Having kids at home, we try to plan an adventure of some kind during the week of spring break. When the kids were younger, we often trekked to the mountains and explored all the surrounding areas. Other times we rented a house on the coast of Florida’s armpit and spent the week fishing. And there have been several spring breaks when we worked on projects related to our house where we took day trips here and there.

As we tossed around ideas, we all agreed we enjoyed spring break fishing trips. Then we recapped several of those memories and realized that every single one of them involved rainy, windy, or cold weather and very few fish. But we love to fish and a fishing trip away from our usual chaos sounded fun. Then we discovered something interesting: houseboat rentals on a river. River fishing was different than ocean fishing. The water would be protected by land. And at any point day or night, we could walk outside and wet a line under a covered awning.

Needless to say, I’ve been excited about this trip for weeks. But I’ve also been extra swamped for weeks too. Along with my part-time position at church and my part-time position as a math interventionist, I’m also writing five to seven thousand words a week and speaking one Saturday a month. Throw in raising a family and being as present as possible for my kids, I’m exhausted. I worked in my office for two full days writing and editing, trying to get ahead so we can truly escape for spring break. The push has been real.

But sometimes I need that push. It’s easy to get distracted by Facebook reels or email. I can find a dozen reasons not to get done with my projects that I know God has called me too, but there is something about that push of knowing I want to turn my brain off and rest. It’s truly amazing what I can get done when I have something to aim for.

How about you? What projects are you putting off that need a healthy push? Maybe set a goal and reward yourself when you reach that goal. I’m weary right now from pushing so hard these last few days, but I can’t wait for the reward of turning off my brain and phone, holding a fishing pole and book, and relaxing with my family. What are you pushing for?