Rest is not Earned

I’m putting myself on notice.

Last time I went abroad, on holiday, in 2024, I nearly killed myself getting every little job completed before we went. I pushed myself to the limit, completing months of to-dos just so I felt like I deserved the break;

“I am sitting in a coffee shop - working. I go on holiday in two days. In order to feel like I deserve a holiday I have done an enormous amount of preparation. 

To give you some insight, I am writing this last post of November, at the start of September. To deserve a week or so off, I have made sure that I have prepped two months of content, ensuring that all admin is done, I have pushed myself to style early winter content in the blazing sun, written, written, and written some more. Projects that happen behind the scenes have also been supercharged and pushed, a tight deadline of a holiday forcing me to get as much done as I can.”

I thought I’d never do this again. But, here we are, I did it all over again!

I didn’t go quite as mad this time, I have only written up to today’s post, the last of October, but it is clear that in many ways I have stuck to old routes of punishment before pleasure.

I think a large part of adulthood is unlearning the things that we do routinely, instinctually, without ever questioning why. Not all routine, compilation, or job well done is actually good for us.

I could sit here, and punish myself, but what would be the point in that?

Instead, I am putting a soft line in the sand, to tell myself, and maybe you too;

Rest is NOT something we need to earn!

Nothing good is gained by working yourself to exhaustion, so you have no energy left when it comes to enjoying a holiday.

We don’t have to suffer for pleasure!

Words to live by I think…