Sometimes, perhaps regularly, we all need to disconnect from the pace of our daily lives. The planned interruption is so healthy, that to ignore it is dangerous. That includes digital interruptions. I just returned from one such an interruption and can say that it was an unqualified success in delivering a sweet refreshment to my mind. Its like the whole cache was dumped and the memory cleared out, so that clarity and productivity can once again be something I have each day.
As productivity guru Chris Bailey writes, the three ingredients of productivity are Time, Energy and Attention. As he states so well, "Productivity is very much a holistic concept, characterized by the understanding of its interconnected parts." You need all three of these to really be productive. But you shatter your productivity by working too hard or too much, Bailey continues. He did an experiment where he worked 90 hours a week, and then 20 hours a week, back and forth for a month, to measure productivity. What he discovered was that he roughly got just as much work done in the 20 hour weeks, as he did in the 90 hour weeks! Why? Because when you work too hard or too long, you rob yourself of two of your most valuable resources; your time and your energy.
I am back to uber productivity, because I listened to Chris and took some down time. How about you?
