A change is like a holiday

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I wrote last week about taking Friday off to clear my head and get some good rest. So my goal this weekend was to have no goal. I wanted to live moment by moment. To look for opportunities to do the kind of things I don’t normally have time for.

I did quite a bit of coding on my side project (mtglinks.com). I read a bit on my Kindle for a change. That kind of stuff.

Taking time off is certainly an important part of rest and recovery. But another thing that helps a lot is switching things up. Why? Because a change is like a holiday.

Breaking your normal routines every now and again also gives you a fresh perspective. Yesterday I went for a walk instead of a run. It’s amazing how many small details I noticed along a route I’ve run over 200 times.

It reminded me that even just a change of pace can open your eyes to things you weren’t seeing before. It also got me thinking about our approach to work.

I’m a big fan of professional habits, routines and systems. But maybe I need to leave a bit of room for regularly breaking the mold? I wonder what opportunities and threats we are blind to when we work at a very constant pace.

Ironically, I’m immediately tempted to add regular changes of pace into the system. A true case of planned spontaneity!