Rest is productive, too

Why I’m spending the next 10 days investing in myself.

Photo by Jonathan Mueller on Unsplash

Today is Day 2 of an 11-day vacation, my first of the year.

It’s overdue.

The first half of 2026 has been full. Between my day job, publishing Money Talks, expanding my pursuits, house hunting, stock market trading and investing, family court, a breakup and everything else life has thrown my way, I’ve had plenty on my plate.

I’ve been running at a relentless pace for nearly four straight years.

Last year, I took a two-week vacation — the longest vacation of my life. It opened my eyes to something I had spent years overlooking: the importance of unplugging.

That realization wasn’t easy for me.

I’m wired to work. I always have been. Pursuing purpose, building something meaningful and chasing goals don’t leave much room for idleness.

I’ve spent much of my adult life avoiding the “B” word: balance.

But balance requires something many ambitious people struggle to embrace.

Rest.

So for the next 10 days, that’s exactly what I’m choosing.

No exotic destination. No packed itinerary. No constant updates from the road.

In fact, I’m not going anywhere.

I’ll be right here at home, resting, relaxing, rejuvenating and replenishing.

I’ll sleep in. I’ll meal prep and cook and bake with Parker. I’ll take walks and read books, bowl a few games and hit the gym and the beach, scarf down pizza and ice cream, get a massage and finally tackle organizing projects that got lost in the shuffle during the first half of the year.

None of it sounds particularly remarkable.

That’s the point.

For years, I treated rest as something to squeeze in, if at all. Something I earned only after the work was done.

But the work is never done.

There will always be another deadline, another opportunity, another challenge, another goal.

At some point, you have to make room for yourself.

I’ve decided that means two vacations a year moving forward — one during the first half of the year and another around my birthday in the second half.

It’s no longer negotiable. It’s as mandatory as dollar-cost averaging.

To be the best version of myself. To show up in the world how I need to and deserve to. To protect my physical, mental and emotional well-being. To create space for peace, clarity and joy.

This isn’t time away from my purpose.

It’s time invested in it.

And if you’re someone who’s been grinding nonstop, carrying the weight of work, family and life without coming up for air, consider this your reminder.

The world will keep spinning. The emails will still be there. The to-do list will survive.

Take the vacation. Use the personal day. Schedule the long weekend.

Rest is productive, too.

For the next 10 days, I’m choosing to pour into myself.

I hope you’ll do the same.