Fighting through a training injury is never easy, and it was particularly frustrating last year when a pulled muscle halted my marathon preparation. My irritation resulted in a complaint about the setback to one of our Correct Craft teammates, Brie Carter, a waterski world champion who at 27 is wise beyond her years.

Brie looked at me and said, “You know, Bill, rest is a weapon.”

“What?”was my response, asking her to repeat it. She went on to explain how her trainer, who is her dad, Chris Carter, taught her the importance of rest when she was preparing for competitions. Framing rest as a weapon could change my life.

Rest has already changed the world. Most people know Sir Isaac Newton as a great scientist, but few realize the degree to which his discoveries laid the foundation for our modern world. His work in math and science makes him one of the world’s five most influential people. Surprisingly, many of Newton’s most impactful discoveries happened not when he was working, but when he was on his family farm, out of work because the plague closed his university, Cambridge. Because Newton had downtime, we now enjoy technology beyond what the most visionary people of his time could imagine.

Leaders often tell me how busy they are. It makes them feel good to be busy, and they believe it is impressive. Busyness has become an important part of their self-identity. However, the same busyness that forms many leaders’ self-identity also drives down their productivity.

Self-identity is powerful. Some leaders view working six days or 50-plus hours a week as “who I am” and take great pride in their busyness. They don’t understand that more hours don’t necessarily equate to better results. That may not make sense at first, but it is true. Identifying as someone who is busy may cost you a lot.

Our team tackles this problem intentionally and directly. One of our fundamental values is “Results > Activity.” Many of us at Correct Craft have a placard with this on our desks, and a sign with this phrase greets our team each morning when members walk into the office. We understand that our effort is wasted if we don’t get positive results. And if we get great results with less activity, it’s a sign that we are effective.

We can do several things, some of which may seem counterintuitive, to help us get better results.

Mindset

The most important mindset is to focus on results, not activity. This alone can transform your life. Another important mindset is to be a learner. Part of being a learner is acknowledging that you could be wrong. Needing to always be right takes away energy, is stressful and reduces creativity. Finally, focus on what you can control. Focusing on what you cannot control is a waste of time and a chief culprit of driving busyness without results.

Self-Care

Self-care is how we ensure the goose that lays the golden eggs — you — stays healthy and productive. It includes rest, exercise, eating well and hydration. An important part of self-care is rest, which starts with getting a good night’s sleep. Last year, I took a master class on sleep that emphasized how important sleep is to productivity. It was eye-opening. Exercise is another important element of self-care. I love to exercise, and my experience is that exercise does not cost time; it gives me time by providing energy, mental clarity and emotional benefits.

During my marathon training, I was surprised to learn how much a proper diet impacted my ability to run; and eating well positively impacts our thoughts, as well as our energy levels. Finally, hydration may seem unimportant, but a couple of years ago, I started drinking 100 ounces of water daily, and the impact was very positive. On days when I am not drinking enough water, I can feel the difference physically, as well as in my energy level and mental clarity. Making self-care a priority will make you feel better and improve your ability to lead.

Unplug

This is the hard part. We are all so connected that it can be difficult to get away. But getting away from constant connection is essential. I am not particularly good at unplugging, but I do keep my phone in a different room than where I sleep. It is not smart to have the phone next to you while sleeping, and waking up to check your phone first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night is unhealthy.

I had a technology-free weekend a couple of years ago, and told my team and family I would not be connected. I told people how to reach me in an emergency, but other than that, I was unplugged. Another time, I unplugged inadvertently. Our family was vacationing in a houseboat on Lake Mead, and I didn’t realize until we were off the dock that the houseboat would be out of cell service. On both occasions, the world kept spinning with me unplugged, and after some initial withdrawal, it felt good not to be connected.

As I wrote in the last issue, allow yourself to have fun. Feeling pressured to work all the time is not good for you, your long-term productivity or your creativity. There are times that require us to work extra hard. However, if you are doing it all the time, year-after-year, give yourself a break and see if it doesn’t make you a better leader. To sustain great leadership, you need to take care of yourself. Rest is a weapon. 

Bill Yeargin is CEO of Correct Craft and the author of five books, including the bestseller Education of a CEO. 

This article was originally published in the July 2023 issue.