Rest is a topic that is frequently discussed everywhere. From the latest scientific updates on the news to commercials, trying to sell you comfortable pillows. Here on my blog, I’ve discussed this quite a bit because I too understand that in our busy culture rest is an important part of ensuring our overall success.
Dreams don’t work unless you do.
– John Maxwell
When I first entered the entrepreneurial world I considered rest to be a waste of time. Like many of you, I was managing a lot of responsibilities at home (taking care of family needs, maintaining the house and so on) and I had a day job that consumed my “best energy” (my peak energy levels). If I wanted to take my life to the next level, in my mind, rest was not an option. The grand vision I had for my life was literally like fuel to my body so I didn’t feel tired although I knew that rest was important.
For weeks I would work Sunday-Sunday believing that my 8 hours of sleep at night was enough to keep me sharp and effective in the workplace, at home, and as a business owner. After a few months, I learned the hard way. Being productive, achieving your goals and meeting your deadlines is important, but scheduling rest is vital to building momentum.
Our bodies will not always reveal blood when we get a cut nonetheless, you will see the signs of affliction. Whether it’s a bruise or feeling sensitive after the injury, you will know that damage has been done. Your mind also works in the same way. You may not feel like you need to slow down or spend a day resting outside getting fresh air, but the effects of no rest will creep up on you.
To avoid risking your health while building your empire, falling behind on your work or experiencing burn out here are 3 things to start implementing:
Automation is creating an automatic system that helps you to complete tasks, achieve goals, and crush your deadlines. It’s a way to complete your work ahead of time and then distribute or share it automatically at a specific time. You can create an automation that produces work for you on a daily basis, weekly basis, or monthly basis. It is a TIME SAVING gift from God! Trust me! All you have to do is create all of your content ahead of time, get your deadlines in order and then automate (set an appointment for) each project to publish itself at the appointed time.
Here’s an example:
You’re a blogger and you post three different blogs three days a week. You also have your first book for sale and you run a very popular podcast that runs one day a week for one hour. The first thing you’re going to do is prioritize your tasks. Which deadline is coming first? Probably the blog right? Choose one day during the week to write 3-6 blogs. No matter how long it takes be determined to not move onto another task until you’ve completed this. Once your most important task is done, schedule an appointment for when it should be published. This is an automation. Depending on the blogging site you use the way to set up an automation will be different, but I’m sure you get the point now, right?
Once your most important tasks are done you work through the second most important tasks and create an automation. Does this make sense? Can you see how simple this is? Automation can change you life giving you more freedom to invest your time into things like rest!
- Emails (welcome, FAQ, set client expectation, etc)
- Social media post
- Blog post
- Podcast
- Appointment reminders
- Event reminders
- And so on
- Dinner – cook everything for the week in advance, freeze it, then reheat it when it’s time eat.
- Paying bills – pre-authorized payments.
- Emails – automatically send specific emails (like junk) to a junk folder to keep your inbox organized.
Related Post: Develop Self-Discipline
To maximize your resting time away spend at least 1-hour adding value to yourself. If I know anything about you, I know that you are growth-oriented, you embrace change and you’re up for a challenge. So, why not use the time that you’ve set aside to rest as time developing yourself. On my rest day, I personally enjoy surrounding myself with content that makes me question my perspective and way of thinking. I try to dive into topics of interest on a deeper level and think critically about why I do what I do and how to improve. The possibilities are endless. You can develop your understanding of anything you want. A few of my favorite subjects to study while resting are:
- Marriage & parenting
- Business & marketing
- The Bible/God
- Leadership
- Success & goals
3. Give Your Mind A Break
- Go on a short road trip – spend a day or two away from home.
- Explore your community – go for a long walk in the neighborhood
- Build genuine relationships with the ppl you value – take them out for hot chocolate, grab brunch or do an activity together.
