Stuck on a Problem? Just Step Away (Seriously, Take a Break)

Sometimes problem solving requires you to step away and think about the issue at hand. Consider any great strategist out there and you’ll understand that it takes time and calculation to make moves that will benefit you now and in the future. Today, we’ll explore how you can be more productive through strategic pausing.

What is Strategic Pausing?

Contrary to what you might think, strategic pausing is not procrastination or putting off the problem for later; it’s taking a step back to look at things more holistically.

Even when you pause to take a break, your brain is still subconsciously working its way through the problem and what has to be done. You can think of it like a planning phase where your brain takes time to decide what the next best step should be. If anything, a pause is making space for better work to happen after you have had time to deliberate on the best approach.

In comparison, procrastination is simply avoiding work that you don’t want to do, putting it off until later when there is a deadline that will impact the quality of your work—a far cry from strategic pausing, indeed.

How You Can Implement Strategic Pausing

Here are some steps you can follow to implement strategic pausing for your business:

• Understand the task - Consider what must be done, the problem involved, and how it will affect the current state of your work. Also, consider whether the problem has been solved before. Thinking about it this way will help you find the best possible path forward.
• Think about the future - The tasks you complete now will have impacts on your work in the future. Think about the task holistically so you can ensure you’re on the right track right away, as well as make adjustments as the need arises.
• Improve your process - If possible, think about how you can do the task better, either improving the quality of the work or the efficiency of the process. The best solutions will come from thinking about a task creatively, as well as giving yourself time and space to engage with the ideas in this way.
• Make a plan - With all the information in mind, build out your plan with an emphasis on the goal, tools you’ll need, who will be involved, and how long it should take.
• Review and adapt - Now that you’ve carried out your plan, think about how well it went (or how poorly it went). What would you change, and why? Taking time to improve processes can dramatically improve results over time.

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