I am starting to think that it might be an excellent idea to play hooky from the day to day routine on a fairly regular basis. Such a viewpoint flies directly in the face of my usual nose-to-the-grindstone attitude towards life. The shift in my thinking has something to do with my recent high level of physical and mental burnout from constantly running from one thing to another, like a sputtering vehicle which probably would warrant a ticket for exhaust emissions (no, this is not a reference to gaseous emissions, but a reference to loss of efficiency). r

Without balance in one’s life, efficiency and power dwindle to very low levels, making it next to impossible to keep up or catch up with tasks at hand. The “one step forward, two steps back” theory asserts itself here. The answer is not to keep pushing through in hopes that, by some miracle, you will suddenly catch up to everything on your to-do list and feel completely fulfilled, but to take a break from it all.

When you take a break from your to-do list and learn to truly enjoy life and your surroundings, you press the reset button and recharge your spiritual, mental and physical batteries, which in turn makes you more efficient at tackling mundane day-to-day tasks. Though you may panic at the thought of losing precious time in which you could keep treading along that hamster wheel, you will actually gain momentum by stepping away from the busywork and taking care of your spirit so that you are balanced. You will return to your tasks with more energy and focus.