I spent yesterday at Six Flags Magic Mountain, a local amusement park with some of the greatest roller coasters in the world. It was a total blast. Because it was a school day, the park was basically ours. We ran from ride to ride and did very little waiting in line. This made it possible for us to ride nearly every attraction.
Because the lines were so short, we barely had any time to recover between each ride. I am not sure how to measure the speeds or g-forces that we were experiencing, but after a while, my body started to tell me that I needed to sit down and rest. The first warning was a feeling of dizziness, but then I started feeling sick to my stomach. I rested for a while and began to feel better.
The Track
Each of these fun filled rides followed a very similar pattern. They started in a covered area, transported us up some sort of a hill, and then unleashed upon us a series of free falls, loops, corkscrews and tight corners. The main variation was the way we were transported through these adventures. We experienced these thrills sitting down, standing up and even laying down.
It truly was a thrilling experience, but after a while I began to feel a sense of sensory overload. Because there was no waiting time, all of the rides began to feel the same. The anticipatory feelings and nervous energy was gone. We just ran through the line, got on the ride, got off the ride and moved on to the next ride.
The Same Old Same Old
My body eventually adjusted to being in motion, but I began to feel very tired. The thrill was gone and I was ready to go home. We arrived at the park intending to stay until it closed, but by 5:00 PM, we found ourselves looking for the exit.
We had a great time, but the experience had become common and we found ourselves just going through the motions. This happened because we did not break up the excitement with other activities.
Sometimes this happens in our work. The experience of going through the motions leads to burnout. We know that we need to break things up, but we forget to do it, because there are so many attractions that call our attention. I like to plan my day so that I have mini-breaks built around each intense experience. This makes it possible for me to really get into something and then recover from the stress caused by the forward progress.
Being In the Moment
This is my secret to staying in the moment with energy. I know that it is not important to fill every moment with forward progress. There is enough time in the day to take breaks too, so I do. I actually take a lot of them. I tell myself that I am going to move forward and then rest for a space. I purposely plan it that way, and that is why I get a lot done every day.
Let's face it, we all goof off more than we would admit. I have discovered that if I goof off on purpose, I get more out it. These moments of day dreaming, or whatever they may be, restore my creative potential and get me back on track.
What do you do when you find yourself going through the motions?
How do you get yourself back on track?
How much purpose is built in to your down time? Do you make sure your activities restore you?
Our down time can either restore us, or further deplete us. If we just sit around and waste it, it won't add to our renewal. It is sad when the things that thrill us become routine, but we don't have to go through that. We have the power to make the moments matter and the routine, a thrill. We just have to make it so.
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