Rest is a virtue.

Since 2020, I've taken December off.

At the end of November, 2020, I ended one of my largest anchor client contracts and replaced that work with my work on this - Solo School, and the other things around it.

I signed a contract for January, closed my laptop, and parked myself on my parents' couch (we moved in with them for the holidays because we couldn't go south for the winter that year.)

I crocheted. I watched movies. I baked cookies. I ordered way too much good food. I slept in and stayed up late. I shopped for gifts and snuggled my kids. Some days I slept until I couldn't sleep any more, and then slept just a little bit longer.

I had slow coffee in the morning.

I watched the snow falling through the windows in the quiet morning light.

I took a minute to see my breath in the cold air.

I slowed.

I stopped.

I imagine this is what our ancestors did, as winter fell. Yes, merriment and celebration this time of year, but also a distinct, irresistible pull to curl up in 7 of your favourite blankets with a good book and a better companion.

The call of rest, of slumber, of dormancy.

It reminds me of the biphasic sleep pattern that we, as humans, evolved to have before artificial light changed everything.

Go to sleep when it gets dark. Rest deeply for hours. Wake in the middle of the night, in an almost dreamlike state, to talk, read, make art, connect with each other, eat food, restore, and then back to sleep for the rest of the dark.

I've built 3 of these rest periods into my business.

April, August, and December.

The three months between? I push, I create, I do, I explore, I learn.

But April, August, and December, in the last of spring before I can plant the garden; the hottest part of summer; the darkest part of winter... I rest.

I didn't choose these months by accident. They chose me.

I've always had a harder time being productive during those months, so it makes sense that I choose them for rest.

This is my last newsletter before that rest. I may or may not write a few through December, but the requirement is gone. It's purely for pleasure, the writing I'll do. And to take this rest requires help.

My coaches in Solo School who keep going, doing their thing. The automations that keep running. The moderators in my group. The structures of my business, carefully crafted with expert help, ensuring things keep working.

On top of the skills I've developed and things I've learned, a lot of what has made the difference is just the incremental bits of permission.

Permission to not take the calls. Permission to lean back. Permission to do it the way I want. Permission to say no. That's the greatest support I've ever gotten from anyone.

Permission to do what feels right for me.

Because as much as I should be able to give that to myself, decades of rejection sensitivity and miscommunication make me question it.

So, here's me - giving YOU permission to lean back and December in a way that will give you the most kickass January imaginable. 

 - Cheryl

❤️ We all need a village.

So I built one.

And it's for all of you.

Anyone reading this right now can come join Solo School today, and meet with Amy tomorrow morning.

Or chat with Courtney about their bookkeeping in the afternoon.

They can get Deana's help next week drafting a difficult email to that family member, contractor, or person in your life that's about to get a difficult message. (Opting out of upcoming holidays, anyone?)

They can see the regulating exercises Paula has dropped in the community chat so they can feel more grounded and safe.

They can use our AI tools to get an ADHD coach buddy in their pocket.

They can take a course on copy and in less than an hour, have better tools than half the copywriters on Fiverr.

They can drop into the sales workshop replay and have a new script that feels good and actually works before their sales call tomorrow.

This is what we've built. A whole village of support and care and resources, instantly accessible on an app in your pocket.

If you'd like to join us:

December 4, Solo School will be going up to just under $5k/year.

That is your all-access pass to 12+ hours per week of group coaching and 20+ courses, all built specifically and exclusively for neurodivergent entrepreneurs like you.

UNTIL December 4, if you want to be radically supported and lock in the current rate that amounts to less than $10/day (monthly or annual, doesn't matter), I invite you to join us.

Note: I extended this to December 4 to align with my other promotion, coming out on Friday. So you have a little bit of extra time!