* Hi Team.
Sorry I’ve been absent for a few days… needed to recharge my batteries.
Had a great relaxing weekend but of course, I’m missing you all desperately; I’m only human.
Wanna say hi to my new buddy, Internet marketing expert and fellow blogger, Brendon Sinclair. He’s a lad from Queensland who I had lunch with on Friday and apart from the fact that his punctuality is crap and he’s not nearly as funny as me, he’s a good man with an even better son, Jack. Keep up the great work lads and thanks for the support and help Brendon.
On with today’s post…
The importance of doing nothing?
What kinda weird-ass title is that from a motivator dude?
Surely it’s important that we do something.
This is a personal development site right?
Is it not a stupid notion for people who are all about maximizing their potential and living their ultimate life to do nothing?
Why would Captain ‘get-off-your-ass’ suggest that we get back on it?
Yes, of course it’s important that we do something.
Followed by some regular nothing.
And then a bit more something.
And then… okay, you get it.
Let me know if I’m getting ahead of you.
The truth is that there comes a point where we are doing so much ’something’ that we end up achieving a whole lotta nothing. Nothing positive anyway. We start to do more harm than good – to our career, our health, our relationships, our reputation, our ‘creative well’ and our emotional state.
And without an opportunity to step out of our busy-ness and into some tranquility – whatever that is for us personally (space, nature, quiet, sleep, music, play, meditation, holiday), we gradually become more miserable, more emotionally and mentally exhausted, more dysfunctional, less effective and eventually, completely unproductive and physically unwell.
Not to mention, unpleasant to be around.
Well actually, I did mention it.
Why do we use that expression?
Stupid.
I digress.
As usual.
Sure, we can ‘get away with it’ for a while… but unbalanced lives inevitably lead to unbalanced individuals.
Yep, seen it way too often.
Knocked on the door myself.
Not a good place to visit.
This is a lesson many high-achievers will learn – one way or another.
Especially the blokes.
Many men suffer from indestructible-itis.
Or as you ladies might call it, stupidity.
Over the years, I have watched many people spontaneously-combust.
Working themselves to misery.
Heaps of money… and no life.
No balance, no fun, no health.
Other than that, they’ve pretty much nailed it.
We all need some regular nothing.
And by investing in some nothing we become more effective, more dynamic, more productive and more excited when we are doing the something.
With me?
Just like our body needs recovery between training sessions, so too, our head and our heart need ‘recovery’ so that when we step back into the ‘game’, we’re much more effective, we produce better results and we’re in a much healthier place mentally and emotionally.
When we’re in our nothing phase is the best time for us to gain real perspective on where and how we invest our energy and talent… and how we’re living our life.
If (for example) you manage to get yourself on a holiday and you discover that you’re dreading going back to the pressure cooker that is your ‘normal life’, then there’s a fair chance you need to make some big decisions and get the wheels of change turning.
Many reality-defining and life-changing decisions have been made when people get away from their (day to day) life… “so this is what the rest of the world looks like… cool”.
It’s often when we’re away from our ‘busy-ness‘ and routine (daily grind) that we gain some real clarity and perspective about where we should be (professionally, personally, even geographically) and where we should invest our time, talent and energy.
Maybe we should work less and play more?
Maybe we’d be happier?
Maybe we should hang out with our kids more and work colleagues less.
Maybe we should try and make our body as healthy as our business.
Maybe we should put as much energy into our significant relationships as we do with our careers… and lose the “but I’m doing this for you and the kids” martyr mantra.
Maybe we should move from Suburbia to Utopia.
I’ve heard it’s nice.
Perfect even.
I have a theory that there’s actually no correlation between increased (financial) wealth and increased happiness and contentment… in fact, I believe that often the opposite is true. I’ve worked with very wealthy people for years and I gotta tell ya… I’m glad I’m me!
And no, I’m not saying that money and happiness are mutually exclusive.. (of course there are plenty of rich, happy, balanced people), I am saying that when money (or the pursuit of it) becomes our identity, our primary reason for getting out of bed… then we’re doomed.
“He who dies with the most toys wins” is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek comment on wealth and greed… but sadly, for some of the people I’ve met, it actually is their life philosophy.
So Saturday night I had ten hours sleep.
Something of a record.
And last night, nearly nine.
A phenomenal achievement for the man who averages five to six.
I would have slept longer this morning but I was woken up at eight by the deafening applause of every cell in my rejuvenated body giving me a standing ovation.
Even something as simple as extra sleep can make a significant difference with everything from physical health, to attitude, to creative output, to how we communicate, to how we manage stress.
