A year ago on this day, I closed my computer lid and took a break from work for two months.

I had an amazing team by my side who could keep things running for our clients, and I was very privileged to have the financial means to keep the lights on, personally and professionally. I took a much needed deep breath.

It gave me time to refuel my creative energy, tinker with processes to give clients a better experience, and generally just see what it felt like to have space.

It was one of the best gifts of my life. So much about Basis changed in the past year because of this time. I'm so proud of the creative work, I adore the clients I support, I introduced new service offerings, and I love getting to do this work everyday.

The lessons learned were so valuable, and yet, I've slowly descended back into the bad habits I swore to leave behind when I came back in January (working during the 4pm hour when my kids get home, promising things same day, checking my email upon waking up... to name a few.)

As I came up on the anniversary of the sabbatical, I found myself thinking, "maybe I could just take a break and fix it all up again".

My processes need some tweaking, proposal templates could use some love, my neglected Instagram could use a strategy.

I wish I could just take a break and fix it all up.

My house needs a deep clean, the yard is unkempt, the food in the fridge is definitely going bad, and our closets are busting at the seams with a mix of summer and winter clothes.

I wish I could just take a break and fix it all up.

It's been a month of unimaginable violence and terror globally, added to a long list of oppression and pain that feels like it's reaching a collective boiling point. I want to grieve, to amplify the voices that need to be heard, to call my senators.

I wish I could just take a break and fix it all up.

I feel the delusion in that statement, and yet... damn, it's tempting.

I'm sending this as a reminder to myself that there is power in incremental shifts. Life doesn't need to stop to be fixed. Actually, stopping life is kind of the opposite of life... 💀

Stringing together smaller, low-friction improvements is so much more sustainable for building a truly resilient business, home, and world. It's how most things actually get done, and will create an impact that lasts longer than any sabbatical.

Ashli