Susan Pearse - Do Less Be More: Ban Busy and Make Space for What Matters

Also by Martina Sheehan and Susan Pearse:

Wired For Life

One Moment Please

Please visit: www.hayhouse.com

Copyright 2017 by Martina Sheehan & Susan Pearse

Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast Books: www.raincoast.com Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Design: Rhett Nacson

Typesetting: Bookhouse, Sydney

Editing: Margie Tubbs

Author photo: Tanya Love Portrait

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017939817

ISBN: 978-1-4019-5505-2

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1st edition, June 2017

Contents

The do more with less revolution has undervalued the precious moments of idle time. Whether its a queue in the post office, a lunch break at a training program, or waiting for a friend to join you for coffee, a break in proceedings is like a red rag to a bull. The device comes out to fill this seemingly useless moment with seemingly useful activity. Idle time somehow earned itself a bad name, a label for laziness or sloth. But it also means at rest, and this is something that attention needs more than you may realise...

A brain in a state of forced focus operates very differently to a brain set free. Its the difference between listening to one instrument or a whole orchestra. In a busy mind, attention jumps randomly from instrument to instrument, creating a cacophony of noise that holds little pleasure and delivers little reward. Its only when the busyness subsides that attention opens widely enough to allow the rest of the orchestra to join in. Its the synchrony of many parts working in harmony that creates the magic.

Extract from One Moment Please: Its Time to Pay Attention, by Martina Sheehan and Susan Pearse, 2014

We live in a world where busy is better, me-time is just a distant memory, and the human attention span rivals that of a goldfish. We need to stop. Literally. Its time to bring back silence, stillness and solitude.

Once you learn to indulge in the magnificently difficult art of doing nothing, amazing things return to your life. You rediscover your potential for brilliant and surprising ideas, you realise your own inner voice offers great guidance and deserves to be heard, and you reconnect with the flow of life, which offers a free ride if you take a moment to get on board.

If youre the sort who says: Ill wait until I have nothing to do until I do nothing, then this book is for you. There is no better time than now to reclaim your right to do nothing, and well show you many practical ways to do that, even in a busy life.

Are you ready to come on a journey with us to reclaim idle moments, and get more out of life by doing less? This is more than an aspiration. This is a practical skill that can be relearnt. Well be your companions, well share our stories, and well show you the way. In fact we are going to show you 21 ways! So buckle up and get ready to slow down. We hope you enjoy exploring the wonderful possibilities that open up when you embrace the art of doing nothing.

Wouldnt it be wonderful if a productivity coach told you that, today, you will achieve more by doing less? What if an innovation expert told you that the best way to have a good idea is to sit back and do nothing? Would you believe it if your favourite guru proposed one simple rule you could adopt right now for living a great life: stop trying so hard!

In fact, all these pronouncements are true. You are not at your best when you pack every moment of the day with more to do, but when you are willing to engage in intentional and indulgent periods of downtime. Dont let anyone tell you its lazy to linger over a coffee while watching the parade of people passing the cafe; that gazing out the window daydreaming is a waste of time; or even that hanging out your washing while a report sits unfinished on your laptop is procrastination. These might just be the most important moments in your day.

There is a deep pool of discerning insight, surprising creativity and profound wisdom residing inside each of us. But it will rest there untapped, unseen and unheard, unless you reclaim the right to be idle from time to time. Its only when you untether your mind from the constant push and pull of daily tasks that another layer of depth bubbles to the surface. Thats why so many people experience aha moments in random places like the shower, looking out the window of a train, walking in nature, and while on holidays. A total transformation takes place in your brain when you slow down, look up, let go and fall silent.

In this book, well reveal the science that explains why doing nothing is a bona fide strategy for achieving what you really want. Well share stories to remind you that your greatest moments of clarity emerge when you gear down. And well explore the many ways to reacquaint yourself with the glorious power of being idle without going crazy!

+ Moments of inspiration

J.K. Rowling, author of the famous Harry Potter novels, is often asked what the inspiration was for her work. Explaining where the story came from is always very difficult, because I dont really know. The idea came to me very suddenly on a train journey from Manchester to London in 1990. This mysterious experience fascinates us because weve all had glimpses of it, even if its not the prelude to a big life-changing shift. In an unexpected and seemingly inexplicable moment, things suddenly make sense, and all we can say is, I cant really explain it. It was like an epiphany. It just hit me!

Maybe you were out for some exercise, or in the shower, or sitting in traffic then bam! An idea arrives as if from nowhere. It feels like a lightning bolt has struck and left behind a precious residue, a new perspective you couldnt see before that seemingly aimless moment. It might be a personal realisation that suddenly crystallises and can no longer be ignored: this is not the relationship for me! Or it could be a spark of inspiration about your work that now catapults you back into it with renewed energy and a clearer direction.