Stopping is the Most Powerful Form of Starting Over

The more you care for your startup, the more you should care for yourself.

An entrepreneur is someone who takes risks to bring an idea to life, starts a new business, and constantly strives to grow it. They work a little harder every day, refining their ideas and challenging their minds.

As an entrepreneur myself, I've worked tirelessly for the last three years. Sometimes I worked two jobs, sometimes I focused solely on my startup. When I set out on this journey three years ago, I relentlessly explained and implemented the concept of upcycling in a market where even the word itself was unknown, and throughout this process, I never gave up on my daily routines to nourish my mind.

But I overlooked one point.

And this is a mistake many entrepreneurs make without realizing it: Not allowing yourself time to truly rest.

The idea that; the more you work, the more you earn is partially true. But it's important to remember that you also deserve to rest.

I can't say I haven't gone on vacation in the last three years; but I haven't had a single vacation where I didn't turn on my computer. The more focused you are, the more you get lost in the details. You lose sight of the simple, and you find yourself struggling within yourself.

I remember, during a week-long vacation from my full-time job, I went to Switzerland to visit loved ones and planned to revamp Reppatch's website. On top of that, I spent a week on vacation not only missing my planned work but also spending all my time preparing a detailed proposal for a large, urgent project. A week was spent on this proposal alone, drawings, designs, and price research. Meanwhile, it's been three months since I submitted the urgently requested proposal, and I still haven't received a definitive answer.

Let's delve a little more deeper to this topic.

Located at the front of our brain, the prefrontal cortex is responsible for the most advanced functions, such as thinking, planning, decision-making, and controlling our emotional responses.

This is the part of us that protects us from impulsive reactions, the part that tells us, "Wait a second, wait a minute."

In his book "Behave," neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky explains that the prefrontal cortex doesn't function effectively under stress. When under intense pressure, it becomes difficult to make sound decisions, see things from a broader perspective, and think rationally.

To restore balance in this area, we need to shift our mental space, remove ourselves from stressful situations, and take a short break.

This strengthens the brain's decision-making capacity and restores the energy needed for calm, clarity, and transformation.

Finally, I decided that my mind needed a real break. I planned a vacation alone, without even turning on my computer.

For five days on the Atlantic coast, I rested both mentally and physically, met amazing people, and experienced truly magical moments.

As entrepreneurs, we are passionate about our ideas. But sometimes we get too attached not to the idea itself, but to the way we bring it to life. Yet shedding the shell, taking a breath, and creating space for ourselves is also part of this journey.

This break gave me the answer I’d been searching for months: sometimes, to find clarity, you just need to stop thinking and let the answer reveal itself.

Our minds are invaluable, my dear entrepreneur friends let these lines be a small reminder to make time for yourself and your mind.