Stop Trying to Relax

People keep telling me to relax, take a vacation, stop thinking about the business for a little while. But you know what? I CAN'T stop thinking about it. I've read all about the importance of R & R, and how you can burn out and exhaust yourself if you work too hard, and then your decision-making skills suffer, etc. But my entire financial future -- and my family's -- is on the line with this venture, and I can't relax and stop thinking about it. Besides, I love what I'm doing. It's not painful to think about it constantly, it's pleasure (mostly.)

So I give myself small windows of relaxation. An hour here, an afternoon there. I spent a week at the beach this summer, but in order to actually enjoy myself, I had to work a few hours each day. So I got up, exercised, and got out my computer and my phone and worked till about noon each day. Then I put it away, and I was actually able to enjoy the rest of the day, content that I had done all that needed doing, and that any remaining items could wait 18 hours until I got my laptop out again the next morning.

On the weekends, I work a little each day. It is not a chore, but satisfying work that makes me feel ready to face anything on Monday morning. I also have fun, relax, and rest on the weekends, but I can't stop what I'm doing for long periods and call it relaxing. I HAVE to accomplish something every day, even if it's just writing an email to a business partner, or updating my website, or sorting through old emails and making a "to-do" list for the coming week. I have given up trying to relax, and accepted the fact that "relaxing" for me means accomplishing something related to my business, every day.