Did You Know Rest is the New Hustle?

Have you ever come back from vacation only to feel like you need a vacation from your vacation? I’ve heard of this but never actually experienced it. What I have found is that I often leave the best version of myself on vacation.

I like my vacations to be slow. One event a day. An event that is most likely to be a museum, not an extreme sport. One is not better than the other. As an ambivert, my extraverted side comes out in business and in very small gatherings. My rejuvenation time requires a small intimate circle of friends, family, and time alone. The work I do and the businesses I run provide me a lot of adrenaline which means vacations are mostly adrenaline free. 

My most recent vacation was spent in Costa Rica. It was also a celebration of my 43rd birthday! When I arrived in Jaco Beach I had two final days of being 42 and I wanted to do something I had never done before. I planned an “adventure day”. What I didn’t understand was the level of adventure I was getting myself into. That’s a different story.

I had a great time. More than I could have asked for! The following day I had already scheduled a massage and the rest of the week was filled with morning walks to the beach for sunrise. Reading and writing. I wrote over sixty thousand words in eight days. Most of which will never make it past my laptop. The words weren't necessarily written to be shared. It was more like they had been trapped inside me and were waiting to come out.

Some of the most important words were written in my Listful Living journal. This was the second time I was going through the journal in a very short amount of time. I was privy to receive an advanced copy earlier this year and it has been like therapy to me.

I’m no stranger to journals or journaling. The first time I went through the journal I cried, unexpectedly. The second time, while in Costa Rica, I didn’t expect to cry again. Again I did. 

The first time I went through the journal I knew why I cried. It was all the work I had been doing. The non-stop thoughts and ideas were finally out of my head, off the paper, crossed off the to-do list. My work was finished. At least the part of it that consumed me.

I love my work. My work is my calling. However, I will always be more than my work. I am more than my calling. I am human. Not a robot. As a human, I need time, I need touch, I need to be playful, carefree, and I need to rest. Rest is the thing I often lack the most. 

“Rest is the New Hustle” - Paula Rizzo

Truer words have never jumped off the page at me. Most would never know it because I get to travel often. I don’t have to wait for my once a year or twice a year vacation. I’m location independent and can work from anywhere in the world, so I do. As often as possible. When I'm traveling I become the best version of myself. What I wanted from the journal this time around was to bring the feeling of travel back home with me.

Although I try to set myself up for rest and sleep it’s not something that comes easily to me. I suffer from insomnia, waking up several times a night, not getting deep sleep. It began seven years ago when my husband passed away. 

When I was young my family teased me for sleeping so much. I almost flunked kindergarten for sleeping through storytime. Plus, when I slept I didn’t wake up for anything. Not even the earthquakes of California. Years ago I didn’t understand when people would say they woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t go back to sleep. I thought it was the most horrible thing ever. Now I can confirm it is! My worst months are August and September. This means in October I need to travel. Conveniently, my birthday is in October so this travel also equals vacation. 

There I was in Costa Rica going through the Listful Living journal again. Again, I’m in tears. Then something unexpected happened. I was able to sleep! One "problem". The sleep didn’t come at “normal” hours. My first thoughts were, Don’t sleep now. It’s the middle of the day! or Don’t let yourself fall asleep now it’s only 8 o’clock! But the words of Paula Rizzo were too ingrained in me to stop, “Rest is the New Hustle”. Rest for me literally translated to sleep. Much like a baby, I cried when going through the journal again because I didn't know how to express any other way I was tired.

I slept no matter what time it was. I slept without guilt. Most importantly I slept and woke up wide awake and feeling amazing! The energy I had was incredible! Fortunately, I knew how to harness it. 

What makes the Listful Living journal so great is that: 1) it’s a journal written by a journalist. So spot on you wonder why it hasn’t been done before! 2) For those of us who are growing rapidly both personally and professionally, it can be hard to find a new center. The place beyond your old boundaries that is the newest and best version of yourself, but that still holds your core values. Listful Living is a new kind of journal for the new you. 

After my adventure day, I had friends and family asking what I was doing next. Would I go surfing? Scuba diving? Snorkeling? Out to clubs? When I said I was mostly reading and writing no one was impressed. When I told them my favorite part of the day was making it to sunrise and having the beach all to myself all most people thought was, I would never want to be awake that early.

There is no right or wrong answer or way of spending your time or vacation. Maybe your best rest comes from surfing the waves of Costa Rica. Being at one with the ocean. Paddling out into the great wide open. Maybe your mind is at peace and you rest like a baby after a day in the water under the sun. Maybe this makes your heart full of joy. This isn’t my way and it was hard for people to understand. 

Having written down what was important to me I knew my joy and rest came from the letters and notes I wrote to my family. From the books I read. From the words I put down on paper which settled my mind. It was my mind, my heart, my work, and my body at rest. 

Since being back at home I am excited to say that rest is still very much a part of my daily practice. Each day is not without growth, challenges, excitement, and disappointments. Life never stops happening nor do I simply want life to be something that happens to me. I believe in creating the life I want. Creating from leftovers is not ideal. Creating from the best, most rested part of me is.

Whether you work in an office, are self-employed, an entrepreneur, a digital nomad, location independent, or take one vacation a year rest is a daily practice. Much like quiet time or meditation. I haven’t mastered it yet, but I’m getting there. I imagine that each time I get to the end of Listful Living I’ll start it over again.

Journaling doesn’t end. I’ll be journaling until the day I die. My goal is also to forever live as the best version of myself which means I’ll never stop growing while never wanting to lose sight of what is really important to me. 

If you want to uncover what rest means to you and learn how a list-making journey will lead to a less stressed you, you need Listful Living. If you still need help in business because you can’t do it all yourself, you need to hire the right virtual assistant. 

Melissa is the Founder & CEO of the Association of Virtual Assistants and The PVA. She’s also the bestselling author of Hire the Right Virtual Assistant and Become A Successful Virtual Assistant. 

Melissa has gained international recognition and has been featured in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. News & World Report, Thrive Global, CareerBuilder & Woman’s World.