I am speaking to all my Type A, hustling, “gotta get it done” kind of people. I know these people, because I am one π
You feel like you have to grind and work all the time to get where you want to go. Don’t get me wrong, I think working hard to achieve your goals is a great thing to do. BUT… Sometimes, you need to step back and take a break.
Normally, I like to have structure. To get up at the same time, have a morning routine. I don’t know about you, but I think those things are very helpful. The most successful people in the world have this in common: A morning routine. This is so helpful, in fact, that I think that should be a separate article on morning routines and schedules, but we will save that for another day!
Earlier this month, I took a vacation with the family. My kids were on Spring Break and we decided to go to Southwest Florida. There were no alarm clocks, no lunches to pack. We didn’t have to drive to school…. I did not get up and map out my day like I normally do. It was glorious. A much needed break.
I know you need some time off also. So, let me share some advice I have learned from working with some of my personal development coaches over the years. You may not think you can afford to take time off. Nothing could be further from the truth. You simply can not sustain a high level of effectiveness without breaks. It was so important to God that he built in one day of rest each week. We call this the Sabbath. Many of us don’t honor this idea of resting. We wear hustle and grind like a badge of honor.
Even if a trip isn’t in your budget, time off is very important to maximizing your overall productivity. Take your kids to the park. Take a bike ride. Take a week off from the alarm clock and the rigor and structure you need most of the time to be productive.
An idea I love is to work in 90 day “Sprints”. Visualize the next 90 days. What you want to achieve and the schedule you need to maintain to do that. Once you finish that 3 month period, take a break. If a week isn’t possible, at least take a weekend and relax and rest. Even taking one extra day (Friday or Monday for example) will feel like huge a break.
If you aren’t used to doing this, it may feel very hard to do at first. You will think you are “wasting” time. The opposite is true, however. The break is just what you need to reset and return feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. It’s key to being about to sustain momentum and accomplish thing long term.
This is something that the most successful people do. I had a very hard time with this idea at first. I balked at the thought, justifying that I had “work to do” or “couldn’t afford to do that yet”. I was challenged to do it anyway. It’s made a big difference.
When I took time off earlier this month, I used it to dream, to sleep in, to exercise in ways I don’t normally have the time for. I prayed and listened to God. It fed my soul. I am guessing that your soul needs to be fed, too!
If you don’t have some scheduled time off on your calendar, I challenge you to put it there. You will thank me for it.
To your health,
Dr. Jeni
