The only lousy time off is the one you don’t take.
There are few things more important than resting. But knowing how to rest well is hard. Therefore, infinite YouTube videos and other media tell us how to rest well.
West, especially Americans, have recently recognized the value of rest, both physical and mental. Of course, the Puritans did take their Sundays very seriously.
As the Internet flattened the world, the West understood the value of rest through Yoga, Meditation, and genuine selfless social work. In parallel, the unions, mass media, and entertainment democratized time off. Rest has now become a right in as much as in sports and as in labor law.
So, what is my vision of American life? It is a life in which work and leisure are partners, and technological advances make more time available for everyone.
But what about Globalization and the rise of gig work, where everyone feels compelled to work constantly? How about a Z-Gen smartie that generates billions? Where is the mailroom person who climbed the proverbial ladder to become the CEO of a company?
I go to a cigar parlor to relax and take a break from work. Others are doing the same. Right? Nope, wrong. Most are carrying their offices in their hands and working. Is it becoming impossible to disconnect from work?
In younger years, passion and youthful energy appear to be inexhaustible. But then start the family demands, increased need for health care, or aging that force you to leverage experience rather than
raw energy. Marathons, not Sprints.
People who have control over their daily schedules can layer periods of “deep work” and “deliberate rest” time to recharge and let the creative subconscious examine problems they haven’t been able to solve through hard work. People in high-stress, unpredictable jobs don’t have such routines. Success in these jobs relies on two things:
- Good boundaries between work and personal time.
- Hobbies—everything from woodworking to playing melodies on harmonica.
The best rest is an activity, not a bag of chips and a TV remote. Woodworking or playing harmonica recharges your mental and physical batteries more effectively than watching geriatrics win elections.
Annual time off can also make you happier, improve your health, and help you age better than workaholics. It can also incubate innovation.
Here is how you can start planning rest.
- Begin at work. Reduce distractions, efficiently complete tasks you control, automate routines, and take short breaks.
- Plan and prioritize work to avoid a crisis. Learn negotiation skills to amplify the benefits.
- Find a hobby you are passionate about. Look for something that offers satisfaction as rich as work when it goes well but in a different environment. You will need help to think about clients while racing stock cars on a dirt track.
Three or four-day workweeks succeed because the workday gives people deep work time and fewer useless meetings and interruptions.
Shorter, frequent vacations are more refreshing for me. Small, consistent dozes of escape and recovery work better for me than one immense happiness hit yearly.
So, what is your long-term game?
Layer work periods and rest in your day, week, and year. It will inject consistency and sustainability and result in a higher level of quality.
We’re fascinated by the youthful genius and overnight success (this is a myth). An everlasting accomplishment still comes after decades of hard work and often later in life.
Deliberate rest gives you more energy, ideas, and time for an excellent work-life balance. In an always-on-the-go world, few things are more complicated to do than the rest. But few things are more worthwhile.
Thank you,
