What happens when you give yourself an entire year off and can't actually take it? That's the question I'm sitting with in this week's essay. I declared 2026 my entrepreneurial gap year. I did not stay off.

Instead of a regular episode this week, I'm reading you this essay straight from my Substack, the place where I write about grief, overconsumption, overworking, and learning to actually be present in my life.

My full slate of regular On Your Terms® episodes will be back on September 14th, but until then, here's the honest, slightly humbling truth about why I can't stop working, and what it's taught me about rest, distraction, and grief.

In this episode, you'll hear…

Why I declared 2026 my entrepreneurial gap year, and how it turned into a full time job anyway
The real reason I keep reaching for my phone, even when I'm trying to unplug
What my brutally honest friend said that made me realize my "time off" looked exactly like work
How grief shows up in the smallest, most random moments, and why distraction feels easier than sitting with it
Why I'm learning to be kinder to myself about the blurry line between resting and being restless

Click here to find the full show notes and transcript for this episode.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

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Read today's essay Why I can't stop working (even during my gap year)
Sam's Substack Essay on saying sorry: I'm sorry, but I had to write this
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