“Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.”

Mark Black

It seems to be harder to relax and disconnect now than at anytime in history. There is always a distraction, there is always more to be done, there is always something calling for your attention. True relaxation can be very hard to find and it can be hard to justify the time when the “to do list” just keeps getting longer and longer.

But sometimes it is the ability to find relaxation that brings to your mind and body exactly the peace that is needed to create the solution for whatever it is that you are seeking to achieve. We aren’t wired to be “on” 100% of the time. Our souls need rest and when we give ourselves the grace to accept and embrace that rest it is amazing what we can accomplish.

Some of my best work has happened during, or immediately after, I have given myself permission to disconnect and relax. I have to remind myself to take the time, it is far easier to just keep the nose to the grindstone and continue working, but that is so counter productive in the long term.

I remind myself that if I were training for a long endurance race I wouldn’t go do a brutally hard workout the day before the marathon. Instead I would follow my training plan and taper down my workouts leading up to the big race.

The same is true of life. We need times of intense training and growth but we also need to build in periods of rest so that we can perform at our optimum level when it really counts. Embrace the taper, make it part of your life plan, it will be the launching pad for incredible results.