cup with the One who will pour abundantly so you can live intentionally. I chose a Rest rhythm 2 years ago and have not regretted it for one second. It’s taken some prioritizing, saying confident no’s, and really choosing how God wants me to spend time but I’ve never enjoyed the hours or felt more content or thankful and I KNOW this will be the case for you. I’m cheering you on. Hugs from HB 🙂
Aw, thank you SO much for your sweet encouragement, Bekah! You are a blessing!
Everyone needs rest. Enjoy. I hope that you are able to stick to your decision. All moms know this is a hard one. <3
Love this! And you.
Crystal, good for you! I hope 2016 brings you lots of rest and time for things most important to YOU. I look forward to following along on IG. 🙂
I have been thinking about what I want my year to be about, and the thought that comes to mind is “tiny.” Just as many are fed up with the burdens of a larger home and moving into a tiny home, I feel like I am fed of with the pressures of a “McMansion” life of doing everything and being like every person I admire and instead am craving a smaller life that is more focused on a few things. Instead of downsizing possessions, I feel like I need to downsize expectations of myself this year.
“Instead of downsizing possessions, I feel like I need to downsize expectations of myself this year.”
Whoa! What a powerful statement!!
Love the word and the concept. I’ve been trying hard to keep my Sundays as my day of rest and my buffer for the rest of the week. I know you do that as well. It’s amazing how much difference stepping back that one day can help keep me rested amidst the busy-ness of single parenting my kiddos.
My ONE word this year is RESPOND. I am so, so excited (/scared!) to respond to God’s voice no matter what His prompting. I’ve already started actually and it’s precisely where I need to be with God this year. Love your site; love your enthusiasm, your cheerleading for others, your transparency. Happy New Year!
Crystal……I am SO, SO very proud of you for doing this.
What a price we pay sometimes for the pace at which we lead our lives.
Many blessings to you dear lady,
Cathy
I pray that your year of rest is refreshing, rejuvenating, and enlightening. May the God of peace bring you encouragement and rest. Thank you for sharing your word for the year.
I don’t think that I am at a place right now where I could say that “rest” was my word for the year. We are definitely having to work REALLY hard financially right now, so I am a full-time teacher, a blogger, and a writer. I think that my phrase for the year might be “joy in the everyday.” Even in the midst of these responsibilities, I want to find joy in all that I see and do.
Also, I know that you have been in seasons of your life where you needed to work and hustle like crazy. I’d love to hear your thoughts on that season and advice for finding rest in the midst of those circumstances.
Blessings on your new year.
I LOVE your attitude. I think that attitude will carry you far. And it’s definitely an attitude that has made a major difference for me when we had no other choice but to just give it everything we possibly had. I think one of the biggest blessings and gifts of those seasons was our commitment to make Sunday a no-work/completely off day — even when it felt like there was no way we could afford to. I learned that we couldn’t afford *not* to.
I just prayed for grace and strength for you for this hard season. {Hugs!}
I am glad you listened!
I have found over the decades that God has His own way of getting my attention when I don’t listen to Him. I have always had a tendency to keep going and going until He has to use a 2 x 4 to get my attention. Mostly, it has been something like a bout of the flu or the like, just something to slow me back down.
This time, though, it is not something that I am ‘getting over’ or have the power to ‘fix’ through changing my sleep or eating or exercise or supplements. God has helped me reduce my ‘worrying’ in many areas over the years, and He is sovereign over this as well. I need to continue to rest in Him and stop trying to do it on my own.
I commend you on recognizing the direction you were headed and listening to what He is telling you. I am looking forward to reading about the journey ahead.
Good for you, Crystal. I am so thankful you realized this! As a longtime follower, I have been vaguely concerned for you.
If you find time, you will enjoy The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good, which will remind you of the things you wrote here as well as many others.
God bless you.
My situation is similar, and I’ve already made my New Year’s Resolution- “Do less in 2016!” We had a hard year in 2015, we lost 5 dear family and friends this year, and on top of that I still had to keep up with all the usual work, home, school, family commitments and of course just keeping up with the kids. I was barely keeping my head above water and then the holidays hit and I got overwhelmed and swamped. In 2016 I will be staying home more, committing to less, and slowing down the pace of life from a frantic run to a nice slow walk!!
AWESOME. Since the minute you first let us know that rest was your word for 2016 I have thought it couldn’t be a better word for you to pick. YOU NEED THIS AND YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DESERVE THIS.
