Just as the expression “sleep on it” refers to letting a problem process in your subconscious mind while you are in your most relaxed state, taking a “break” from work is actually good for your ability to solve problems at work. The expression of sleeping on a problem doesn’t mean that you abandon or forget about it. It means that you recognize that there are subconscious levels of thought that will continue to work the issue while you move on to something else.
Similarly, if you discipline yourself (and that’s often what it takes) to develop a balanced life between work and “play,” it’s not just work that can benefit – but play as well. I have colleagues who believe that they can’t be bothered, or can’t allow themselves to so misuse their time, to read a non-business or -management related book. Politics or current issues, maybe, but fiction – never! You have to admire the dedication of people like this, but not their imagination.
Some of the most exciting – and actionable – ideas I’ve had for use at work have come to me while doing completely unrelated reading. I once developed a procedure for use in organizational assessment and design while reading an article in a magazine that was clearly a more or less irrelevant space filler – it was about apoptosis, of all things: the mechanism whereby cells are preprogrammed to stop growing or even to eliminate themselves once they have served their purpose in the growing body. I have had others come to me while doing light summer vacation reading, reading history or biographies, the classics, or even comedy.
On the other hand, I have suddenly had solutions appear out of the blue, as it were, while sailing, or while walking in the mountains. It’s not that activities such as these are an “escape” from work, or even a break from the stresses of work – they are vital to successful work. Just like sleep (and I’ve known some people who think even that is goldbricking), attending to other aspects of your life allows your mind to explore issues that remain important to you without the distracting tension of your conscious attention. Your mind is able to examine the problems with greater lucidity and creativity than if it is having its arm twisted by you trying to force a solution.
Work and life do indeed need to be balanced, but that doesn’t mean they are separated. They exist in the same structure, connected by the mechanism that measures and balances them, and which, in so doing, often makes both of them more productive and enjoyable.
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