I’ve spoken recently about the notion of less is more and how sometimes to produce better ‘results’ in all areas of our life we need to stop ‘pushing’ for a while, let our head, heart and body recover… and to let ourselves feel the sand between our toes, the breeze on our face and the sun on our back.
Literally and metaphorically.
This past weekend I slid down to the beach house and did a lot of nothing much.
My mind is very happy with me; it needed some time out.
My creative tank is full once again.
I laughed at some mindless TV, ate food, read a book, watched some surfers play on the waves (not too many surfers die of a stress-related illness by the way!), walked barefoot in the sand and let the gentle sound of the ocean massage my tired brain back to health.
I found my ‘off’ switch.
Nice.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I couldn’t agree with you more Craig. Sometimes we have to take a step backwards to ensure we continue to move forwards. Great post, felt relaxed just reading it. LOL!!
Kind Regards,
Lia Halsall
Melbourne, Australia
http://www.liahalsall.blogspot.com
hey Craig,
I get it and I’m with you on the recharge thing….very important…
Now all I have to do is find an off button for the boys’…then I can read that book…
Cheers Janine
Hi Lia.
Kind of like a cyber chill-pill?
LOL.
Enjoy your week.
Hi Janine.
Yeh, it’s tricky to find!!
Good luck with that.
Cheers.
Hey there Craig,
I was instantly curious as to what kind of books you read.
Maybe you could give us a few suggestions from your list.
There is a lot of discussion here in Canada that the price of our books will go down. Our dollar is currently higher than the American dollar but we pay much more for our books.
Have a GREAT Monday!
~Dianne~
Hey Craig you hit that bad boy out of the park. I so need to find my ‘off’ switch but I’m scared that when I do, I won’t be able to find my ‘on’ switch again! I should be in bed right now but I’m on your site!!
Hello Craig,
It was really nice to meet you and yes, you are much funnier than my dad.
Jack Sinclair.
OMG!!!!!… Not only are you gorgeous… intelligent… buff (hahahaha)… hilarious… clever… and very witty… but now we also find out that you’re all about balance too!!!! I think they broke the mould on you!!!! Where do I get one????? hehehehe
It’s funny how if we don’t take the time to stop (and smell the roses), the universe will find a way of making us do so!!! Take car crashes for example…. A really BIG sign to slow down your life…. I think I was on mega fast forward mode, cos it took 2 car crashes and a bike smash (ouch) to me to begin to slow down, and then the final straw came when one of my kids got run over by a car (rushing is contagious you know!!!!) (p.s.she’s fine… her foot just got a little bit smooshed!!!… thank goodness…PHEW…)…..
The lesson here…. Slow down, before the universe intervenes and MAKES YOU SLOW DOWN. The same amount can be achieved at walking or jogging pace as you can achieve at a sprint… However, at a slower pace, there’s more time for thought, deliberation, reflection and waaayyyyyy less stress!!!! Your body and mind are able to handle everything that comes your way much easier, because one disaster at a time is always better than 10 disasters all at once….. I constantly tell my clients when everything seems to be overwhelming them, just to focus on the one thing,(instead of 50!!!) slow down…. and enjoy the ride!!!!!!!
Good to see you finally looking after you Mr. Harper…. Looks like I won’t have to come down there and kick your butt after all!!!! (I know that’s a scary thought!!! hehehehe)
Be good
KK
XXX
Yikes!! That’s a bit spooky
) I had just finished whining to my flatmate about not having time on the weekend to prepare my lunches for the working week because of my committments to my family. When I do fly somewhere, it’s usually to compete, followed by a visit with family who have me on the run doing touristy stuff and have my day planned from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep. I can’t remember the last time I just veg’d at home and relaxed, or walked along the beach and relaxed. If I’m not working, I’m either training for comp or visiting people and helping them out (meals for mum and helping my sis with an extra pair of hands as she has a baby and a toddler and her hubby is away for a month or so at a time!!). Your post has made me stop and think and I’ve realised that I should take some time out for me. I’ve got some days off planned over the Christmas break and I am going to make sure a few of them are “recharge” days just for me 
)
Thanks for the post!
Hi Dianne.
Hmmm, that’s a good question.
Mainly biographies.
I’ll get back to you with a suggestion or two.
Cheers.
Hey Tristan.
Dude!! Find the switch!!
Peace out hyper-boy.
Hi Jack.
You are a very astute judge of character and comedy.
You’re also annoyingly good looking.
Your dad does his best with his very limited comical ability… it is important that you laugh at his silly stories and tragic jokes – a man of his age needs it for his fragile ego.
I do too… so thanks for pumping up my tyres!!
Keep doing and being amazing Jack, you are an amazing young man and you will be a leader of the future.
I will watch your journey with interest.
Cheering you on and best wishes Buddy.
Hi Kate.
