Today, I start my sabbatical. This is a first for me and, perhaps, an over-the-top reaction to the fact that I don’t take any time off, but I need it. With a first quarter consisting of nothing but client work, I know I need to slow down and give myself some time to reset.

The year started out promising, with a few potential gigs, but before long, each one fell through. I found myself going into February with only negative line items on my bank statement and not a single confirmed project. It was tough to endure, but something told me to wait it out—that these project didn’t pan out for a reason.

Then, all of a sudden, I reunited with a previous client, Chroma, and a friend at Dropbox put in a good word for me. I had two confirmed projects and more than enough work to keep me busy until April. On top of that, Mailbox asked if I could take on their website as well. At this point, I definitely had more than enough work to keep me busy.

In a little under two months, I finished all three websites as well as a personal website for my friend. This resulted in an incredible number of late nights and long weekends, but also, enough income to provide a comfortable runway into summer. I considered taking on more client work, but then I stopped and realized—I should take this time and invest it in myself. What else could I do in two months?

Today, I shift focus to Cushion, but I also start from scratch with my day-to-day routine. These past two months have proven that just because I can work on four websites simultaneousely doesn’t mean I should. By the end of this sabbatical, I want to be excited to take on new work, but mindful in deciding how much is enough.