Don’t you love that first swipe of the roller when you decide that today is the day you are going to paint a room in your home?You open the can, see the exciting, new color, and immediately think of what it will look like once you’ve painted the entire room. The new color will make it look like you have a brand-new room. It will be clean and sanitized. No one has ever touched your “new” walls.Then you realize that will need to tape the woodwork when you paint the trim. Also, you notice it will take at least two coats of paint.All of a sudden, this project is not as much fun. It’s going to be work. You’re now two hours into the project and you’re saying words that aren’t repeatable in this blog.There is a solution that will make you feel better. Just realize that you need frequent breaks when you do a project this big. You need to pull away from it for a while to get a cup of coffee— or maybe it’s close to Happy Hour and you need a gin and tonic. But I digress.In my book PerfectTIMING, I call this a time segment to “refresh”. It should be a part of every long project and part of every day. It makes working (and living) worthwhile.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
What is it I like to do to “refresh” so that when I’ve been “diving in” on a project too long, I can pull up for air and do something different. Examples could be:
- Walk around the office at a quick pace to get some exercise.
- Go to a park bench, play some instrumental music that motivates you, and close your eyes.
- Phone a friend and take just a few minutes to catch up.
- Now, think of your own “refresh” and keep in it mind the next time you need a break.