by Linda-Ann Stewart

Sometimes, it’s good to take some time away from your work.  I’ve had a very busy month, and haven’t been getting as much done as I’d planned. My schedule would change, shifting priorities down the list as more immediate projects and events shoved into the time allotted. A couple of items that I expected to take a few minutes ended up taking hours.

Last week, I had a day that I spent running from errands to appointments. There was no time to work on any projects, but I was able to listen to a business audio CD as I drove around. It sparked an idea that opened a door for me and relieved some pressure I was feeling.

When I start getting frustrated or feeling blocked, a friend counsels me to “Shift the energy. Go do something else.” She has a point. If you just keep hitting your head against that brick wall, all you’re going to get is a sore head.

By taking a few steps back, putting your attention on something else, it gives the subconscious some time and space to work through the issue and deliver some brilliant new concept. Well, maybe not brilliant, but certainly new, and one that will probably break through the block or solve the problem.

That’s what happened last week, and also at the Sedona Book Fest. Both times, I’d taken the day to do an activity that supported my goals, but was time away from intense mental effort. I heard an insight that sparked an idea that solved issues I’d been struggling with for months.

Try it next time you’ve been ramming against a wall. Take a deep breath, walk away, forget about it, and do something else for a while. At the very least, when you come back to the task, you’ll be calmer, with more resources to deal with the challenge. And it’s very likely that you’ll discover a solution that you’d never have considered.

Copyright 2010 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved

self improvement, self help, personal growth, personal development, motivation, productivity, inspiration