I picked the word “one” for 2016. My problem is focus (as you probably already know). I always want to do what can make the most impact with my time, but then I pick something that I think is it and then start to second guess myself and move on to something else.
Losing so many loved ones has made me realize time on earth is short but it has compounded my second guessing my impact problem to the point that I wasn’t finishing hardly any big project.
I have been purposely choosing books lately on the topic of living intentional in all areas of life. From reading these books I have learned that to me my ONE THING, my BEST YES, is my family.
This doesn’t mean I can’t pursue things that take time from family, but it does mean I have to be wise and very selective in my choices.
I have chosen just one goal for each area of my life this year.
My business goal you will be happy to know is to finally get ONE of the two eBooks I started finished. I am very close and am hoping early in the new year one will be done.
I am a long time reader here and just SO get this. I can easily see how a business, especially one as wildly successful as yours, requires such diligent stewardship. And perhaps what started out as good intentions (being able to help MORE people), took on a life of it’s own and became a big MORE monster? Maybe? Whatever it is, it’s so encouraging to see you continue to overcome the status quo in the business world and role model living your priorities. Love that about you! Thank you for all the ways you encourage my heart! ❤️
Wonderful to hear Crystal. You have inspired me too over the years and after finally getting to meet you person this year (in San Diego), I know you are real deal. Your word “rest” for 2016 doesn’t surprise me, and I wish more people would be as courageous and open as you are. I’m right there with ya, wanting to get back to basics and just “be.” It reminds me of the story of the fisherman in Mexico and the investment banker. I didn’t write this, but found it here to share: http://bemorewithless.com/the-story-of-the-mexican-fisherman/
God bless you and your family!
I love that story!!
Hi Crystal, long time reader here … Im not able to read on a daily basis, since I have three little ones I usually pop in a few times a week and get caught up.
After reading this post and then browsing and getting caught up on the last week or so of posts, I have to ask – did you change or edit your site?? I am finding it MUCH easier to navigate!! It seems like you and / or your team have removed some of the “fluff”, and it’s so much easier on the eyes! I’m certain that’s related to the content of this post 😉
Just had to share 🙂
Deciding what we want is the easy part. Deciding what we’re going to give up in order to get it is the hard part. Accountability partners are such a wise plan to have in place. Life taught me the same lesson you’ve described here; Peace and calm bring more joy than doing. Coming from a “doer,” that’s saying a lot. I know rest doesn’t mean lazy or useless, but it took a while for me to believe it. I commend you on your word of the year, it’s a great one! I’m currently working on my word of the year for 2016.
Wishing you all the best in the New Year, Crystal!
I am at exactly the opposite point you are. I need to make this the year that I work really, really hard so that I can finally get out of debt. 🙂
What a honest post! Welcome back from South Africa – I was born and raised there and moved to the States when I was young. We lived in Pretoria, which areas were you able to visit?
And you sound so similar to my mom, she recently asked me what my ‘word’ was for 2016. 🙂 Mine is patience, I need more of it!
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome to recognize this and take steps to lead a simpler, hopefully less stressful life. I’ve tried to keep this in mind as well lately.
I’m wondering if you know where someone can buy that pencil case? I thought I heard hobby lobby somewhere else I saw it posted. I checked on their website and didn’t see anything quite like it. It looks like a box with sliding pull-out drawer compartments. All I can find are plastic boxes or zippered canvas cases.
Choosing “Rest” as the theme for your year, especially coming off of what sounds like a very hectic past few years, is so so wise. It probably would’ve been much *easier* to choose something like “Growth” or something else that would follow the trajectory you’ve been going on, but you took the time to reflect on what your LIFE needed, not just your BUSINESS. And that’s so powerful! As a work-at-home-mom myself, I know how easy it is to let the business part sneak into more and more of your life, and that’s just not what this life is all about! This post really resonated with me. I really appreciate your humility and honesty – it’s very grounding and refreshing. So happy to have found your blog a few short months ago 🙂 Wishing you a very restful 2016 <3
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement! And welcome!!
I love this so, so, so, so, SO much. <3 I am right there with you, friend!!
Reminded me instantly of your ‘I’m not building an empire’ post, Erin!
It made me think about that post, too, Tracy! I’m so thankful for other blogging friends who are being drawn to the same rest and tossing aside the “empire building” that so often pervades the blogging culture!! I am so excited to follow along with Crystal’s journey this year! Happy New Year, Tracy!
Rest sounds like a great word. It sounds like you really know what you need to do, and are willing to do it. It’s hard sometimes to do what we need.
