Reboot!

Somehow I have managed to get a reputation as a bit of a computer whizkid.

I spend a lot of time relying on them and therefore have very little tolerance for when they don't work, but I am not sure I know what makes them work.

However, I do know and apply the universal protocol for any such equipment that performs worse than you would want it to: "The Reboot":

Pull the plug out - Leave it out for a while - Then reinsert it.

Magically, this, more often than not, restores performance to the previous and expected level.

The even more amazing thing is that it works for people too!

Yet, quite a few of us shun holidays, resist the long weekend, and wait for a perfect time to relax and re-create.

We brag: "I'm too busy to take time away".

We tell ourselves: "We can't afford it now".

We worry: "I'm afraid of losing momentum".

We grumble: "I don't deserve a vacation - yet".

We simply forget the purpose of time off:

Like crop rotation, it's crucial to be fallow for a season. Similarly, it is usually helpful to see matters from a new and fresh vantage point to get unstuck or solve a vexing problem.

A holiday or even a day off doesn't necessarily require a passport and a suitcase. You just need to create a clearing so new possibilities can emerge.

Plug yourself out regularly!