Time and distance are good tools for clearing the mind.
My family and I were at the beach last week. It was the first time I’d taken a vacation in a few years that didn’t consist of visiting out of town family. I didn’t realize how much I needed a break.
I read The Dip, and began Tribes and The Mythical Man-Month. I had a good time spending quality time with my wife, playing with my two boys, and hanging out with friends. I thought a little about some new goals I’m going to iron out. I was able to slow down enough to think through and make decisions on some things I’d been grappling with for a while.
In our culture, it’s easy to think of even daily breaks as things that just get in the way of productivity, but it actually turns out it’s the opposite. If we’re not taking intentional breaks to clear our minds and refocus, we’re going to be too busy to sort through the important stuff.
If we aren’t taking time to reflect, we’re bound to follow the same paths and make the same mistakes we always have.
July 16, 2018