Rest is part of mastery
Grit, accomplishment, and excellence does not exclude rest.
Devotion often makes it hard to take rest. Humans have a bias for action and forget that the action could be doing nothing. Indeed, rest is required to position yourself for success. However, it seems to contradict the socially accepted values devotion, willpower, and grit.
But it does not. Sometimes the hard decision is to pull back, take same rest, and do nothing. Creative thoughts require divergent thinking, i.e., not focusing. Beating the market in the long run (à la Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger) requires not making daily trades but waiting for the moment. Getting the upper hand in negotiations requires resisting the urge to speak.
It seems counterintuitive, feels counterintuitive, and is counterintuitive. But not taking action is part of mastery.
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P2P No. 9 — Be world-class in rest too
“The mind must be given relaxation—it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. Just as rich fields must not be forced—for they will quickly lose their fertility if never given a break—so constant work on the anvil will fracture the force of the mind. But it regains its powers if it is set free and relaxed for a while. Constant work gives rise …
When to quit and when to grit
We have the important problems, and we shifted through our ideas. We buckled up and got to work. But what if things change? What if we were wrong?
Do you care about working or winning?
Outside pressure and intrinsic motivation can both make us work more. If you are fortunate enough to love what you are doing, it feels like no burden. You might even want to work more. This can build momentum, lead to a breakthrough, and bring you joy, fulfilment, and meaning.
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