Stillness

As the weather gets warmer, we tend to relax. It is a natural feeling. While relaxing can make us feel lazy, doing less is not always a bad thing.

The best things can occur during times of stillness. Sometimes by slowing down (in running and in life), we make more progress.

As the former English politician John Lubbock shares “rest is not idleness and to lie on the grass under trees on a summer’s day watching clouds float across the sky is by no means a waste of time.”

As the weather gets warmer, continue to hold yourself accountable and push your limits. But also take time to be still. After all, as John shares, lying in the grass watching clouds drift by is not a waste of time.

3 ways to consider stillness.

1. Concentrate on what matters: When working, concentrate on what matters. Get it done then concentrate on the next thing that matters. When everything that truly matters is complete, stop and rest. By concentrating on what matters we remove pointless work that drains our energy while not moving us closer to our goals.

2. Understand that working too hard is NOT a badge of honor: Pushing our limits is a good thing. But if it starts to negatively impact our performance, health or work product, we need more rest. The most effective people all include downtime in their schedules. So we should take time to recharge too. That way, we can approach our work at full strength.

3. Rest can take many forms: Rest does not always mean lying on the couch. In fact, rest can be an activity like running. Even though the body moves, running calms the mind. Running long distances gives the brain a great opportunity to zone out. Just as running rests the mind, consider opportunities for stillness besides the popular method of lying on the couch.

Thanks for reading. Lets find time for stillness this week!