I took a few days off this week to work my side hustle.  The weeks have been heavy in preparation.  I work my 9-5, then work 5-9 on a passion project.  It can be exhausting.  My primary work didn’t suffer, but I have been because the thing that pays my bills has been taking more than my time.  I’ve found myself more tired than I should be for the effort.  So I took a weekend to rest.  My wife took the kids out for a few days and I had the house to myself.  After paying bills and doing the taxes, I had the bulk of the time to rest.  So I turned on Netflix and turned off my brain.  It was fabulous for the first three episodes.  Then my heart shut off.  Three episodes later, rest became restlessness, so I reworked the taxes.   

After my allotted cool-down period, I went back to work, jumping in with both feet on the work prescribed to me.  At night, I worked on my side hustle. My wife joined in the effort, collating papers and editing PowerPoints.  We finished the prep in time for me to jump on a plane.  

I did my thing and it was great.  I had fun. I was engaged. I felt restored.  I flew back and landed with an hour to spare before regrouping for my day job.  It’s exhausting.  And exhilarating. I feel better going back into my day job today than I did the week I had to binge watch Netflix’s finest.  

I was reminded of the difference between ‘rest’ and ‘restoration’. Netflix created opportunities for me to cool the engine and stop spending energy. But I’m not a machine.  Unlike my car or computer or microwave, I need breath in.  I need restoration; something coming into the system — in my case, the side hustle.  

Despite the hours and the loss of revenue that comes from taking days off, the energy provided more than made up that deficit.  Knowing what gives us breath, what brings us life, what provides us restoration is key to thriving in a world where rest is rare and restoration is an idea.  

We are not machines.  We are living souls that must breathe.  Rest allows the body to exhale while restoration allows the should to breathe in.  We need both. Find those things that bring life.