White Space

My friend, Random Cathy, and I have both written about the importance of white space.

It amazes me how I can so quickly forget the lessons I’ve previously learned – like the importance of white space.

I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Overwhelmed by work, home responsibilities, guilt over lack of connection with friends and family…you name it. I was overwhelmed and thinking about it only made it worse.

My colleague is a truly wonderful person and said, I’m worried you’re getting burnt out.

He was right. I was dangerously close to the burn-out point of no return. Why is it that others have to tell you something that you should clearly be able to see for yourself?

How did I get there?

Simple: I didn’t have white space.

Old work processes that were effective were no longer effective. I didn’t have time to do something that, as I get older, I’m learning is critically important to making me who I am: Pause and reflect.

It turns out that my brain functions best when it has time to percolate.

Too many deadlines, rushing from this to that, and detail upon detail simply wears me out. The creative side of my brain shuts down.

Apparently, according to research conducted by the Harvard School of Business, I’m not the only one. Allowing time for reflection (ie – white space) actually improves job performance.

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