You’ve probably heard the importance of setting a goal, putting your head down, and staying focused, staying obsessed with that goal until you reach it. Goals are important. Committing yourself to them is equally important.
But, is full steam ahead always the best path?
Not for some rockstars. And possibly not for you either.
Musicians often take a break from their current projects to explore other creative opportunities. Whether it’s a solo career like Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, a collaboration with another musician like Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and English musician Gary Numan, or even a new band like Maynard James Keenan bouncing between Tool and A Perfect Circle, sometimes… you just need a break. In the personal growth world, we might call this recovery time. Or creative recharge time.
Have you ever felt burned out at work? Maybe the creative ideas aren’t flowing, or you find it difficult to focus on your projects. Powering through may not be the best option. Instead, just take a break.
How to Take a Break (Like a Rockstar)
If you’ve got the freedom and flexibility to take a sabbatical and spend a few months doing something else, that’s the ultimate way to recharge. But it’s also not realistic for most people. Here are a few ways to take a break and keep your job.
Take a vacation
Yes, this seems like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t take vacations. The Pew Research Center surveyed 5,902 Americans and found that nearly 46% do not take all their allotted time off.
If you’re in this category, it’s time to travel or enjoy a staycation. But whatever you do, don’t engage in your work responsibilities. You must 100% unplug. No distractions, hide your phone.
Respect the clock
Very few jobs require you to be on the clock 24/7. Unfortunately, with technology and remote work, it’s easier than ever to get sucked up in working when you’re supposed to be off. Whether you own your own business or work for someone else, you must set boundaries around when you are working and when you are unavailable.
Find a hobby
Maybe you’ve used up all your vacation time. Perhaps you respect your time off and wouldn’t dream of touching your work when you’re off the clock. Yet, you still don’t have that pep in your step and the ingenuity in your thinking. When this happens (and even before), it’s time to get a hobby.
Sure, it’s easy to plop down on the couch and watch television to relax. It’s just not very useful. Find a creative outlet like art, music, building furniture, or find a sport you enjoy. Like Pickle Ball. Spending time with creative endeavors will help reset your brain.
Ask for a different responsibility
Sometimes, it’s not your job dragging you down. It’s just a specific task. Depending on your work environment, you may have the option of doing something else or requesting a different type of assignment for the time being. Switching to an analytical task will wake up your left brain and give your creative or right brain some much-needed rest. Think of it as a hard drive or operating system. You only have so much memory space before your system starts running slower, you are out of space to store new and more important information. Delete, delete, delete. Or unplug, unplug, unplug. What the creative juices being to flow freely again.
There’s no need to leave the band when you’re experiencing a slump. Take a break like a rockstar and pursue another interest to recharge and get back to crushing your goals. For more tips on how to be a rockstar in business, visit www.marvellessmark.com.
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