This New Year resolve to do more of….Nothing.
With everyone out there talking about all their top strategies on how to make New Years Resolutions for weight loss, better career moves, or more daily happiness….I’m going to just give you one for all of them, do more of “nothing”. Make a resolution to do less this year….but make it count more!
Am I Nuts?
Nope, you heard me correctly, I am challenging all of you this year to do more of……nothing! Now you are probably scratching your head or wondering if I have truly lost my mind…..but hear me out. This is not about lack of productivity, lack of accomplishing goals, procrastination, putting off what you want to do….in fact it is quite the opposite of that.
Most people are running around just keeping busy. Ask anyone around you and they have “stuff to do” today or this weekend. Come back a month later and see if most of these people have really even accomplished anything bigger than keeping busy and killing time, most often probably not. We need to get out of the rut of needing to “stay busy”. Do the hardest thing for most people….sit around and do nothing! I don’t mean watch TV, read a book, play video games….those are distractions, you are still doing something. Nope I want you to find more time to do absolutely nothing. Stare at the sky, go for a quiet walk in nature, look at the ceiling….it’s your call where you want to do nothing.
But won’t that just be a waste of time?
Really? As if watching TV was a productive use of time? Time is the most valuable resource we have and how we use it should be of vital importance. We only have a limited amount of time, so use it wisely before it’s all gone. Doing nothing will help the mind to quiet down, distractions put to the side, all the less important things in life to just go away quietly…and then you will find true inspiration and focus on what is important in your life. In those moments of quietness you can find out really what you really want to spend your time on. Spending 30min a day in complete silence somewhere could be the most productive thing you ever do if it leads you to a more focused and enjoyable lifestyle.
This is not about being Unproductive, it’s about learning to be More Productive.
Don’t feel guilty because you are not running around staying busy all day long. Today’s world is so fast paced that people almost think they are lazy if they are not doing something every second of the day (heck some even say sleeping too much is being lazy). But being busy is really not the goal. If you want to accomplish something in life, then doing that takes center stage. And if you want to get somewhere isn’t it better to stop and realize what actually matters, or would you rather just do random things and hope you get there?
Doing nothing isn’t about being lazy or unproductive, it’s about not being swept up with the things that really don’t matter to your goals and outcomes. Like I see people just jump on treadmills and put in hours of work, then go off and eat the same…..and wonder why they lost no pounds in 3 months.
Live the 80/20 rule…Don’t just Read it, Live it!
I’m sure many have heard me say this before, but the 80/20 rule (also known as the Pareto principle, named after an economist named Vilfredo Pareto) is essential to remember when it comes to anything from business, marketing, sales, personal development, health, fitness or life in general.
What 80/20 means is that 80% of your results/accomplishments/income/weight-loss/happiness will come from 20% of your efforts/customers/surroundings/relationships. Just imagine if you could take 100% of your busy time right now….free up 80% of it and still be able to get the same amount (if not more) done because you are focusing on what the really important things are. Let go of the rest that bring little to no results and happiness into your life. That is liberating.
So many people are caught up in all the little things that give very little in return. Use your quiet time (while you are doing nothing) to think about all that goes on in your life. Doing nothing will actually start to make clear to you what really matters….and what really does not. The only way you will know what brings the most into your life is if you take time out to step back and take a look.
Do nothing but just observe yourself from a distance, like you were on a television show. See what is really going on with you. Find out what is vital to reaching your goals….and then master that 20% (that gives you 80%+ of the results). Life is not a race, so enjoy the time you have while living the life you want.
Inspiration Comes when You Don’t Force it
I’ve read all about inspiration and how people make it work for them, but never really understood it until I started to do less….and then had more insights because of it. Starting this blog, writing certain posts, knowing how to take my career, and many other things have come from me being able to just shut off all distractions and go sit and do nothing for a while.
Let the world's creative energy flow into you....don't try and force inspiration, do less and let it happen.
I used to try and force myself into productivity long ago, and then wondered why I really never progressed. Now I know I was just trying to swim against the current and get so much more insight/vision when I learn how to float with the current, not swim against it.
It’s really funny how once you can see what matters, what excites you, what is important….how all that just opens up in front of you and life presents the opportunities or people that you need to make it happen. Go somewhere quiet, can be in your house or at the local park, with no MP3 player….no cell phone….and just sit and let the mind do the rest (tip you can bring a piece of paper and pen if you want…to record all the insights and clarity you are having). It may not all happen at once and usually won’t come if you try and force it, but like anything in life….the more you do it, the better you get at it.
What the Heck does this have to do with Health and Fitness?
I’ve been around long enough in the health and fitness industry to know that there is so much hype and focus put on all the wrong things. For most getting involved it can be confusing and overwhelming. This is when you really need to step back and find out what is important to focus on. Once you can realize those key points you can easily ignore the rest. For example:
- Realizing that 85% of your weight loss efforts come from eating right
- Knowing that full body compound movements give you the most bang for your buck
- Shorter but more intense exercise can get you weight loss without always doing long & boring cardio
- Eating foods that are made from nature (and not man) provide most all what you need
- Getting sleep and having a low “stressed” life is key to health (and your body will look and feel better too)
- Knowing you have control over your health, and all it takes is focusing on what you really need to do right now.
So Tell Everyone Your Resolution this year is to do more of Nothing!
