Last week was meant to be productive.

I’d cleared my calendar—no meetings, no calls—and planned to use the time to work on big-picture projects. My business hub. The Freedom Formula. A full strategic reset.

But none of that happened.

And for a moment, I felt guilty. Like I’d wasted the time. Like I’d let myself down.

But then I remembered something I’ve had to learn the hard way—more than once:

Rest isn’t the opposite of productivity. It’s part of it.

I’ve Burned Out Before. Properly.

I once kept working through pneumonia until I ended up in hospital. I used to believe that stopping was failure. That rest was indulgent.

I know better now—but it’s a practice. I still catch myself trying to “earn” time off by ticking everything off my list first.

This time, I stopped before the crash.

What I Did Instead

I had a mostly digital-free week. I spent time with my brother. Sat in different spots in my garden. Looked at my home through new eyes. Noticed the flowers. Watched the light shift across the trees.

And summer arrived overnight—literally. One day it was twenty-five degrees and breezy. The next? Thirty-one by breakfast. You step outside and your eyeballs are melting.

It was nature’s way of saying: slow down.

And I listened.

It Reminded Me Why I’m Here

I didn’t move to Corfu to grind. I moved here for peace. Space. Freedom.

I remember when I first arrived and asked the people who’d already made the move, “Do you ever take this for granted?” And they said yes—but that every now and then, you look up, see the mountains or the sea, and it all hits you again.

This week, it hit me again.

And I Want to Be Honest About Something

This life isn’t perfect.

The heat is intense. Tourists take over in summer. Mosquitoes treat you like dinner. The healthcare system isn’t great. Bureaucracy is maddening. My dad lives in England and can’t travel, so I go back often. There are trade-offs.

But I still choose this.

Because this version of hard? It’s mine.

The Gentle Reminder I’m Carrying Forward

Not everything has to be productive.

Not every blank space has to be filled.

Sometimes the real work is stepping back.

Breathing.

And remembering why you started.