Taking time off is important in all areas of life. As homeschoolers, we know that we can’t always turn every trip, t.v. show, movie, or walk in the park into a learning experience. If we constantly try to make everything we do educational, our kids will either come to loathe learning or loathe the “fun” thing you have planned for them this weekend. So we take time to go to a ballgame just to spend time with our family and enjoy the experience.
Similarly, podcasters can sometimes come to find what they do as a chore. The fun and excitement that was once there is gone. Sometimes we get distracted by other interests or have an idea for a new podcast (or five). I really admire podcasters who can do this week-in and week-out for years on end. I’m not one of those podcasters.
The Wired Homeschool has been around for nearly six years. It’s the most popular podcast I’ve ever produced and the audience just keeps growing. It’s growing so much I’m having trouble keeping up with all the requests for guest posts, interviews, and actual show production. I’m a one-man show and don’t really earn enough income to justify hiring a VA to help with some aspects of maintaining the podcast and blog. With all the growth you might wonder why I would stop now.
My passion for this podcast has cooled a bit, OK, a lot. I see producing an episode every week as something I need to do rather than something I want to do. I feel like I’m taking half-measures and you deserve better. The thrill is gone and if I’m not having fun you’ll hear it in my voice and see it in the inconsistent quality of the podcasts. It’s difficult to say this, but it’s been clear to me for a few months that I’m no longer interested in producing this podcast.
I asked for nominations in this year’s Podcast Awards and thought I would use that as a gauge for whether I should continue this podcast. That’s the wrong measurement. It’s really up to me. If you have nominated the podcast, thanks. I don’t know how this will affect my nomination but if I’m pulled then I’m happy to donate the $10 registration fee I paid to the awards organizer.
So, I said all that to say I’m taking time off. I need time to reconsider and reevaluate whether or not I want to continue this podcast. If you’re a long-time listener you’ve probably heard this before. I’m sorry to put you through it again. The current plan is to take May through the end August off. If I decide to continue the podcast it will be back in September.
The social media accounts associated with the podcast will go on autopilot. You’ll still see Twitter updates from @wiredhs for previous episodes and popular blog posts. I’m not sure there will be much activity on Facebook or Pinterest. Perhaps I’ll occasionally post an infographic or article excerpt that catches my eye to the blog and share it.
To all of you listening, especially those who’ve listened year after year, thanks for sticking me in your ears and don’t forget to keep your homeschool wired.