Ciamos

Bernadette Doyle

I've learned the hard way that if I don't make those dates sacred now, then somehow they will get 'filled up' with other events and demands on my time. So unplug the phone, leave the laptop at home, we're heading for some fun in the winter sun! (Looks like the promise of a holiday has brought out my poetic side:))

It seems paradoxical, but you can achieve a lot more by doing less. David Allen, author of the brilliant Getting Things Done, maintains that our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Top athletes and their coaches understand that rest and recovery are as important as the active phases of training, so why would you and I be any different? 

So do you actively build 'play-time' into your schedule, or is your relaxation time something that gets squeezed in if there's time left over? Why not try an experiment and block out a couple of hours, or an afternoon this week just for doing nothing? Even if you are up to your eyes in a challenging project, it can be amazing what happens when you deliberately take time out. 

Sonia Choquette, one of my teachers and author of Trust Your Vibes At Work, champions the power of doing nothing: 'Time and again, when I've needed inspiration in my professional life and it just wasn't there, if I've just backed off and left some space in my day to sit and do nothing, it always comes flying through. 

I can see that much of my intuitive inspiration has come from all that I've experienced during the work months but have had no time to process.'

© 2007 Bernadette Doyle

Bernadette Doyle publishes her weekly Client Magnets newsletter for trainers, coaches, consultants, complementary therapists and solo professionals. If you want to get clients calling you instead of you calling them, then get your free tips now at www.clientmagnets.com