To NaNo or not to NaNo

Basically, I just spent over an hour agonizing about whether or not to participate in NaNoWriMo again this year. My arguements went thusly:

Cons:

~ I have proven that I can do it, having won last year, after losing the previous three years.
~ I have other creative outlets; writing fiction doesn’t have the same meaning for me any more.
~ It would be nice to have my Novembers back, finally.
~ I don’t have anything prepared. No plot, big problem.
~ I have a major writing project at work I’m not finished yet, and that should come first. Overall, I’m really busy at work and I’d like to be able to come home and unwind instead of coming home to wind up for something else.

Pros:

~ Just because I did it once doesn’t mean I can do it again. That’s why it’s a challenge!
~ I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even in the years when I didn’t win.
~ Maybe not having a plot isn’t a bad thing. I can just write the first things that come to mind.

Right now, the con list is a lot more compelling than the pro list, but I can’t ignore the feeling that this is something I should be doing. The compromise my mind and heart are coming to seems to be something along the lines of “let’s take this year off, and go back at it next year!” Maybe my challenge will be to do one blog post a day.

We shall see.