Sometimes I feel stuck - and the feeling is the same whether I'm stuck around a plot tangle in my book or stuck in a slump with my fitness routine. I'm uninspired, sluggish, and maybe a little grumpy. You probably know the feeling?

Sometimes the winter contributes, with the short days, gray skies, and cold temperatures. If you've been reading these Monday Musings for a while, you can probably detect a pattern. I start whining about this stuff in the middle of winter or in the middle of editing. Right now, I've got both going on at the same time and I can barely tolerate myself!

Last week, I talked about working through the hard days, about keeping my nose down and doing the work. But when is a different approach appropriate? When is it okay to admit we're tired and we need a break. That we need to take a day off. That maybe binge watching Netflix on a Sunday instead of taking down the holiday decorations is the right choice? I guess I'd say the answer is - when we need to. There will always be another deadline, another load of laundry, another mile to run.

I'm in California visiting my sister this week. I always enjoy my time out here, mostly because I miss her and we get to spend hours of uninterrupted girl time, but also because I get a lot of work done when I'm here. Yesterday, we stayed in our pajamas all day, read, binged Netflix, and drank a few bottles of wine. It was a glorious day full of doing absolutely nothing productive, and it was exactly what we both needed to be ready for the week.

In a culture that reveres busy, it has to be okay to step off the treadmill once in a while to recharge. It has to be okay to value balance.