Is there a better time to just stop and think than when the rain is coming down? There is something about the sound of rain on a roof that is calming to me. It is especially calming when the rain is much needed in the region.
Take some time today to step away from the computer and let your subconscious tell you all the things it has discovered that you need to know. Sometimes we get caught up in the need to simply be working on things all day long, day after day. If you never stop to think and clear your head the work can quickly turn to simple busy work.
I was talking to people yesterday and a theme seemed to keep coming up: is this work strategic? We were going through different tasks on our lists or things we could promote to be worked on – all of which had been handed down from above. But the question is still important: is this work strategic?
The difference between busy-work and strategic-work can often be slim. Sometimes the difference is simply in how the finished product is packaged. Turning everyday work into something strategic is a big step that we should all be working toward. How do you make something strategic? By stopping and thinking about what the future needs and holds.
So take some time and just stop. Get your cup of coffee and stare out a window. Turn up some Miles Davis and let a melody take your mind away for 45 minutes. Head outside and take an extra jog around the neighborhood to simply be out in the fresh air. All of these things are likely as productive (or more productive) to the work you are trying to get done.
The best music takes time to build in pauses in the sound. The most productive workers take time to build in pauses between their tasks.