Deliberate Work, Deliberate Rest

Rest and work are BFFs.

Many insights happen in the shower. It's not that there's something magical about the warm water. Rather, it's one of the few spaces where we allow our minds to wander. 

For much of the day, we're working, taking care of tasks around the home, and consuming content — sometimes all at once. It's hard to experience breakthroughs when our brains are jam-packed. 

I am trying to write a dissertation right now. I notice that I only have a certain number of hours of writing in me in a day. 

I could pretend that wasn't the case. I could write — or "write" — all day, but even if I spend much more time, I often don't get much more accomplished. The more time I spend, the more likely I will get distracted. I also write less the next day because I'm mentally exhausted.

It's hard to see what's important without stepping away from the busyness. We can spend days — or decades — on what wasn't worth doing in the first place.

Deliberate work and deliberate rest are like peas and carrots. They go well together.