Some pretty astounding things have been discovered when people are relaxed, sleeping or having a good time.
I’ll give you one example: 75 years ago four teenagers were playing with their dog near Bordeaux, France when it ran away. They chased the dog into a cave, only to discover cave paintings that were more than 15,000 years old.
And here’s another: chemistry professor Dmitri Mendeleev started writing the elements of matter on index cards, but he was stuck on one problem. He knew that atomic weight was important, but he couldn’t find a pattern. He puzzled for hours until he fell asleep at his desk in exhaustion. He would later describe the moment that he woke up and revolutionalized science with the periodic table of elements: “In a dream I saw a table where all the elements fell into place as required. Awakening, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper.”
So what’s my point? Rest isn’t just wasted time, it’s critical for success.
I know you’re busy and that the idea of resting or taking time off seems irresponsible, borderline impossible and maybe even reckless – but it’s absolutely critical to you and your business functioning well.
Why?
Because you get some great ideas when you’re resting or on vacation – just ask Toms founder Blake Mycoskie, who came up with the idea of Toms while on vacation in Argentina. Resting gives your brain time to process the information in a more organic way. I promise you, many of my clients get their best ideas in the shower, when they are drifting off to sleep or over a margarita on vacation.
And here’s a hard truth if you feel like you can’t get away: if things fall apart while you’re gone than that is a symptom of a larger problem. If the ship will sink without it’s captain, it means that the other sailors on the ship haven’t been properly trained.
Further, you have to think long term and consider your legacy. You won’t be there forever, but don’t you hope the business will? Never checking out also limits the opportunities your employees have to grow. When I coach small and medium sized business owners, one of the main goals should always be for them to work themselves out of the day to day operations in a few years. If you’re stuck doing everything on your own and never giving yourself enough time to think big picture you’ll never get there.
Lastly, do me a favor okay? Stop reading this and go PLAY!
By Blair Koch
