The Importance of Pause

This post is timely because, as you may have noticed, Minimalist has been on “pause” for the last week. I spent a refreshing weekend out of town in Philadelphia from Friday to Sunday. Monday was a day of reflection on my career (and life) direction. Very little got checked off the to do list.


Meditation in Philly this weekend

I found myself feeling guilty for a moment on Monday while I was relaxing. I thought “I sure have a lot to do. I shouldn’t be laying around.” Then I realized that those meditative moments are what life’s all about. What is the point of working hard if you don’t stop to enjoy and reflect upon accomplishments? Taking time to feel thankful for everything I have and where I’m going was a necessary means to being productive for the rest of the week.

Taking time to pause is often not only productive in a qualitative way, but also in a quantitative one (i.e. the to do list). So many times I’ve worked myself into a rut and can’t see the forest for the trees. I’ll take a nap, a walk, or have dinner with a friend — any sort of time out — and magically the solution I’ve been working for seems to appear. Down time allows the mind to reset and work more efficiently. Used in moderation, this sort of “procrastination” can be a means to improve your productivity.