Taking Breaks for Productivity

Posted on July 26, 2010 by
Categories: Productivity

Mondays are productivity days at SimpleProductivity blog.

Photo by e-magic

This wasn’t the article I had planned for today.

The fact is, I’ve been struggling for the last few weeks, trying hard to fill out the editorial calendar. But the words wouldn’t come.

It wasn’t until I was in the middle of my yearly retreat, sitting under a tree during unscheduled time, that the truth hit me: I needed a break. Looking back on the years I have been blogging, I have only taken two breaks. That’s too few.

I gave myself the rest of the week off last week, telling myself that I would be better for it. And the truth is, the words are coming easier today.

It isn’t good to keep working at something all the time. We all need time to sit back, regenerate ourselves, and regroup. It doesn’t just apply to work, or everyday life, but to the things we love to do.

It came back to me for the umpteenth time as I sat listening to an acapella vocalist: the music is as much about the spaces as it is about the notes. There’s a reason, I believe, the planned lack of sound in a musical piece is called a rest.

Photo by e-magic

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Comments (5)

 

  1. Rachel says:
    July 26, 2010 at 7:31 am

    Well said, LJ! Only two breaks in years of blogging? How do you keep the fresh ideas flowing?

    • LJ says:
      July 26, 2010 at 8:01 am

      I know. No wonder I’m feeling a bit crispy at the edges. Actually, I can tell when I start to lag. My posts get short. :)

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    July 26, 2010 at 10:57 am

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Royale Scuderi and Damian Castillo, GetItDone GTD News. GetItDone GTD News said: Taking Breaks for Productivity http://bit.ly/9mynij #productivity [...]

  3. SimpleProductivityBlog.com— Life Design and Sustainability— says:
    July 30, 2010 at 5:01 am

    [...] practices need to be applied to what we do in life. As I indicated earlier in the week, regular breaks are necessary to sustain productivity. Here are three ways to make sure your life [...]

  4. melissa says:
    July 30, 2010 at 6:38 am

    i agree to this…we do get burnout with the things we do even if we love what we do. i guess taking a break gives us new inspiration, refreshes us and gives us another energy boost for our work.