Why You Should Prioritize Rest in Your Career

An Amplified Planning member asked recently about what I’m reading and what books I recommend. There are plenty of great financial planning and business books I could recommend, but the truth is that I’m not reading any of them right now. 

Instead, I’m spending my evenings enjoying the Harry Potter series for the first time.

It’s OK to take a break

Yes, the book I’m reading this month isn’t about financial planning, running a business, or developing my career. It’s a children’s fantasy series that I’m reading purely for fun.

For the past few months, I’ve noticed that I just can’t work in the evenings. My brain is just too tired, and I can’t get it to concentrate on anything related to work. It could be a little bit of burnout, but it could also be that my body is reminding me that I need to rest. 

So I’ve been diving into the Wizarding World instead. And it’s made me realize how important it is to take some time for rest. 

Sure, I could try to force myself to put in some extra work hours or pick up the latest book on financial planning, mentoring, or entrepreneurship, but that’s not what I need right now. The best thing I can do for myself and my career is to take a break, and right now, that means reading something relaxing and fun.

#NoDaysOff isn’t the path to success

Our culture glorifies staying busy and committing to “the grind.” It’s not just the #NoDaysOff hashtag – we’ve seen #NeverNotWorking, #WinnersWork, #HardWorkPaysOff, #DoTheWork, and countless similar sentiments.

Unfortunately, the idea of always working and never resting isn’t just unhealthy, it’s ineffective. Humans aren’t designed to work 24/7 without breaks. 

Of course, that doesn’t mean we should never spend time seeking new information and improving our skill sets. It’s important to continue learning and developing your craft as a financial planning professional. There are times when you might need to pull an all-nighter or put in 60 hours a week for a project. But those seasons should be short, and they should be bracketed by times of rest. 

Prioritizing rest is essential. We need to take the time to fill up our own cups and make sure we are getting a break from the pressure to always be working, pushing, and focusing on the job.

Honor your need for rest

Rest provides countless benefits, including support for your career development work. When you give your brain a chance to take a break and decompress, it has space to synthesize and understand all the new information from your financial planning courses or that great business management book you picked up.

At the end of the day, you deserve to rest. We all do. If we try to work and be “on” all the time, it’s a recipe for burnout, frustration, and poor physical and mental health. One of the best things you can do for yourself and your career is to make sure you get enough rest.

What do you think? How do you make sure you’re getting adequate rest? Let me know in the comments! (You’re welcome to share your spoiler-free thoughts on Harry Potter too!)

When you’re well-rested and ready to spend some time on career development, consider joining Amplified Planning CORE. This in-depth training program gives you the chance to experience real-world sessions with financial planners and their clients. It’s an excellent addition to traditional textbooks and coursework.