When you’re focused on realising your vision, you’re pursuing it with
such purpose and commitment that it’s easy to immerse yourself fully
and forget that you need to take time out to reflect on your progress and
strategy. You need to regularly pull yourself away from your day-to-day
duties, so that you can review the work you’ve done and plan ahead. If
you don’t, you can end up losing direction and becoming less productive.
Periods of reflection provide a sanctuary for the clarity of thought you
need to make sure your mission is on track.
This practice of finding sanctuary helps to remove mental blockages
and fosters a sense of balance between work and play. Without regular
periods of reflection eventually you could find yourself in a rut – the
place you don’t want to be!
To make sure you take the necessary time out, plan three levels of
sanctuary and embed them into your daily routine:
Level 1 – Daily sanctuary to help you prepare for the day ahead. Starting
each day with 10 minutes of deep reflection provides a kick start to
focused activity and awareness.
Level 2 – Weekly sanctuary that helps divert your energies into non-related
activities, such as pursuing a hobby, sport or spending more time
with family and friends. These activities offer an important diversion so
you return to pursuing your vision refreshed.
Level 3 – Extended sanctuary includes those activities that most people
can only fit in two or three times a year. They would typically involve
family holidays; short breaks or some form of retreat. This gives you
time not only to relax and recharge, but also to view the bigger picture,
assess your progress and consider what needs to change going forward.
Sometimes you just have to stop, look and listen to what is going on around you!