Did you ever work a lot of hours without any breaks? The submission is tomorrow, it has to get done.
It happens a lot at university with semester projects. The poster for the presentation (yes Architecture students still have to make posters) needs to be done today so that it’s printed on time tomorrow.
You are in a hurry. You are stressed. You are tired and hungry. But you keep going.
Is it going to be your best work? Probably not. Will you make mistakes? Yes. How do you feel during the presentation at the end? Probably tired, and you can’t find words to explain your concept.
“Sometimes when we take a break, we may find that solutions then present themselves.”
— Catherine Pulsifer
People who have a lot of work and think they are efficient are usually decreasing the time for a break or sleep. Theoretically, you have more time then, but you will be less efficient. So you actually get less done than with a break.
Is that really what you want?
It’s a trap that I’ve fallen into too.
Exams and submissions at the end of a semester are stressful, and usually, students sleep less. But it’s proven that if you sleep enough the night before an exam, you will be better at it than with hours of studying and 3 hours of sleep.
You don’t believe me? Have you ever driven a car when you were sleepy? You are not so focused anymore and your eyes are tired. Your brain doesn’t work properly. A lot of accidents happen because the driver is tired and has microsleep.
“Remember, the moment you accept total responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you claim the power to change anything in your life.”
— Hal Elrod
What Millionaires Do
I’ve read a lot about millionaires / successful people and what their habits are, and one point that all those have in common: they sleep at least 7 hours a day.
It’s a cliche to think that successful CEOs from startups or successful companies are not sleeping much because they have so much to do, but actually, it’s the opposite. They sleep at least 7 hours so that they can be efficient and get more done.
They also have time to take a break and work out or meditate. They know that taking a break and working on their physical and emotional strength is important for success.
They will be focused during their work, they are in the flow state and they get more done because of taking those breaks.
You can read more about their habits in the book “Miracle Morning”.
“In this game, everyone needs a break to refuel, recharge, and jump back in full throttle.”
— Helen Edwards
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