Your Habit For The Next Two Weeks
-Learn to Rest, Not Quit-
Or, add in your own habit!
(Re-download the habit tracker here)
This past Sunday, I tried something radical:
I didn’t work.
Or, at least, I tried not to.
Here’s how that looked:
I ended up cleaning parts of my place I’d been avoiding for ages (we all have those spots).
I went on multiple walks, exploring parts of the city I’d never been to.
I met up with a neighbour for coffee and some much-needed human interaction.
Got in a workout, plus some bonus mobility work later on.
And to be honest? I felt like this:
But I was determined.
Every time my brain wandered back to work, I pulled it back on track.
After all, I’m just like you—a workaholic addicted to workahol.
Because “that client NEEDS that thing from me, and they needed it yesterday.”
Here’s the hard truth I often forget:
There are no fitness industry emergencies. (If it’s that urgent, the hospital is a better bet—message me after if you like, but I’m not the first call here.)
There’s always more work when you’re your own boss. It’s like laundry—it just keeps coming.
More isn’t always better, but better is more. (Just like fitness.)
After a day of rest, I woke up feeling more motivated than ever. What usually takes me 2-3 hours took less than 90 minutes. Who knew there was something to this whole "rest" thing? Turns out, the gurus had a point, so I wanted to share what I learned.
Rest Isn’t Quitting: It’s Fuelling the Machine
A question I get every now & then from my clients I work with online (Which you can apply for here) is :
“Santo, do I really need to rest the full 90 seconds in between sets? I feel good to go after 30.”
Well, here’s the deal:
Quit rushing and use the time to work on yourself— You booked off the 45 minutes, or the hour - get done what you can in that time properly versus trying to rush to the next thing. I would rather you do 75% of the workout with the proper intensity, instead of half assing it.
If you’re breezing through rest, you might not be lifting heavy enough or pushing hard enough. Don’t be that guy/gal that’s doing things just to get them done - “Good enough” isn’t good enough. You’re striving for excellence here, not completion marks.
Use rest periods to your advantage. Get in extra steps, mentally reset, and be ready to go all-in on the next set… You could even let yourself be bored for a second..remember what that feels like?
Rest isn’t just to bring your heart rate down; it’s to give your nervous system a break so you can bring full force to the next round.
Rest Periods Based on Your Fitness Goals
Optimal rest depends on what you’re after—whether it’s muscle, strength, endurance, or simply improving form.
Here’s a quick guide:
Muscle Mass: 60–90 seconds
Strength & Power: 2–5 minutes
Endurance: Less than 2 minutes
Novice Lifters: 60–120 seconds
Technique Work (Lighter Weight): 1–2 minutes
Waiting until you NEED a vacation before you go postal will leave you feeling like you need a vacation, after your vacation. If you actually take the time to rest, you might end up actually enjoying the thing you created & have fun with it.
The same goes for your workouts.
The great news is, you don’t have to wait for a “once-a-year break” to feel rejuvenated.
Try this Rest Formula:
One hour per day
One day per week
One week per quarter or 6 months
This simple structure keeps you sharp, productive, and—believe it or not—actually enjoying what you do. Your clients might even thank you when you show up energized instead of half-burned out.
There’s no “perfect” formula, but there is definitely a wrong way to do it.
If you feel like you’re starting to hate your boss—and that boss is you—it might be time to call a board meeting with yourself and establish some boundaries around rest.
Thanks for reading -
Articles I think you might find interesting
In a TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read) Format for your convenience
Want to Be More Productive, Without the Grind?
Try the 3-3-3 Technique
The 3-3-3 Technique by Oliver Burkeman provides a flexible, less rigid approach to productivity:
Three Hours on your most important project, focusing on progress toward a key goal.
Three Shorter Tasks that need attention (think urgent to-dos or tasks you’ve been avoiding).
Three Maintenance Tasks to keep daily life running smoothly (like email or exercise).
This method isn’t a strict nine-hour schedule; it’s a way to prioritize meaningful work while leaving room for life’s unpredictability. The goal? To achieve more without feeling boxed into a rigid productivity system. With a mix of structure and flexibility, you can stay focused on what matters without getting bogged down by endless to-dos.
Bottom Line: Less grind, more freedom – plan less to achieve more, and adjust as the day unfolds.
Why Our Brains Prefer Rewards Over Habits
Our brains prioritize actions based on immediate rewards, not habits—so it's not that tech "steals" our attention; it simply taps into our natural love for quick wins.
New research from the University of Copenhagen shows that given multiple choices, people consistently pick the option with the highest reward, even when it contradicts a trained habit.
This reward-based attention is what makes digital tech so engaging, as it leverages our innate preference for valuable, immediate rewards. Future research aims to explore how we recall actions for long-term plans, especially those tied to our values.
Key Points:
Reward-Driven Attention: We naturally prioritize high-reward tasks over habitual actions.
Tech’s Influence: Digital tech taps into our reward-seeking behavior, not our habits.
Future Research: Studies will examine how we remember planned actions over time.
Bottom Line: It’s our reward-seeking brains, not just tech, that drive our focus shifts.
That’s all for today!
I’m excited to see/hear your responses & insights on the articles above & how your habits went.
Catch you in a few weeks,
Santo