There’s a David Allen story about re-entry that I love. He had been stuck at a certain Karate level and had been working really hard to make a break through. Try as he might, he just couldn’t. Frustrated, he decided to take a break for a few weeks.
When he came back a few weeks later, he found himself break through the previous barriers with ease.
The lesson he took away from it is – when you most feel like you don’t need a break is exactly when you need one.
I think the concept of “re-entry” is incredibly powerful as it involves a complete re-charge of your batteries. Vacations and breaks exist for exactly this purpose. But, it isn’t possible to take a week’s vacation every time you need to recharge. So, I’ve learnt to mix things up to create mini breaks. Sometimes, it just means sleeping an inordinate amount of time (a close friend called it my hibernation). For this weekend, it is a 24 hour break from my phone and a general break from all things email or work.
Loving it. And, looking forward to re-entry.
A Learning a Day 