Things on input and output years

Embracing the ebb and flow

“Last year I abstained
this year I devour
without guilt
which is also an art”

― Margaret Atwood

A friend tells me she is feeling kind of empty and directionless after a big year. She admits she is the kind of person to always have a goal and work steadily towards that goal, and last year, in an impressive feat, she managed to reach many of them.

I point out that after a big output year—be it in our work or personal lives—it’s expected that an input year will follow.

An output year might look focused, busy and full, sometimes with our own goals, but sometimes on account of the unexpected things life throws in.

An input year, by contrast, can look more scattered, quiet and empty. It’s a time to fill back up, take it slow and consider the next step without rushing through things.

I’ve had my own input years. After my first book came out, marking the end of an almost decade-long project, I flitted about. I floundered. I didn’t really do much of anything in the realm of moving my life along. For a …