You have all the tools you will ever need to succeed in life (at whatever you choose). All the info that you need is out there. The only thing left to do is take the CORRECT action. Don’t be like everyone else running around from little thing to little thing. Focus your time on the big things. Get more done in less time and then sit back and relax. People will think you are nuts….until a couple months down the road you look better, feel better, maybe increase the success of your career (or have insights into changing it). At that point everyone will want to know your secret…and then you can sit them down in a quiet room and when they ask “well what is it?” you can confidently say “you are doing it right now”.
More reading: If you want a good book on this, Leo of Zen Habits blog fame just released his first published book called The Power of Less. A great guide in helping you to find what is important, keep things simple and productive and get more out of life with less effort.
photo by Tommy Forbes
16 Reader Comments
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or be lazy and go by it one day at a time and taking what each day throws at you is how im doing mine. Seems like it is already working wonders actually.
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Happy New Year Mike!
Nice post. Isn’t it crazy how we have to force ourselves to take time to quiet the mind. I’m glad you posted this, because this is one area where I have not been taking enough time. It is so easy to fill every spare moment with “something.”
I find the best and easiest way for me to unplug is to play with my daughter. Just getting down on the floor with her and interacting, really trying to engage with her and what she is thinking, helps shut all of that daily life stuff out for a while. Nothing like looking into a kids eyes to reconnect with yourself…
Cheers,
Adam
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Great article, really does put things into perspective. It’s barely the first week into the new year, but I’m already looking at things in a much different way than I did last year. I’m also trying to be more relaxed and do a lot more of less. I’m just going to stick to things that I truly want to get into, instead of stretching myself thin for multiple things
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Happy New Year and – I hear ya! One of the biggest things I have a problem with is staying in balance, or more so, balancing my overworked life with a much needed sense of accomplishment in doing nothing (and not feeling like a failure when doing so).
Thanks!
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This reminds me of the story of how Archimedes discovered the principle of displacement… by taking a bath!! He was working his tail off, his wife told him to relax, take a step back and it would come to him, so he took a bath and viola!!
For me, I like to meditate in the sauna (huh?). That’s right, for some reason there is no one else in the sauna when I use it, so I take the time to quiet my mind and just think, it’s great.
Mike, I think even Leo would say “That’s mighty Zen of you” about this article, great read!
All the Best,
Andrew R
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Yep, works for me.
Jay
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Funny enough Mike… this was my actual New Years resolution. “Do less and enjoy more”. You hit the nail on the head.
The SoG
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Adam – So true how kids have alot to teach us about how simple life really is or should be.
Andrew – great story (and so random) about Archimedes….but I believe it. It’s amazing what we are capable of mentally and physically….if we just get out of our own way once in a while and just let things happen.
SOG – Nothing funny about smart minds thinking alike.
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Happy New Year and love your article! I’ve opted to not make a resolution to lose weight but to continue being healthy and staying fit. I refuse to step on a scale and have decided to measure my success in the gym by how many push ups I can do and I’m up to 30!!!
I did join a new gym in NYC that is completely different and if anyone lives or just passing by you have to check it out. It’s called STATION Fitness and it’s located in the Meatpacking District. They only have total vibration training classes using Power Plate machines and it’s an incredible workout!! I’ve already seen a difference and although I can only do half the amount of push ups on the machine because it’s 10 times harder I’m still getting stronger! Check it out at http://www.stationfitness.com The owners are terrific and I promised I’d spread the word to all my gym junkies
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Mike,
I had a New Year’s resolution post that “appeared” to be the opposite of this post, but only on the surface. I strive to work hard when it is time to work with the goal of having more free time to enjoy life.
I like our idea of dedicating time to do nothing to see what thoughts come to mind. I have some of my most creative thoughts the moments before I fall asleep at night. If I actually added a bit of time during the week, I may even come up with more ideas.
Good insightful post. Also cool that you recommend Leo’s book. Mine has been ordered and I can’t wait to read it.
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GIJane – Yes your focus should be on health and an active lifestyle…if you follow that, no worries…the weight will of course come off! (A healthy body wants to burn fat!) Nice job on the pushups….keep up the great work!
Rusty – So true, we should all strive to work hard….and smart. No reason we can’t have plenty of free time to enjoy life…and it always amazes me how much more I get done if I make myself work less…the productivity increases because I focus only on important stuff. I’m sure if you had more quiet time you would come up with some amazing insight into yourself. I know a famous author once said that he only wrote from 3am to 7am because that was the most quiet time of day for him when his mind could be focused and open to the inspiration around him. (not something I would do but it certainly can work)
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tis true tis true. less difinitely is more. working smart vs. hard is a very hard thing to do! i struggle with it every day on the comp when there are so many distractions!
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I love this. Do nothing.
I am going to have a hard time working at this as my mind is always racing from one idea to the next. But I am with you when you say that a 1/2 hour of nothing will help with productivity.
It is the same type of argument that people have about the gym, no time. But in fact if you take an hour out of your day JUST FOR YOU and go to the gym you will be more productive in all other aspects of your life.
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I enjoyed this blog post so much, I read it twice, slowly.
And, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it was coming from a fitness site.
It’s refreshing to see this kind of balance on fitness sites such as this one. Taking care of one’s health can be so much more than showing of a 6-pack. Because our bodies and spirits are both inseparable parts of our amazing human complexes, taking care of our body, at its most profound level IS taking care of our spirit–no separation.
Thanks for the post.
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Yeah I think this post goes WAY beyond fitness into other areas of life – such as relationships, business, etc – Keep it the great writing -
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