Today in America we're heading into a holiday weekend, Labor Day.

Monday will be a holiday for many folks, providing a 3-day weekend. This is typically considered the last holiday of the summer or the first holiday of autumn. After this weekend we'll hit a dry spell until THE holiday season with Thanksgiving in late November.

But a holiday can be a single day or even part of a day - a time spent away from the daily grind. Usually with family. Or maybe in solitude. Whatever suits you.

Hustle and grind are common battle cries in entrepreneurship and leadership. I'm the son of what Tom Brokaw called, "the greatest generation." World War II veterans. Old school guys who knew a thing or three about working hard, doing whatever it took and grinding it out. So my generation - baby boomers - largely learned from our parents and grandparents (who were survivors of the Great Depression). Work ethic was a given for my generation.

It wasn't a badge of honor so much as it was an expectation. It's just what you did. I know because the first decade of my marriage I stayed in hot water for putting in 80 hour work weeks. I didn't do it because I loved it. I did it because it's what had been instilled in me. It's just what you did if you cared at all about your career, your family and achievement. And I cared deeply about all of those.

Admittedly, I was (and still am, though less so) a stress junkie. I thrived on the chaos and pace of business. Yes, it was addictive. Yes, I loved it. Still do, although now I prefer to control it a bit more.

Personally, I don't find anything honorable about neglecting yourself or your family. I don't find anything worthy of glorification in the current hustle and grind evangelism. Those aren't equal to "work ethic" in my book. But today, it's less about those things and more about what we do with our time away from work.

Three R's leap to my mind when I think about stepping away - whether it's for a full vacation, a 3-day weekend, a day off or half a day off.

Rest. Recovery. Rejuvenation.

This week two superstar NFL players have been in the news. Both are 29 years old. Both have retired from the sport. And both cited pain and a loss of joy in playing the game they loved. Both have mentioned the word "recovery," too. In short, both Andrew Luck and Rob Gronkowski say they need to take care of themselves now.

You and I aren't engaged in physical battle like NFL players, but the stress we endure can and will kill us. The pressures to lead and manage an enterprise are real. Physically, mentally, emotionally. Our lives - including our families - pay a price for our ambition and work. Yes, they may derive benefits, too. But there's always a price to be paid.

My wife will tell you that I'm likely the last person qualified to give advice on this score because I NEVER took my vacation days. For decades I had three to five weeks of vacation and the most I ever took were a few days here and a few days there. I've never taken a full week, much less two. I just never felt comfortable doing it, so I didn't. I wish I could have. I wish I would have, but while I knew I could physically, I was unable to mentally.

Now, as a more mature leader and business guy I know some things I wish I had known when I was younger. But I didn't. Things come to us when they come to us. Better late than never I guess.

Here's what I've learned that I wish I had learned earlier. Perhaps it can help you if you're an American businessperson facing the prospect of a 3-day weekend.

One, don't do it for others. Do it for yourself. Do it for your career. Do it for your business. Do it for others.

Guilting people into rest, recovery and rejuvenation won't work. Well,