I work hard, perhaps more hard than some and definitely not as hard as many, but yes, there are some long days and heavy-duty “deliverables” associated with my role and the fact that I conduct my business in New York City, one of the most competitive work environments in the world, certainly ups the ante.

And perhaps it is because I work so hard that I feel the need to take periodic breaks.

Nope, I don’t mean 15 minutes here or there, or even an hour-long lunch break, although both of those are good.

I mean a “real” break.

I love to travel and time away, even just a long weekend, does wonders for my mind and morale. Give me a week, access to air travel and the sights, sounds and cuisine of a foreign locale will return me to the sanity that intense work seems to undermine.

For me there’s nothing more invigorating than travel…but then again…that’s me. A break doesn’t have to be travel. It can be anything that takes you out of the daily grind, even if, in fact, you love the grind. The break in routine helps to jump start the brain cells and get the creative juices flowing.

So think about it. When was the last time that you took a break to explore something or some place new, to engage in an activity that took you away and outside of your usual activities, that caused you to look at things differently?

Has it been too long?