All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. This line from The Shining with Jack Nicholson, while creepy in the movie, has a lot of truth to it. There seems to be a misconception that the harder and longer we work, the more successful we will be. The truth is, when we work too hard for too long, we burn out, get sick, and miss out on life.

Of course success requires hard, consistent work, no doubt about to. However, if we work ourselves into the ground we have no energy to enjoy time to ourselves and time with the people we care about. We compromise our health and peace of mind. It is important to give the mind and body a rest with regular “play time.” If you’re 30 years old or older this doesn’t require a playground with a slide and swings. Actually, I’d advise that you don’t do that so you don’t creep out young parents with their kids at the park.

Setting time aside for play can mean relaxing and reading a book, working out, golfing, kayaking, picnicking, or building a fort in your living room with your significant other. The point is to take a step back, get away from your daily work, unplug, reset and remind yourself not to take life too seriously.

Avoid the “if I work longer now, sacrifice my health, and accomplish this, then I will be happy.” Work hard, yes. Part of being the best you can be is also giving yourself a break to reset and appreciate where you are at. Set time aside to enjoy life and remind yourself that life is not one big emergency.

There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way. Enjoy the journey. Make “play” a regular part of your week to make sure you don’t miss out on life on your way to where God is calling you to be.