Sabbatical Month: 31 Day Pause

Rejuvenating for the New Year

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

On January 6 (yes I know) it will be two full years since I hung up the proverbial boots, turned in the badge, and walked out the door for the last time from a career that had occupied much of my adult life.

That was the easy part.

Since we had moved to a different part of the state, knowing that I would never see (at least this side of eternity) most of my co-workers and colleagues again was much harder and more emotional.

I already knew I wanted to give a shot at writing, so on that day, I established Life UnCorked and hit the ground running.

The first year was more of a sprint than a marathon. I was full of energy and ideas. It seemed the thoughts spilled out so fast I could barely keep up. Up at five, in the seat by six-thirty, I published three to five pieces weekly, in either a stand-alone or a series format, on various aspects of Faith, Personal Finance, Retirement, Travel, and featuring other writers through the Writer’s Circle.

I even recorded a two-part podcast (Part One, Part Two) with my long-time friend, Investigative Journalist, and fellow Substacker, Richard Moore.

For the first couple of months, my son and I also met at 0515 AM one morning each week to discuss a chapter of James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits (highly recommended), which I would write about afterward.

Around the six-month mark, the adrenaline began to wear off. I realized that this felt more like I was still working rather than enjoying a slower pace of retirement. I grew tired and disillusioned, so I changed the pace and purpose of what I wrote.

I ditched the “schedule” and the pressure that went with it. For the remainder of that first year and into this second year, the focus was more on quality versus quantity.

Looking back, I am glad that I started with a bang as I needed to learn the ropes of regular writing on a platform such as Substack and establish as much of a brand for myself as possible. I had a first-year goal of gaining 200 subscribers, but no idea how easy or difficult that would be. Life UnCorked didn’t hit that mark until a couple of weeks past the first anniversary.

I was learning on the fly, not just the writing part, but how to take advantage of the many tools and features Substack provides to grow a following and tweak the aesthetics of my Substack online presence. If you receive and read this newsletter via email, I would encourage you to click through to the actual Life UnCorked website to get a feel for how it is laid out.

My writing interests vary greatly, and for the whole first year, I experimented with different genres and styles. Toward the end of the year, it became evident that I needed to establish a second Subtack that focused on the creative side of things. So, in late December, I began publishing The Talking Pen, a site for stories, poems, art, and inspiration.

While publishing this second year has been at a slower pace, I now had two newsletters to promote. One clear thing is that interacting with other writers and promoting their work is a surefire way to grow a newsletter.

The goal for year two was to double my subscriber base. I am happy to say this happened with Life UnCorked in early November, two months ahead of schedule. The Talking Pen has not moved as fast, mainly because I don’t publish there as often. So, if you’re reading this via the Life UnCorked newsletter email, and like to read creative stories, head over and take a look. As with Life UnCorked, the subscription is free.

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Thirty-one days from today, my Substack journey will roll over into year three. With 230 pieces published and 645 subscribers between the two newsletters (not much in two years by some standards, but a huge accomplishment for me), I want to take time to savor all this.

So, for the rest of the year, I will be in “maintenance mode” to Refresh, Remount, and Reload - a sort of Sabbatical to pray about and reevaluate how to move forward.

• What goals do I want to set?

• What do I want to accomplish?

• What direction does God want me to go with this?

• How can I serve Him more effectively with the talent He has given me?

Finally, I want to thank every single subscriber, reader, and follower from the deepest part of my heart for joining me here on Substack. Especially those that have been with me from the very beginning. I hope that something you have read has had an impact and made a difference in your life.

Also, I want to acknowledge all the great writers I have had the privilege to meet (virtually of course) and get to know. Your encouragement has been so appreciated. The varied content and the quality of what you write have been fantastic. I have grown spiritually and in my writing ability through reading your newsletters. Thank you so much.

I cannot wait for year three to commence (January 6, 2025). Wishing a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy & Prosperous New Year to all.

Stay tuned, See you next year.

Cork

December 6, 2024

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Thank you for subscribing to Life UnCorked where the focus is on successfully navigating the issues of life from a Christian point of view.

While you’re here, check out my creative writing ‘Stack: The Talking Pen, where you’ll find fiction & non-fiction stories, poetry, art, and personal musings that illustrate the struggles, tragedies, and triumphs of life.