All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It also massively reduces his chances of truly improving his lot if you ask me.
My best ideas and new thinking come when I am doing something other than “work”. In essence it is these better ideas and new thinking that clients pay us for. They are invaluable compared to the efficient completion of reports and forms.
New ideas and thinking most often arrive walking the dogs, playing with the boys, reading a nonfiction non finance book, staring into the distance on a cross trainer or slicing a golf ball into bushes. They most certainly don’t arrive sitting at a desk. If you think they do, try another option and see what more arrives.
More recently I have started drawing. I have a tutor; I have drawn a lot of peppers and bottles so far. The last time I was anywhere near an art studio was sometime before 5 May 1990.
I know this with some precision because that last artistic endeavour involved painting “Duncan Out!” on a white sheet in protest at the then Ipswich Town manager who was sacked on 5 May 1990.
Fast forward 33 years and I have taken up the pencils, pens, pastels and brushes once more. And I’m really enjoying it.
The idea was to do something that was a bit “out there” (for me at least) that I thought I could stick to. That requirement at once eliminated singing and acting and left me with art.
And the point of that was that, when I find myself in situations where a high degree of awareness or presence is needed better thinking about all parts of my life come to me.
Which has me arrive at the title of this piece.
Yes, I do have something better to do with my time than work, and what I do with that time makes my work better.
How about you?