10 top tips on when (and how) to pause

On a Wednesday where most of us watched from lockdown, Coach Rob Poynton reminded us that creativity often comes from quiet moments. Here are our ten favourite learnings on how to make the most of this 'global pause'.
 

1. Just as a small amount of yeast makes light of heavy dough, a small amount of pause can leaven or lighten your life.
2. Beardy Guy Method - Inspired by the 'Darwin Lubbock' method corral your attention - set a timer, eliminate all distractions and focus solely on one task. Only work on it until the timer goes off.
3. Let something slide every day. Whether it's wearing matching socks or skipping a day of your diet, give yourself permission to be imperfect.
4. Today list - Write a finite list of tasks for tomorrow. What will make you happy to have achieved by the end of the day? Make some room for firefighting. You will see what you can manage in one day and focus on those tasks.
5. Inhale/Exhale time - Balance your life the way that best suits you. Use your 'inhale' time to focus on what helps you recharge your batteries - reading, playing an instrument - and your 'exhale' time on clients, meetings etc.
6. Write to yourself, for yourself. Write by hand, let your hand discover what your mind wants to say. By freeing up the conscious, deliberative part of your mind, you may find interesting insights emerge.
7. From brushing your teeth like a zen master to pausing ten seconds before you enter a new Zoom call, take physical cues as quiet moments to reflect on your feelings - it may change the way you approach a situation.
8. Our current times are both a shock and a gift and people are finding a new rhythm. What new ways of working would you like to continue following COVID-19 but more crucially, what would you like to leave behind?
9. It’s not brave enough to just think about how to get back to normal; this is an opportunity to transform. Marketers create desire - so how can we create the desire for deeper, more meaningful and bolder things?
10. The moral high ground belongs to those who ‘get on with things’ who don’t delay. Delay anyway.