I can so appreciate this post. This year has been that year for me. Facing some health issues, closing my successful business and moving my family half way across country to lower our stress and financial burden and allowing me to stay home with our daughter and focus on her and my health. It hasn’t been easy and some months we are barely making it, but I know we made the right decision.
This coming up year my word(s) are “New Opportunites”. I have a few new things lined up that I am so excited about but will still let me be home with our daughter and focus on me.
I am so happy for this opportunity you are giving yourself. Have a Blessed New Year!
I’m so excited for your year of rest. I know you need it! You are such a hard worker, and you need to give yourself a chance to catch up on life. 😀
I’m so thankful you have had a chance to re-evaluate and know that you have to make changes so you don’t burn out. Good for you!
Oh, friend, this post was such a joy to read. I can almost hear you breathing more deeply! I have had similar feelings–on a much smaller scale–that have led to questioning why I’ve been doing some things I’ve doing the past 6-9 months. I’ve concluded that it was mostly the outside pressure (or maybe just what I perceived others expected) to do more and be more. When my husband went back to work full-time in his field last month, I finally felt the freedom to stop and evaluate. I’m letting go of some pursuits that were causing more anxiety than peace and stepping toward others that are more life-giving, even though they may bring no additional income! 2016 is going to be a good year. 🙂
I have struggled with the desire to rest for several years, but felt as though there were too many responsibilities and things I had to do to provide for my family while paying cash for my hubby’s school. This year, however, I am going to actually claim the word Rest over my life.
I really like how you put it Crystal, that you are only doing things which energize you without searching after more. Thank you!
Love your word! For the first time in 5 years, I’m struggling with my word for 2016. Any ideas for gaining clarity on this? Two that keep Coming to Mind are hydrate and consistency.
Maybe ask some of your local friends who know you well for some input and suggestions? I find that can be SO helpful!
Yay! Good for you Crystal. I’ve been worried about you since your surgery and cancer scare – especially considering Jesse’s loss of his mom. That was A LOT to deal with physically and emotionally and then you had the South Africa trip right away. I am so proud of you for listening to your intuition and following your desire to scale things back. This could just be a season you need while your children are still young, but it is a season you need now!
You’re in good company of pushing too fast and too hard – it is part of the lie of the culture.
That was a REALLY hard few weeks for Jesse. And then for me, too, because it dredged up so many hard emotions for him. It’s been the catalyst for good healing for him, ultimately, so I’m very grateful.
Thanks so much for your kind words and sweet concern. It means a lot!
Good for you, Crystal! Thank you so much for you authenticity and encouragement. I’m looking forward to following your year of rest and applaud you on making that decision. I know you won’t regret it. Blessings!
What a great adventure this will be! I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for you!!
Sounds like you’ve read “The Best Yes” by Lysa Terkeurst! I just did that bible study this fall and, ironically, it encouraged me to FINALLY publish my own website (inspired by years of following you!) Praying for you and your family as you “rest” this year!
Woohoo!!!! That was SUCH a good book!
I’ve read your blog for years now. I admire you. 🙂
I hope your year of rest is wonderful and memorable ❤️❤️❤️
Our culture is consumed with “more”. It’s always been that way, but it is ten times worse in the Internet world. I applaud you for saying no to more and I pray you get the rest you need. Here is to 2016!
Your blog was the first blog I ever read, back when you had more than one and I didn’t even know what blogs were. So as a long time reader, I will say that I am proud of you. Proud and happy that you continue to learn, grow and reexamine. We all need to go back to basics sometimes. Praying for you!!
Great word and great thoughts!
We are expecting twins this summer (in addition to already having a preschooler and 1 year old) + we hope to begin serving overseas as missionaries after the twins are born, so I’m not sure my word can really be “rest” (because I don’t envision lots of that), but I think the theme of my year is going to be “cutting back.”
Like you, I have struggled with wanting “more.” I enjoy ALL your materials, including Money Making Mom, but have wondered what God has in store for me, personally.
On the one hand I want the freedom of having more money (and also some of the other intangible “mores” – more fame, more influence, more significance)… but then I think, “Well, we have enough. Just barely, but we do have enough money – we’ve never gone into debt.” And I wonder if I should really just enjoy the life we have now, where perhaps I may not have much money, or influence, but I do have a pretty stress-free life as I don’t have to worry about a business or work in any way.
