What Happens When Discipline Takes a Break

A Clifton Strengths Reflection on Output, Creativity, and Rest

Ines relaxing in the Scottish Highlands

Have you taken the Clifton Strengths test? I’m #1 Discipline. #2 Achiever… and then I forget. I know that Learner, Intellection, and Focus are in there in the top five, but I can’t remember the order.

Discipline shows up in my life as a love for routine, for order, for doing the same thing the same way every single day.

I eat the same meals.
I wear the same outfit—yoga pants and a graphic tee.
I keep a planner so detailed you could call it a paper assistant.
I write every day.

So when I tell you that I haven’t written a single new word in the past two weeks, I hope you understand the magnitude of that statement.

When Routine Gets a Passport

I’ve been traveling. First to London for a writer conference (Self Publishing Live) and then a reader signing (RARE London). Then to Edinburgh, followed by a tour of the Highlands. And next, I’m off to the south of France with some author friends. It sounds magical (and it is), but it’s also been a complete break from my norm.

My planner pages have been—dare I say it—sparse. I’ve kept up with my Friday Admin Days, writing newsletters for both of my pen names and for this Substack. I’ve jotted down plot notes when they hit me. But I haven’t stuck to a writing schedule. I haven’t added to a manuscript. And I haven’t been at my desk.

Instead, I’ve been smelling roses. Literally and figuratively.

Rest Isn’t Idleness

I don’t do well with stillness. Discipline thrives on structure, and I thrive on productivity. I like checking boxes and feeling accomplished. But something strange is happening out here on this semi-structured European adventure:

My creative well is refilling.
And it’s not a slow trickle—it’s a waterfall.

I’m seeing new angles in books I just completed.
Characters I haven’t met yet are pulling me aside like, “Hey, I’ve got something to tell you.”
I’m reprioritizing things I thought were urgent and realizing they were just noise.

I’m not idle. I’m just not producing in the ways I’m used to measuring. I’m listening. Observing. Reflecting. And somehow, that’s creating space for more clarity than I’ve had in months.

You Can’t Schedule Insight

This experience is reminding me of something I often forget: discipline doesn’t always look like output. Sometimes, discipline is honoring your energy and trusting that stepping away doesn’t mean falling behind. It means filling up so you have more to give when it’s time to return.

I’m not writing this post with a neat bow or a 5-step productivity tip. I’m writing it to say:
If you’re driven by routine, it’s okay to step outside of it.
If you’re someone who thrives on doing, it’s okay to just be.
If your planner is looking a little empty, but your soul feels a little fuller—that’s not failure. That’s restoration.

The Discipline of Letting Go (For a Bit)

I don’t know exactly what this pause will yield. But I know it’s already changed something in me. I’m still me. I still crave routine. But I’m learning that a break in rhythm doesn’t mean I’ve lost the beat. It just means the melody is shifting, and maybe it’s leading into a new movement altogether.

So here’s your permission slip:

Step away, if you need to.

Write when you’re ready.

Rest when you need it.

And don’t be surprised when your muse returns with a suitcase full of story ideas.

Want to learn to plan like me? Check out my Page Turner Planning Kickstarter where I’m creating a 52-week planner full of writing inspiration, marketing advice, best business practices, and branding tactics that will make you stand out.