Shutting Down
Learning how to disconnect from work is a crucial skill today.
You may sometimes believe that life is always about doing and working. But the reality is quite the contrary.
In fact, the more you allow yourself to recover deeply, the more you are able to perform during the day.
Recovery is a question of humility. It is about accepting that we cannot do everything at once.
It is about doing the best we can and then surrendering to the flow of life. It is taking a step back from your work and a step within ourselves.
We are not machines, although sometimes we would like to be. We need time to live and enjoy life in all of its forms.
Yes, focused and consistent work is the key to success. But recovery and balance are the keys to flourishing.
This is why so many people are miserable in their work today. Not only they approach it like a curse, but they also don’t take time to enjoy the other parts of life.
All this brings me to the tool I would like to share with you today - the Shutdown Complete.
This practice comes from Cal Newport’s amazing book Deep Work. It is as simple as it is powerful.
Set a time every day where you decide to stop working - no more emails, no more late-night assignments…
Spend the rest of your day recovering - connect with your family, read a book, do anything you really enjoy.
I approach this as a sacred ritual. Every day, around 5:00 PM, I shutdown everything related to my work.
Then I usually go for a walk, connect with my family, meditate... Anything that replenishes me, to show up the next day with the same intensity.
I’ll be honest, it’s not always easy, especially if you are passionate about what you do. I still sometimes fall prey to the temptation of work.
But our goal as human beings isn’t to work all the time. We are also designed to live, to connect with people, to do things we love.
The funny thing is that creating these boundaries around your work will actually end up making you more productive.
You will be less stressed and have more energy to perform at your best in whatever you do.
I’ll leave you with a quote from a dear friend of mine - “Have your life inspire your work and your life be your message.”
