Last week I wrote about working on weekends. In that post, I briefly mentioned that I am a vocal advocate of working smarter and not more. Today, I want to turn my attention to taking time off.
Let me be clear: Taking time off could well be the most productive thing you do.
In my line of work, that is being creative, coming up with new solutions and solving intricate problems, I need space and distance. It is only with space, calm and distance that you reflect deeply on what is going on around you. How do you get this perspective? Simple: You take time off.
Alongside this are many added benefits too. You see, I firmly believe that we don’t make the best decisions under fatigue. Add that to the “work smarter not more” philosophy and you have a pretty good argument for time off.
So, don’t be the guy who just works, hour after hour just because. Stays late even though you don’t have any energy causing you to spend hours more on a task, instead of resting for a bit and then tackling it in less than half the time.
Work smarter, not more and take time off!