Are you a workaholic? Are you proud to be? Then you’re probably some kind of stupid (sorry, not sorry) and shouldn’t read what follows. If you’re overworked and feel depleted and don’t know what to do to get back on track and beat the mental fatigue that is plaguing you, then this article is for you. Here, we’ll discuss why it is fundamental to learn to take time off to become successful.
Note: There is an affiliated link down below because I felt that if I didn’t manage to convince you with this article, this book might! As it is an affiliate link, if you decide to purchase this book, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Forewords
You & I have often read or heard things like ‘if you are longing for the week-end, it’s because you don’t like your job‘ or like ‘it’s because you are a prisoner to your 9 to 5‘. That’s why you can’t wait for the week-end to be there.
Eventually, the only possible conclusion is that you need to ‘quit your job to travel the world‘, because you’ll be much happier.
Well, well this is all sort of wrong! Obviously!! And you know by now, how much it makes me cringe…
The hard thing to hear for many is that we all need time off, especially entrepreneurs, makers, dreamers, wannabe independent… To take time off will help you become successful. And truthfully, week-ends are ideal for that.
It’s not just about the week-end of course…
Just a final foreword!
If you are reading this UPGRADE Series, chances are that you still have a 9 to 5 and want to start a project, a business on the side, a side hustle, a what-ever-you-want-to-cal-it. So I want to clarify something: The reason I’m talking about this topic now, while you still have a ‘regular job’, is because learning to take time off is a skill you should develop asap.
If you are a workaholic while working for someone else, you are bound to be one once you launch your own business and … you are therefore bound to fail as an entrepreneur.
Harsh words! Doom prophecy? You are welcome to try. With some time, chances are you will come back saying I was right.
If your intention is to keep your job, that’s ok, you should still learnt to take time off!
So let’s dig in, shall we?
Take time off to recharge your brain and become successful
Take time off to become successful? That’s your advise?! Yes, that’s my advise.
Work hard seems to be a better advise? Taking time off sounds so counter productive. I know.
But hear me out!
There are numerous downfalls to being a workaholic and burning the midnight oil:
By working long hours, your productivity & focus suffers. The more hours you work, the less productive you get. It takes longer to perform a regular task and problems become more difficult to solve. It also gets harder and harder to stay on task and motivated.
Your brain becomes weak & slow and your mental capacity are lessened. Working long hours is a sure way to get your brain to fry and your body to get weak. Mental fatigue is a real thing, you know. Your brain needs time to recharge, it’s that simple. (No it doesn’t recharge when you’re watching TV. At least I doubt so.)
Your decision-making process suffers too. Focus is lacking and taking a decision taking into consideration all its implications is strenuous.
Long work hours kill your creativity. Social media addiction probably help!
Long hours lead to increased stress levels. Since everything takes longer to tackle, this isn’t surprising that you get trapped into a vicious circle of a longer to do list, which takes longer to tackle, which in turn leads to more stress.
If you haven’t noticed these things, it’s probably because you haven’t been paying attention.
When working long hours, your brain suffers and is depleted of its resources. You need to recharge it!
By taking time off regularly, you are allowing your brain to recharge. You are giving it the necessary fuel to function optimally. It is simple as that.
As a depleted brain will take you nowhere, a well-functioning brain will take you one the route of success.
Do as I say, not as I do…
As you may have read before, I’ve been working independently for 4 years now. A big chunk of my income comes from the consultancy services I provide to my clients, some of which are on a different time zone.
Most likely like you, if you are reading these lines, I have a ‘side hustle’ or ‘side hustles” in my case (I kind of hate these words).
I do photography on the side, I design logos and other stuffs. As you know, I have this blog, for which, amongst other things, I create mini-guides and maps. I use the drawings of my maps to create, hopefully somehow, inspirational designs that I sell on Society6. I’m also working on a bigger projet which could be considered as a guide, but is going to be nothing like a mini one.
I do have a lot on my plate and I could work 24/7 to grow faster & to reach my goals earlier. Pretty much everything I put on my plate are things I chose to put there, things I love. I don’t financially need my ‘side projects’, I don’t financially need to write these lines. I do it because I want to.
