When I first started my business, I believed the lie.
You know the one – that if you’re not working around the clock, you must not want success badly enough.
So I worked. Harder. Longer. Later.
Holidays weren’t holidays. They were “catch-up” time.
Rest wasn’t rest. It was guilt.
And for a while, it worked. Until it didn’t.
The real shift came the day I fell and my wound wouldn’t heal.
The doctor looked me straight in the eye and said,
“You’re so run down, your body can’t recover. If you don’t change your ways, your ways will change you – for the worst.”
That was my wake-up call.
Because no matter how much you love your work, no matter how ambitious you are, burnout doesn’t build legacy.
It burns it to the ground.
This month, I took unapologetic leave. And I mean it – unapologetic.
We did it properly.
Beach days with salty air and bare feet.
The magical stillness of the Blue Mountains, where time seems to stretch out and slow down.
A trip to Canberra – fresh mornings, clear skies, space to breathe.
We walked.
We hiked.
We rose with the sun.
We drank in nature like we’d been starving for it.
Morning coffees without a screen in sight.
Conversations that weren’t rushed or squeezed into the cracks of a busy day.
Moments you dream about but rarely make space for, because you’re too busy “hustling.”
I didn’t check my emails.
I didn’t sneak in a quick work call.
I wasn’t half-there with the people who matter most.
I was all in. Present. Alive.
And you know what happened?
I came back sharper. Stronger. Clearer.
More dangerous, because a rested mind can dream bigger and move smarter.
Here’s the thing…
If you’re always running on fumes, you’re not building a business, a life, or a legacy.
You’re building a ticking time bomb.
Real success isn’t just about what you build.
It’s about how you live while you’re building it.
So yes, I take unapologetic leave.
Because protecting my energy is part of protecting my vision.
Because the legacy I’m building isn’t just about what I achieve.
It’s about who I become along the way.
If you’re an entrepreneur or a leader reading this, ask yourself:
Take the damn leave.
Refuel.
Reconnect.
Rebuild yourself from a place of strength, not survival.
Your future self will thank you.
Your legacy depends on it.