Book Summary – Do Pause
Business is often considered a badge of honor especially in today’s fast-paced world. We are all just trying to squeeze a little more out of our lives to be slightly more productive than yesterday. We use productivity to create empty space in our lives, which should, in turn, allow us to do the things that make us happy but instead we just fill it with more ‘productivity’. As you’ll see in the notes below, sometimes less is more and we should all take a moment to relearn how to press pause and allow our minds some unstructured creative time to just roam.
Book Summary Notes: Do Pause – Robert Poynton
- How often do you really stop to enjoy the view? If you’re like most of us you simply rush through to the end, so that the event or place can become another ‘did-it’ event on our calendars. But was that really the point?
- The same often occurs with children. We consider as the author puts it, that they are an endless list of tasks that we have to complete. Instead of taking the time to participate in events with them and really appreciate the little time we often get with them.
- Sometimes humans are confused with robots. After all our endless march towards more productivity has led to extremely efficient machines that can often do more than we can and don’t need time off either. When you consider that, that is what we are competing with it really becomes a pointless exercise. You need to rethink what it is that you bring to your workplace, and also what are you getting out of your work? What can we do that a robot cannot?
- Consider pausing an opportunity and not just empty space that needs filling. You can use pauses to switch up activities to something that brings you joy. Perhaps reconnecting with a friend or family member. Use the time to plan a short trip away, anything that can help you break your rhythm and bring you joy.
- You can use the time to simply think, try journaling out some ideas if the mood strikes you. Let your mind wander and see where it takes you.
- Taking short pauses in life often allows us to renew our passions. The author illustrates the point with music, you can’t continue to play an instrument indefinitely. You need to break between notes to breathe, and that breath allows you to continue producing music.
- Pausing can be great for creative thinking. Allowing yourself the time and space to work on problems. Some people know the process as ‘mentally digesting’ an idea or thought. Others are more familiar with the concept of allowing something to ‘incubate’ in your head. Ideas often need time to work themselves through in our brains.
- Bill Gates uses a whole week every couple of years to spend time contemplating. His ‘think week’ is an essential part of how he does his best work.
- The ability to take short pauses can also be influenced by our cultures. Be aware that not every culture assigns the same value on this time, but it can still be incredibly valuable regardless.