Although I love what I do, I still need time off. It came crashing down on me, a few months back. Shocker I know.
Before this, because I love what I do, I was pretty much working non stop. During my vacations, I was taking pictures & doing the research for places I would then talk about here on RTatW. On week-ends? I was writing articles, editing and stuffs or taking more pictures of more places. Evening? Spent editing pictures or creating maps. Waking up at 5AM, I would start writing articles. In between? My consultancy services of course! Which also required me to answer emails during vacation and to answer calls late at night (that’s the joy of working in different time zones).
Burned!
3 years like this left me out of balance and I’m slowly recovering from that.
It’s stupid and I’m mad at myself because I have been down this rabbit hole before. I had promised myself to never do this again. In my defense, I was in a completely new scenario. Being independent and starting personal projects was brand new territories.
Now? I’m taking REAL time off!
Take the week-end off!
When should you take time off? I think the week-ends are a great start. Little breaks during the week days are essentials, but week-end breaks are the most beneficial (no, no… no source and no specific experiment, just experience).
When you really take the week-end off (or at least part of the week-end), you start the week refreshed and with a clear mind. Monday’s don’t feel so bad anymore. You have plenty of new ideas to implement for your business and renewed motivation to tackle things thrown at you. All is good!
I still remember how peaceful and quiet Sundays’ early morning where when in Paris. 6AM, the sound of a single scooter passing by, the veggie market being set up, the city waking up slowly… Meanwhile I was enjoying coffee on the terrace and watering the plants, before getting ready to go for a walk. Sunday’s walk were the best. Everybody seems happier on Sunday morning! Everybody has more time and more smiles to give.
There is a clear week-end vibe, everywhere you go.
Your family & friends are probably working the rest of the week. Yeah yeah, if you’re an entrepreneur you should surround yourself with like-minded people i.e. who have the same free schedule as you. Truth is that there is no reason to kick off your long time friends of your friends zone just because they have a 9 to 5. That’s stupid! They are the ones who keep you grounded.
If you have children, you don’t really have a choice about week-ends! That’s a good thing.
Do I even need to mention that Friday night parties are just better than Monday night parties! Are Monday night parties even a thing?
There is no need to reinvent the wheel and try to be different, by not working on Mondays and Tuesdays. If you try that, you’ll soon find it boring! So just relax on the week-end and work with a refreshed brain on week days!
Free time gives you inspiration
What to do during your time off? Seems such an odd question! Unfortunately so many people are unable to be left alone with their own thoughts, that the struggle is real when faced with free time. Most tend to say yes to anything that might come their way, even the worst proposal, just to not have to face themselves.
Paradoxically, it is part of the goal here! To do nothing or at least not much, so your mind can wander and recharge.
If you must do something, choose something simple:
Meditate. Read a novel. Go for a walk. Breath. Take a nap. Listen to music. Go to an art exhibit. Take a bath. Marvel at the beauty of a painting or a tree. Cook. Doodle…
The possibilities on how to use your free time are endless. But do keep in mind, the goal is to recharge your brain, by letting it rest. Don’t think about your work, your issues, your to-do list. Just relax! Just enjoy the World, the little pleasures of life, even if it is just for a little while.
*****
In the long-term, it is just unsustainable and unproductive to work 14, 16 or even more hours a day. Every now and then you might need to do this, to respect a deadline or get things going on a projet, but trying to do this over a long period of time is a sure way to get burned out.
For entrepreneurs, being overworked can lead to something far worst than burnout. What could be worst, you may ask? Becoming disgusted by your own project and… giving it up.
So just learn to take time off and enjoy!
The book worth reading (and applying) for so many reasons:
The Laws of Lifetime Growth: Always Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past
Keep being inspired and keep taking actions toward your goals!
This article is part of my UPGRADE Series. Click below to learn more:
Eventually I will get to the point where I explain why Brainy and Papa Smurf are here… I’m working on it but you’ll have to be patient!!