But then having a so-far rough pregnancy + the news of twins has answered that question for me… I’ve determined to just focus on a few things, and forget about the business side of things, because I think that’s all I possibly can do right now! 🙂
God bless you! Two little ones and twins on the way! I’m expecting just one baby in early July with a three year old with some mild special needs and this pregnancy has been tough on me, too. Hang in there girl!
Wow! Twins + a preschooler + a one-year-old! You’re a rockstar, mama!
Hi Crystal!
Great post today! I’ve been doing some reflecting myself and I came across an article that I’ve found very uplifting. Perhaps it can help you too:
https://deepnerdmagazine.com/15-reasons-you-are-more-than-enough/
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Good for you……….was thinking I might stop following you…….it seemed to me you had finally got comfortable but still was wanting more money & this was not the Crystal I had started to follow many years ago. I’m hoping she comes back 🙂 I always loved your menus, recipes(miss those) & your realness…………
Just to clarify, it hasn’t been about the money at all. It was about feeling the need to grow the business, not only to sustain it (it had gotten SO big that it costs thousands and thousands of dollars just to pay all the bills and our wonderful team every month), but to be able to make more of a difference.
I realized that impact doesn’t necessarily mean traffic numbers or opportunities. There can be a lot of impact in smallness, too. 🙂
Also, I thought I should clarify that I don’t expect much will be changing here with the blog. There will still be a lot of great deals posted here by my wonderful assistant, Meg, who is doing most of the running of the daily details of MoneySavingMom.com now (one of the big things I handed off in order to step back when we got back from South Africa) and I’ll be posting content pieces at least a few times per week here like I have been for the past few years.
What will be changing is my own personal life, my own personal responsibilities, and a lot of business commitments that I had outside of the blog. (I stopped coaching, am saying no to most travel and speaking, am saying no to most media, am not writing any books this year, and am not doing a bunch of other things outside the blog that I had been doing.)
If you want to hear more of my voice/writing, I’m focusing mostly on sharing that in my weekly email newsletters, on Instagram, and on Periscope. I’m finding those are the best mediums for me right now and I’m just loving them!
{If you’re not signed up for my new personal weekly email newsletter, you can do that here: https://moneysavingmom.com/2015/12/get-new-make-calendar-7-day-course-free.html}
Could you please explain a bit more about how “growing the business” is not about the money? Thanks.
We set a cap on our personal expenditures a few years ago, so “growing the business” for us is about being strategic with the platform in order to be able to give more to causes that we believe wholeheartedly in and to make as much of an impact as possible. Without realizing it, though, I had been chasing after this growth because my heart saw the needs and wanted to be able to meet as many of them as possible.
The problem was, the chasing after more was stealing my joy. And I realized, what’s the point of having more influence and making more impact if I’m completely exhausted and drained? It’s been so good to step back and really examine things the past few months and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to start a new trajectory — in the direction of quiet, rest, and less.
Thanks so much for asking that so I could clarify!
Thank you for all you do for us Crystal! My word for 2016 is “Restore”. Several areas in my life and my business need some gentle TLC and restoration. Thank you for being so inspiring to us all. Happy New Year!
I think it is the perfect word for this year! You totally deserve a year of rest! You inspire me so much and you setting this example of slowing down, saying no, and focusing on what’s important is going to be so good for you and all of us who look up to you! I can’t wait to hear how you live out the word this year!
Dear Crystal, it was so nice to see this post tonight. As a Christian woman like you and a long time follower of your blog, I had noticed your “more” recently and was wondering how you did it all. The past year or so I have been resting and not doing so much. I have been enjoying my husband and 11 year old son and 13 year old daughter We still have their activities and I work my part-time job as a librarian but I make time for rest and enjoying being a mom and wife. Praise God from whom all Blessings Flow and may He give you rest and peace in the New Year! Praying for you too-
Beautiful post, Crystal. It is wonderful that you were able to recognize that you were going down a path you didn’t want, and more importantly, you are taking the steps required to change it. Will be praying for you and your family.
2015 has been a year of learning for me as well. I’ve discovered that I want to do everything 100%. The things I chose to spend too much time on were good things but not the homeschooling and family priorities that God has called me to. I was skimming your “excess” article when it hit me what you were saying. Thank you Crystal! Can’t wait for this new year to focus on God’s best and nothing else!
Having been a Money Saving Mom blog reader for around 5 years, I have been pulled away from your blog twice. I can’t remember all the particulars to the first time, but I felt the blog was going in a different direction and it was not appealing to me. However, you posted about some upcoming changes several years ago and it blessed my heart and I stuck around.
