I’ve recently discovered the exact reason while I was staying at my uncle’s home.

I noticed the leaves of his favorite Sansevieria–also known as Buntot Tigre–was slowly turning yellow…

…which was weird because its environment was perfectly fine.

The sun was shining and the weather was nice.

Placed against a blank wall in a semi-shady area, I knew the plant could survive.

“But why does it look pale, dull, and soft now?” I asked.

After a few days of walking in the garden…

…I eventually came to realize what’s causing it.

It was my uncle.

My uncle loves his plants so much that every time he wakes up, he waters them.

Before he sleeps? He waters them.

Excess rainwater? He would use it to water them.

I remember my science teacher describing this as “swamp pot“, or in simpler words–“overwatering”.

If there’s too much water or the soil is constantly wet…

…there are not enough air pockets thus suffocating the plants.

So, whenever my uncle, overwaters his plants…

…hoping to bring more life and energy to his Sansevieria…

…actually, he does the opposite–he kills it with a slow, agonizing, and painful death for every droplet he pours.

Now…what’s the reason I’m sharing this?

Because the same thing happens to our health as entrepreneurs.

If we work too hard non-stop in a day, we are negatively affecting our performance and consequently–it might kill our business, too.

Truth is, rest is as important as exercising.

Our bodies need time to breathe.

Just like plants have a water intake threshold…

…our body has an optimal performance capacity.

When we think we’re being productive doing multiple tasks, endless projects and deadlines all at once in ungodly hours of the night…

…make no mistake about it一we’re NOT.

In fact, we’re doing more harm than good.

And the sad ending? It’s all pain and no gain.

Not only did we waste countless hours accomplishing mediocre outputs, but we also robbed our body of the rest and time it needs for recovery and soon…

…all these will backfire – neck and back aches, fatigue, lack of energy, poor sleep, bad concentration, depression, mood swings, heart problems and serious health issues.

And no one wants that.

So as Muslim entrepreneurs, we must find a balance between our work and our life.

Making TIME as our primary non-negotiable is vital to success.

Our business can wait and CAN be replaced, but our time to do the other things we love, our time for our religious obligations, and our time for the people we care about一CAN’T.

So let us allow ourselves to slow down.

To go for a walk.

To breathe some fresh air.

To see the sun.

To have some fun.

To meet some friends.

To perform extra prayers.

To get some sleep.

So from now on, let us give our body its due rights.