DO-ING VS. BE-ING

I've been more mindful to create space of rest in between work. 15 mins here, 45 mins there.

It's been such a game changer. Without this intention to break my day, my tendency would be to power through, stay in flow, and keep going.

Our brain LOVES to work, to stay busy, to have something to do. And, because over time we get really good at what we do, we also get rewarded for our excellence.

The societal positive rewards continue to reinforce the pattern of busyness. We all respect and admire the results of someone's work. Someone's excellence is the subject of our appreciation. So what could possibly be a problem here?

We lose track of the natural need we have to renew our own resources. We forget to stop and rest and breathe. We forget that every few miles of hike we need to stop for a sip of water, to look up at the trees, to look behind to be proud of how far we've come, to look ahead with excited anticipation.

Or, to decide if we want to actually take a different route.

Perhaps to stop and chat with a fellow hiker and exchange a story. To get in touch with our human-ness.

Also, to give ourselves the space to be in awe with where we are, with how we feel.

I've been meditating on the idea of Be-ing vs. Do-ing and I realize how good I've gotten at do-ing and how inexperienced I am at be-ing. Like, pre-college level

As I'm sharing my journey here, I'm also putting a stick in the ground, a mini-commitment to making more space for just being. I believe in small incremental, steady progress. As a practical way to incorporate more Do-Bo balance (a.k.a. "work-life" balance), I'm suggesting intentionally creating 5 min breaks, 1 hr breaks, starting work later, ending earlier.

Here's a quick HBR read with some great tips to read more.