The Power of Productive Rest
After every major game or tournament, athletes don’t immediately jump back into training. They rest. Recover. Rebuild.
But that’s not really a thing in most corporate cultures, is it?
I reminded myself of this last week and took a hooky day.
It’s something I think everyone should do at least once a year, a day to enjoy your favorite season and forget about life’s responsibilities with no agenda but your own.
For me, that meant a slow weekday morning, a hike, and lunch with a view.
I’d just wrapped up a big push on something great, and I told myself that when I got there, I’d celebrate and rest.
It seemed like a needed day for a hooky day.
Knowing that I had that day of rest coming made it easier when I found myself up early on Sunday morning, working toward the finish line.
I also knew another push was coming; I’m in a busy season I’m grateful for, but to push through what’s next, I first needed a reset.
That hooky day gave me energy. Perspective. Motivation.
Because rest isn’t just a reward for working hard.
It’s a requirement for sustaining it.
If sports teams took the same approach most companies do, every athlete would be benched with injuries, the same way top performers get benched with burnout.
We forget that rest is productive.
It’s what makes the next push possible.
We also forget that imbalance isn’t the enemy.
We’re all juggling so much – work goals, personal goals, life.
Not everything is meant to be in perfect harmony all the time.
Work-life conflict will exist.
Some days are meant to be hustle days, not rest ones.
There will be seasons when the workload spikes – product launches, can’t pass up opportunities, budget season, busy quarters.
And that’s OK and sometimes unavoidable.
At Motives Met, we scream from the rooftops that well-being isn’t about any one thing. There are actually 28 things or motives. And there will always be friction between them because while WORK-LIFE HARMONY may be one of your top motives, FUTURE SUCCESS might be, too.
Maybe you’re working toward a big goal that’s just as essential to your happiness and well-being as harmony itself.
That means balance may tip in different directions at different times.
But how do you plan for it for yourself and your team?
Before and after?
Are expectations clear?
Do you slow down at times to speed up with your pacing?
Do people know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, a well-deserved, productive rest?
Do you stop to celebrate the victory and reflect on what you learned?
These are the practices that support the WORK-LIFE HARMONY motive. If you want some real, actionable strategies based on the 6 pillars of greater harmony, check out our Work-Life Harmony Playbook.
This week’s Motive Minute Challenge:
Ask yourself (and your team):
👉Where can we build in recovery before the next sprint?
👉What does productive rest look like for us – a half-day pause, a reflection meeting, or simply protecting one Friday afternoon?
👉What signals tell us we’re running on fumes instead of fuel?
And if fall is your favorite season like mine, maybe this is your reminder to play a little hooky, to rest, reset, and come back ready for whatever’s next.