The right amount of rest
Every year we climb the Manitou Incline http://www.visitcos.com/
The incline is 1 mile of stairs going straight up the side of a mountain and then a 4-mile hike back down.
Yesterday Sabine decided not to go so it was just Sierra and I.
We completed the climb in far less time than it took in previous years and it seemed easier too.
Here’s why: Our breaks were much shorter and less frequent. That obviously explains the faster time. But, what about the perceived easier journey?
Sabine likes to pretend she’s exhausted and so she plops down onto the ground during breaks. Once we are sitting, we are no longer in climbing mode so then in order to get going again, we first have to get back into climbing mode. But, that can easily create resistance because we are hot, tired, sweaty, and there’s still a lot of steep trail to climb.
So now we have to get over our resistance first before we can start climbing again. But doing this repeatedly is actually mentally tiring. It is like doing many climbs instead of just one climb.
Instead of taking Sabine-style breaks, we took standing breaks which meant that we were still in climbing mode. We took frequent 5-breath breaks, some 10-breath breaks, and a couple of 1 minute breaks.
This kept us moving and at the same time made the journey easier.
Where else could we apply this in life?
For example, I know that I often times completely disengage on the weekends which turns Monday morning into a new climb. (I’m not saying that I need to work through the weekend and not play. And, is there a way that I could do my weekends with more intentionality so that it keeps me connected to what I’m aiming at – growing my business and growing my life? Of course there is. And paradoxically this would make my life more enjoyable, my play time more recharging, my life easier, and it would speed my progress towards my goals.)
Much Love,
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