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1/ Do you know what professional athletes do during the weeks just before a big competition, like the Olympics?
Nothing.
They're at vacation resort where they relax, eat good food, and sleep well.
Nothing.
They're at vacation resort where they relax, eat good food, and sleep well.
2/ The best thing to do at that point is to gather as much strength as possible. Which means hardly any physical traning at all.
All the training happened months before. Now it's time for mental preparation and focus.
All the training happened months before. Now it's time for mental preparation and focus.
3/ Why don't we plan our own projects this way?
Athletes and bodybuilders know the importance of rest for optimal physical performance. But ordinary work projects are often planned and executed like a perpetual marathon, as if our minds are machines.
Athletes and bodybuilders know the importance of rest for optimal physical performance. But ordinary work projects are often planned and executed like a perpetual marathon, as if our minds are machines.
4/ Even worse, the agile terminology of sprints suggest a continuous line of two week rushes. Like HIIT training, but with two week intervals.
But it never ends. The retro is only a pit stop for refueling. After each milestone there's another one.
HIIT marathon, anyone?
But it never ends. The retro is only a pit stop for refueling. After each milestone there's another one.
HIIT marathon, anyone?
5/ This tendency of doing it all in one go is prevalent both on the micro and macro scale.
We know about the importance of taking regular breaks on the level of your workday and your tasks.
But what is the awareness on the macro scale?
We know about the importance of taking regular breaks on the level of your workday and your tasks.
But what is the awareness on the macro scale?
6/ We think of resting as something we can do after we are finished.
Isn't that how we all were taught to behave?
Eat your dinner, then dessert.
Do your work, then you can rest.
Finish first, then reward.
Isn't that how we all were taught to behave?
Eat your dinner, then dessert.
Do your work, then you can rest.
Finish first, then reward.
7/ Treating downtime and rest as a kind of reward also introduces the possibility of removing it as a form of self-punishment.
“No you don’t deserve to rest, you haven’t done x, y or z yet”.
“No you don’t deserve to rest, you haven’t done x, y or z yet”.
8/ Downtime is not a reward for a job well done, it is a crucial component for optimal performance.
It's a pre-requisite for doing a stellar job in the first place.
It's a pre-requisite for doing a stellar job in the first place.
9/ I learnt the lesson of having downtime before d-day in a performance where I became injured just days before the premiere.
We had to cancel and postpone the show six months.
We had to cancel and postpone the show six months.
10/ Coming back to something that was basically already finished, with fresh eyes and energy, was one of the best work experiences I've had.
And I repeated it in another project, where I deliberately scheduled a 4 week break before the final stretch.
And I repeated it in another project, where I deliberately scheduled a 4 week break before the final stretch.
11 / What would happen if you planned some downtime just *before* the last pieces come together?
The goal is, as always, to maintain your energy levels, motivation and produce the highest quality of work possible.
The goal is, as always, to maintain your energy levels, motivation and produce the highest quality of work possible.
12/ What if you took some vacation days *before* launch week instead of after?
What if you planned your event so that nobody on staff would be allowed to work the day before?
What if you planned your event so that nobody on staff would be allowed to work the day before?
13/ You happily pay for that downtime, knowing that the return on investment comes in terms of energy, clarity and motivation from everyone involved.
Like collectively “sleeping on it” and coming back with fresh eyes.
Like collectively “sleeping on it” and coming back with fresh eyes.
14 / If you're in charge of planning projects, I encourage you to try it. You would truly have planned for optimal performance.
You don't have to go to a resort like an Olympic team to get some benefits.
Investing in downtime is investing in quality. https://thepilcrow.net/a-crucial-component-of-high-quality-work/
You don't have to go to a resort like an Olympic team to get some benefits.
Investing in downtime is investing in quality. https://thepilcrow.net/a-crucial-component-of-high-quality-work/
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