DON’T WORK SO HARD BY BEN KOLDE

Okay okay, hear me out. I am by no means saying you shouldn’t work hard.
What I AM saying, is that in order to do your best work it’s beneficial to take a step back every once and awhile.

Now I’m the last person who should be giving this advice. People are always telling me that I need to relax and not work so much. The truth is, being a workaholic is one of my biggest creative struggles. I am lucky to be to work in a creative field that I absolutely love. However, I have the horrible habit of locking myself in my room and working for hours. By the end of each day I am so exhausted that I can’t give myself and my relationships the attention they need/deserve.

But I’m improving.

I’m reversing this behavior by forcing myself to do things that I enjoy. For me, that’s going to a coffee shop with a friend, exploring with my camera, or doing something active, like golfing. Spending time on myself rather than work has given my mind a chance to breathe. I realize that I don’t HAVE to kill myself to produce good work. In fact, I find that I am more creative now than I was before I started doing things that made me happy.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve been working all day. It’s time to get a coffee.