For those that prefer to consume written content over video, below is the edited transcript from my most recent video, “The Power of the Pause.” You can find the link to the full YouTube video below if you prefer to watch while reading.
Let’s talk about the power of the pause.
When you allow yourself to take your foot off the gas from time to time, it can be very powerful in your leadership, in your personal productivity and in your well-being.
I want to share with you three different types of pauses that I have been very intentional about recently, throughout this whole year. The first is what I call a micro-pause. These are those opportunities where, for example, I decided I would step outside and record this quick video outdoors instead of staying within the four walls of my office. A micro-pause might be taking some deep breaths in between back-to-back Zoom meetings, getting fresh air for 30 seconds between ending a meeting and starting the next task on your list. Micro-pauses really are about giving your brain and your body a quick reset, and it really helps with sustaining energy and focus.
A Spontaneous Break
The second type of pause is more of the spontaneous pause. Yesterday was a great example of that for me. I was really in the flow, working on some content for a new training, and it was about 3:30 when I finished working on it. I knew that I had accomplished a lot and I had reached a really good stopping point. Instead of telling myself that I should keep working until 5:00, I allowed myself to spontaneously wrap up my workday at that time because it just felt right. I knew that I would be able to recharge my brain and my creativity if I stopped before I hit that diminishing point of return. This second type of pause can be very rejuvenating. And in that instance, it was really a decision to preserve my creativity and to help me be excited when I stepped back into the creative process the next time I worked on the training content, the next day or a couple days later.
Pausing with Intention
The third type of pause is the one that we’re more familiar with. I call it the intentional pause, when we are designating specific days or weeks to step away from the business. There are some really key components that have to be put in place for us to truly check out, sign off, and detach ourselves from our business. The first component is communication – communicating the boundaries of being unavailable and what people should do when you’re not their go-to contact. The second is to make sure you have systems in place so the work can continue without you. The third is really about empowering your team and making sure that you are building into your business and developing your team and your leaders within your organization – empowering them to operate with confidence without you being a wall away, a house away or a phone call away.
Taking Action
I want to encourage you to really think about how you are building into your schedule the short-term, micro pauses, the spontaneous pauses, and being intentional and strategic about the longer pauses.
We all know the benefits of getting outside of the day-to-day. Stepping away is when we typically have great ideas. We can be more of an innovator and allow our brain to wander about what’s next and what’s possible. Yet there is often a big gap between what we know and what actions we actually, consistently take.
Are you embracing the power of the pause? How can you & the members of your team and organization embrace the power of the pause to recharge, reset, and refuel, and reimagine what’s possible for your business?
Check out the full video here: YouTube video.
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