If you are baking out of a home bakery, it's tempting to believe that laboring round-the-clock is the key to success. I went the difficult way. Some days in Lucknow, I was rising at the crack of dawn, baking through the day, completing orders, replying to customers' messages, and then lying awake overnight crafting social media posts. By the time I'd finished, I wasn't merely tired—I was drained, both creatively and emotionally.

I thought rest was laziness for years. I used to tell myself, "If you want to grow, you cannot slow down." Things hit me hard in reality, however. The harder I worked without resting, the more mistakes I made. A rush job cake, a missed detail, a batch burned—it all came out of exhaustion.

Eventually, I had an epiphany to something simple but powerful: rest is not a luxury—it's fuel. When I allowed myself to rest—whether that was having chai on the balcony, going for a walk, or just taking a quiet night out—I came back with more energy and fresh ideas. My cakes were improved, my mind was sharper, and my business was stronger.

Balance isn't about packing every minute of your day—it's about figuring out how to stop. And sometimes the most productive thing you can do for your work, your well-being, and your dreams is to take a break.