Roeth: The power of a tactical timeout

Unlike a lot of people out there, I always thought multitasking was a big myth. Maybe I feel that way because I am not very good at it? Or maybe it is because it really is difficult to focus on more than one thing at the same time. Focusing on two or more things at the same time always results in poor focus on any one.

Lately, I have been working really hard to eliminate distractions when I am working on something and to reduce the “noise” around me, so to speak. I try to be intentional and focus my attention, energy, and effort on the task at hand. And I find that I can cross a lot off my to-do list when I focus on one thing at a time.

Learning to walk away from the task

But sometimes when I am working on a project, and it invariably is an in-depth, important one, I get stuck. Sometimes it takes me a while to realize I’m spinning my wheels and not really making progress. But even once I realize that I am getting nowhere, I will continue grinding away at the task at hand. I convince myself that if I work harder, I will get past whatever is preventing me from completing the project.

However, lately, I have been taking a different approach. And I want to thank NACFE’s design director, Kim Ehrenhaft, for the suggestion. Kim is responsible for the graphics you see in NACFE’s Confidence and Guidance Reports. She recently told me that when she realizes she is struggling with turning a design concept into an actual graphic, she walks away from the project. And I mean, she literally goes out and takes a walk or switches to another item on her to-do list that requires more practical skills and less creativity.

After her break, she often finds that inspiration returns and she can see a clear, creative design solution.

I have been trying this for myself, and while at first it feels like I am shirking my responsibilities, the reality is that after a 20-minute walk or a phone call with one of my sons, I can get back to the task at hand, and I am no longer stuck. Somehow, walking away and shifting my focus has helped me gain clarity on what needs to be done.

Applying the pause to fleet operations

I know it seems counterintuitive to walk away from something rather than continuing to plow through. But, at least for me and for Kim, it seems to work, so I am sharing it here. I’ve found that you can’t force inspiration, but if you walk away when you are struggling, inspiration finds you.

At this point, you are probably wondering what this blog has to do with trucking. The connection is that I wonder how much more creative and prolific we all would be if we took time to walk away when we find ourselves stuck and just waited for the solution to find us, rather than forcing a solution to fit a problem.

So perhaps the next time you find yourself struggling with a project, take a time out and see what happens.