Never dull in your world is it?
Peace ( )
Hi Rae.
Gotta take care of the inside stuff too!! (first even) No use looking amazing on the outside if the inside is a train wreck!
Your body is not who you are – it’s where you live!
( )
Havn’t even scraped the surface buddy!!!! And that was just this year’s effort!!!! along with a few extras thrown in for good measure!!!
KK
XXX
How right you are Craig… besides, we need to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of other people… we’ll be of no good to anyone if we’re curled in a foetal position on the floor rocking ourselves backwards and forwards repeating “I’m a little teapot, I’m a little teapot!!” ;o)
Thanks for this post, I needed it today. I find myself constantly apologizing when my body is telling me I need to take a break and do nothing.
A dear friend has taught me that some people never turn that switch to off because they are afraid they will come face to face with themselves and they don’t like themselves. How sad? My friend is a very intelligent, likeable, lovable person and you cannot get her to slow down and take care of herself. She is so afraid of the silence of solitude. To her it is filled with her loneliness.
To me, the silence of solitude is filled by my aloneness which is a wonderful oasis to retreat to from this world of stress and noise of physical, emotional and mental demands. If I don’t get my time alone, I become a bitch who is very short tempered and mean. You don’t want to see that side of me. I know she is there. I give her quiet time so she stays happy with life. That way, I don’t get a stomach ache or headache that makes me slow down. Voluntarily taking that quiet time for myself is much better than the pain that she inflicts if we don’t get our quiet time. Have a glorious day everyone.
Hi Craig!
Great post! So glad you found your weekend Utopia!
I get ya on this one!
Love my weekend down time….
At work, I always have to ON: open, creative, ingenious, intuitive, thoughtful, efficient, empathetic, energized, influential, motivating, and overall effective for each employee’s needs.
So many hats to wear in a given day, makes your head tired!
This weekend was watching movies with my kids…
Daughter has a broken toe (she is sooooo milking that injury)
So the boy child and I waited on her hand and foot (pardon the pun) all weekend.
But for the most part we were all pretty vegetated this weekend…
Main highlight… chilling with the kids…
But Ratatouille, reading my new Yoga book, and building a Panzer III tank (yes, a toy one), all tied for second!
Thanks for the relaxing post!
Love the descriptive sand and surf mental pics!
()
Tami
My life…. and everyone else’s is a series of events/stuff ups/valuable lessons!!! that shape who we are today…. You can learn from that, or you can keep repeating those lessons until they get through your thick skull….
All the BIG (and little)lessons I have had will only help me to be a better councellor when the time comes because I will be speaking/councelling with empathy, sympathy and most of all, the voice of experience…. not out my ass!!!!
The yellow brick road is an amazing journey!!!!
KK
XXX
Hello Writing Nag (I feel mean writing that).
You are welcome.
Look after you.
( )
Hi Patricia.
You a bitch?
Nah.
Thanks for your wisdom.
( )
Hi Tam.
You’re welcome.
Is Ratatouille any good?
( )
Nice change of pace Craig. Isn’t it amazing how you feel after a “nothing” break. I have found a really useful chill out tool to utilise once back into the hustle and bustle of every day life is to revisit scenes from my break in my imagination for a few minutes a few times a week.
In my imagination I utilise ALL of my senses when recapturing aspects of my break eg feel the sand between my toes, picture the vivid colour of the ocean, the colours of the sunset, hear the waves, smell the salty sea air, and taste the (insert favourite food you had on your break……in your case cheesecake?)
Over time the memories are not as clear and vivid, and when I notice that the memories are starting fade this is always a good indicator that I need another break. In fact I have found this seems to be a much more reliable early warning indicator than waiting until I start to feel grumpy, moody stressed out or whatever.
Regards
Leanne M
Hi.
Yes, Ratatouille was very good!
Although, I did have to fight the gag reflex of the rats swarming the kitchen, even after they were steam cleaned in the dishwasher!
Very cute movie though!
()
Tami
Hey Craig
A very nice article like all the others you write….
Only recently i came across your blog and have loved it.Keep posting.
Raji
India
Hi Craig,
Top blog as always.
What’s with your new photo?
Makes you look 100!!!
Matt Collins
Craig,
I feel like already on my red line in order to keep my performance for the last 2 weeks..
And I know I need to click my off switch and follow your path of doing nothing and get myself refreshed.
It really feels like spooky reminder as I read your article, but really thank you for writing this
As thanksgiving holiday is here, hopefully I can get this doing nothing plan to work, so I can get my working performances & qualities back up without having to go on the red line..
J.C. Carvill
Email: support@cosmosing.com
URL: http://www.cosmosing.com/jeanclaudecarvill/index.php