A new year helps me to get a fresh perspective on life. The break in my normal routine during the holidays helps me to see things with a little more clarity.

My nephew's wedding and my surgery help me with a big slow down. As I've gotten back into my regular routine I can see things that I didn't see before.

I have been trying to change my thought process around work over the last few years. I always thought that in order to be successful I had to really put my nose to the grindstone. Success was measured by how many things I did, how often I did it, and how many things/people that I said yes to.

But the reality is this is the recipe for burnout. I learned this because I experienced repeated bouts of burnout.

I would work so hard that I would find myself getting to the point where it was no longer enjoyable. I would feel exhausted, run down, and burnt out. Usually I ended up sick; which was the only way I would actually take time to rest.

I didn't understand that resting and finding down time to take care of myself is equally as important as working and doing.

Having the break from work helped remind me how I want to fill my days. I want to put my heart into my work and also find time to read, do yoga, meditate, pranayama, cook good food, hike, walk, bike, play ping pong, and be present for my family, friends, myself, and my clients.

Being intentional about how I spend my days is really important. If I am not clear on how I want my days to look then I can get caught up trying to do too much: both in work and my personal life. As the burn out sets in so do other bad habits; like mindlessly scrolling through social media.

There is a balance to all of this. You can work hard, and do quality work, without it taking over your whole day.

If I am not careful, I can spend the entire day working on the computer. But, if I take breaks to read, go for a walk, take a nap, cook food, etc, then I find that I am actually more productive. Finding breaks in my day helps me to be excited to work again the next day. I don't end up feeling like I need a week off or a long weekend to restore myself. .

Research shows that during an 8 hour day, most people are only productive for a little less than 3 hours. Taking breaks during your day will actually help you be more focused, rested, and productive.

Maybe you aren't going to cut your 8 hour work day down to 3, but maybe you can justify taking a 15 minute break every hour to do something else.

Now that you have this information, tell me, how are you going to restructure your work day to help you be more productive and focused?