For years, I've been advising my coaching clients to set aside at least one hour a week to go off and think.
This usually has to be done during the work day. Arrival at home only permits the second shift to take over and demand time. By Sunday night you feel like you've been nibbled to death by ducks.
I'm now expanding that recommendation: Set aside a sizable block of time - at least three hours - to do absolutely nothing that is work-related. Read a novel, take a long bike ride or hike, watch birds, swim, or write a play. The only rules are that it cannot be related in any way to your job and it cannot be an unenjoyable chore. (For example, some people love gardening and others regard it as a necessary task. Gardening would not qualify if you're in the second group.)
Since most of us won't be able to carve out that much time during the work week, then the weekend will have to do. If you are already doing this, good for you. For most of my coaching clients, however, weekends are simply a disguised version of work. I'm also a sinner in this area.
The goal of this fallow time is to rejuvenate thoughts, energy, and creativity. One observation: Most of us are taking this time now in smaller, unproductive, bits wedged in between the doing of chores. This use of a larger block of designated "goof off" period will produce far greater benefits than chaining ourselves to various tasks and pretending to work.
4 comments:
Michael -
Great post! I think that in business today, always "doing something" (always being "on") is seen as a "badge of honor" showing how valuable and indispensible you are to the total effort.
A quick tip that works for me - Whenever I feel stuck or lacking some level of creativity I head for my local bookstore's magazine rack. Just sit down with a coffee and page through magazines - any magazine regardless of subject matter. Just look at the graphics, ads and stories - heavy, critical reading is not allowed. I usually end up "unstuck" - I think it's got to do with the highly graphic nature of most magazines - or maybe the coffee??
Dennis
Houston, Texas
Interesting technique, Dennis. Speaking of "graphic" approaches, some people escape to an art museum as a complete change of pace. A magazine might be easier!
Michael,
I like the 'fallow' analogy. The sabbatical was a concept in Mosaic law which required farmers to leave a plot of ground fallow for a year after 6 consecutive harvests.
For those who don't want to take a classical career break, I have found that ring-fencing time and making it SACRED is a marvellous tool. Now that we all handle our own correspondence, diary, email and so forth, finding a little bit of thinking time in the day can be very difficult.
I get my clients to block out time weeks ahead and they quickly learn to place a value on that time and thus jealously guard it.
Rowan,
I'm glad you mentioned sabbaticals. (I was surprised to learn that even McDonald's gives sabbaticals to managers.)
You're right: Once people use this approach, they are extremely reluctant to give it up.
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