I learned this firsthand last weekend when I participated in a 71 km mountain ultra marathon. I won’t go into all the details of the race because that’s not the point. What matters is that after 52 km, I decided to quit, leave the course, and head home. I could have finished, and likely in a time much better than I originally planned, but I chose not to. Why?
Because it wasn’t bringing me any joy anymore. The last two weeks had been incredibly intense for me, with a lot on my plate concerning family, home, and work. On Friday, right after work, I drove three hours to the race location, already exhausted. Even sleep didn’t help much – it wasn’t restorative, as my watch kept reminding me (those things can be surprisingly useful). Instead of getting a “mental reset” and recharging, I was mentally drained and found myself longing to be at home doing something entirely different.
From both professional and personal experience, I’ve learned that these feelings are the final signal that it’s time to rest. If we push past a certain limit, we risk losing the joy we once found in our hobbies or work – and sometimes, there’s no going back. We may never again feel that same level of engagement. That’s why we need breaks, regularly and from everything, a little at a time. It’s not just about resting or clearing your head, but also about rekindling the desire to return to what you love doing. Recently, for the first time in my entire career, I took a two-week vacation all at once. It was incredible because I came back to my project hungry for new challenges. That’s how it should be!
How do we make this happen? Prioritization: You can’t have it all, and you can’t do it all. So, plan wisely, stay flexible to sudden changes, and most importantly, don’t try to accomplish more than you realistically can. People with perfectionist tendencies often fall into this trap. The first step is recognizing this – sometimes through mistakes, as I know all too well from personal experience.
