I met a lot of weird people in philosophy grad school.

But perhaps the weirdest dude was a political philosopher who at some point had cutting-edge surgery to remove a brain tumor.

He went by 'Dave' and was kind of an oddball Sage type.

He would ramble on and on about all kinds of topics that did not seem totally related to what everyone else was talking about!

For example, in a discussion about the nature of reasons for action or moral responsibility, he would start going on about how theories are maps.

This would naturally confuse people....

But then...

Weeks or even months later...

It would hit you...

"Oh! That's what Dave meant!"

Theories (like maps) are instruments that we use to carve up and navigate a terrain of conceptual possibilities, rather than perfectly accurate and exhaustive descriptions of the facts about something.

That is, theories are more like (useful but imperfect) models than they are like (perfectly detailed) photographs

Like others, I learned a lot from Dave and his weird but cool phrases.

He has many. But perhaps my favorite one is:

"Earn your breaks...then take 'em!"

The first part is standard, you gotta work hard, you gotta get some progress done so as to earn your break.

But the second part is one that is all too easily forgotten, especially among people who want more out of life.

All too often, we work hard. We make progress. And we earn our breaks...

But we don't take them...

And instead, choose to grind ourselves down until we become ineffective.

You gotta not only earn your breaks but THEN ACTUALLY TAKE THEM!

Otherwise, you won't be nearly as productive as you could be.

Even if you're always doing something.

In order to be truly productive, you need not only to take action.

You also need to take a step back from work.

You need to take a well-earned break.

You need to recharge and recuperate.

And once you do...

You'll find that you can get back to what comes next with newfound energy and dedication.

That's why one big lesson I teach my coaching clients is that very often time spent resting is, ultimately, time well-spent.

And that's why I also teach them to have a life and work rhythm in which they can fully focus on what they need to do, on earning their breaks...

BUT ALSO fully focus on relaxing and recuperating, on taking their breaks!

By doing so, we are able to cultivate a next-level of productivity as we get the most out of our time on and off.

So, if you're ready to build a productive yet recharging life and work rhythm, check it out:

 

https://www.promiseofphilosophy.com/get-happiness-coaching

And begin getting the most out of your work AND your rest.

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To your earning AND taking your breaks,

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Santi Sanchez, Ph.D.

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