The last 2-3 months I had started reading less and less because I just felt it was getting too big, too commercialized, etc with all the ‘ads’ you were writing up, etc. How happy I am to hear that you are cutting back and scaling back. You are a great motivation to lots of people and you have proven over and over that authenticity is what works and in my opinion keeps the readers. So glad God is leading you to scale back and get back to what you do best…being real and not chasing after anything.
I’m SO excited to be at the end of the road of a bunch of commitments so that I can finally scale back! Also, I thought I should clarify that I don’t expect much will be changing here with the blog. There will still be a lot of great deals posted here by my wonderful assistant, Meg, who is doing most of the running of the daily details of MoneySavingMom.com now (one of the big things I handed off in order to step back when we got back from South Africa) and I’ll be posting content pieces at least a few times per week here like I have been for the past few years.
What will be changing is my own personal life, my own personal responsibilities, and a lot of business commitments that I had outside of the blog. (I stopped coaching as of this month, am saying no to most travel and speaking, am saying no to most media, am not writing any books this year, and am not doing a bunch of other things outside the blog that I had been doing.)
If you want to hear more of my voice/writing, I’m focusing mostly on sharing that in my weekly email newsletters, on Instagram, and on Periscope. I’m finding those are the best mediums for me right now and I’m just loving them!
{If you’re not signed up for my new personal weekly email newsletter, you can do that here: https://moneysavingmom.com/2015/12/get-new-make-calendar-7-day-course-free.html}
Thanks SO much for being a longtime reader here!
Wise words here.
Stick to it, Crystal! <3
I thought you were going against everything that you were telling others to do. Superwoman does not exist. Enjoy these years with your sweet children. They fly by too fast and we can’t go back and spend “just one quiet day” with them when they are grown and gone. Best wishes to you and your family in the new year.
Yes, yes, yes. Our head is following your heart. Thank you, Crystal!
Good for you Crystal! I found myself in this exact same position last year. I knew I was unhappy, but kept on trying to please others. I started getting sick before work each day. I also started having issues with mild depression and anxiety. I made a job change within my organization and am so much happier. It takes a bit to decompress and not feel guilty about it, but it’s so worth it.
Great! I was starting to worry about you.
I love this, Crystal. My second son is due any day now, and earlier this year I made the tough decision to cut back to a 4-day work week. My 2 year old has special needs and a lot of therapies, so it was time to make this decision for the good of our family. Plus, it’ll give my husband the chance to pursue more business projects and have more freedom in his life too. While it’ll be somewhat challenging financially, this was a prayerful decision and I hope it’ll be just what our family needs. Praying the same for you this year!
This post came at a much needed time for me and my husband. We both worked very hard to achieve success in our careers only to realize our family, marriage, and health are paying the price for that success. We are currently making hard decisions about how we want to live our lives, and how much do we really want to sacrifice for the successful careers. I am quickly learning you can’t have it all.
Love this post, Crystal. I have been feeling the same way these past few months, even though my life is nowhere near as hectic as yours.
Awesome. It’s probably not easy to admit “I was chasing after MORE”. I think we all do that in some way or another. Our culture sure encourages us to strive for more and it’s easy to get sucked in! I know I am guilty.
That is great that you stepped back and considered what was best for you and your family!
I am so glad that you have chosen a year of rest. May God bless you. You have really been a blessing to me.
Thank you so much! And happy New Years to you!
I think REST is great!! I read your blog, and I often wonder…..how in the world, do you do all of it? It sounds like it is much needed, and I’m sure you and your family will appreciate the REST you will be receiving this upcoming year. Good for you. Do what is best for you and your family. Praying for your family for the upcoming 2016 “year of rest”.
Thank you so much! And happy new year to you!
I love this! Good for you! 😀
On a side note, what brand are your coloring pencils & do you like them? Such a neat case!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you, too! Here’s my favorite brand: https://moneysavingmom.com/2015/09/5-things-im-loving-this-week-new-colored-pencils-leggings-a-girls-night-out.html
Those pencils look awesome but your case looks different. Where did you find that?
That case of pencils was a gift from my brother-in-law for Christmas. He said he got it from Hobby Lobby.
I am impressed with your work and how you are a blessing to others. I believe in life we all need to examine why we do what we do and what is our true calling in purpose in life. No is not a bad word and sometimes we might need to turn down requests to spend more time with family and even improving Health. We have brought into the lie that more is better and sometimes if we are not careful more might destroy someone life if they dont get control of things. We all need to rest from something. Sometimes more could be what is destroying fiances. I learn how to save money from your blogs. Take care now.