A Minute to Think

A strategic pause means taking a moment – or longer – to think, plan, create or just breathe.

When you take a strategic pause, you stop doing things and, instead, free yourself to think, feel, ponder, plan, create, reflect, question, dream or just rest. A strategic pause introduces white space into your day that can make your visible work more productive, purposeful and innovative. A white space mindset also means simplifying your work and home life to allow time for strategic pauses.

Taking a strategic pause doesn’t mean being idle or aimless, napping, or procrastinating. Strategic pausing also differs from meditation – which is predicated on maintaining focus on a singular thing, like a mantra or your breathing – and from letting your mind wander – an activity that frequently results from distraction.

A strategic pause can last just a moment – such as a pause to gather your thoughts during a conversation – or the length of a sabbatical. These pauses generally have one of four broad purposes: to recuperate from overwhelm, to declutter your mind, to step back and reflect, or to construct – as in, create, innovate...