Is "rest" productive? Part 1

Vacation and rest in general have become a bit of a foreign concept to me in my years as a business owner and far more absent over the past 3 months as I have been consumed with a project. On some occasional Saturdays, I find myself still in bed way past 7 AM.  I know I am laying there avoiding the responsibility of getting up and getting to the required tasks at hand: cutting the grass, washing clothes, and taking care of a host of overdue e-mails. I remember someone once asking me

"do you feel rest is productive?”

OUCH!  That one simple question has given me pause to re-evaluate what has become a “four-letter word”…R-E-S-T. Here are just some of the questions that plagued me during my obligatory work [I’m not so sure cutting grass is considered “rest,” but it is a great time to think and reflect]:

• When did I come to believe that I had to be busy 24/7?
• Why can’t I stop and “smell the roses?”
• HOW does one rest?
• Could I get all my “tasks” completed even if I work 24/7?
• When’s the next “YA” meeting…that’s “Yes’s anonymous”…for those of us who need help in learning to say that very short word “NO” on occasion.

So, let’s go back and spend a bit of time on that penetrating question asked of me…”Is rest productive?” After some thought and tucking my tail between my legs, my answer was “of course!” If that was my belief, why is it such an emphatic answer and why couldn’t I adhere to this information I knew to be truth? Vacation, Rest, Relaxation, Recuperation. All synonymous words. Yet we, business owners, have a hard time packing it into our overly busy schedules. I can tell you I don’t remember a “vacations” when I’ve not gone with laptop and cell phone in toe. Grant it, I’m not on them close to the amount of time that I am when not on “vacation” but they are a necessity…right? I would venture to guess that I, like many of you, are in the same boat… it’s not a cruise liner, but often feels like the sinking Titanic. I am the business owner, I HAVE to be in touch with my clients. I have to be available if something goes wrong. I NEED my phone, e-mail, Internet, PDA, and whatever other lies we have come to believe.