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I spent a lot of this last weekend in the ocean or lazing beside the pool with an icy cold beer. Apart from playing two DJ sets, I did zero work. It’s been about six months since I took an actual break, so it felt really strange to do this. There was this undeniable feeling of “I should be doing X” or “If I don’t do Y, then Z will happen.” I could feel my brain trying to pull me back into that grind mentality, even when I was supposed to be relaxing. One thing that really stood out during these moments of "attempted relaxation" was how many of my daily actions are motivated by a subtle sense of fear. Over the past few months, I've become someone who works all day and into the night. From wake-up to bed-bed... just working. But doing what, exactly? What percentage of my actions actually contribute to achieving the goals I’ve set for myself? Back to the beach… Saying I did zero work on the beach is a bit of a lie because, in many ways, the work continued in my mind. But the difference was that this work didn’t need an internet connection or even a laptop or phone. This work was me organizing my thoughts and putting out fires triggered by random, rogue ideas. So many “what if this?” and “if not that, then what?” moments popped up—without me even lifting a finger. As I began to really relax into the weekend and let my body know that it was okay to take a break, something interesting happened. The enormity of my to-do list - the massive weight of all the things I’d parked when I took the weekend off - suddenly started to shrink. A list of 100 things became one. The effort required to do one thing is much, much less than the energy needed to worry about 100. I’m back home now, and there’s still a lot to do. But I’m filled with a sense of clarity around what I need to do right now. It’s one step at a time, and that feels a hell of a lot better. This is the (forgotten - at least by me) magic of taking a break. Sometimes, stepping away is exactly what you need to see things clearly again.

8 hours to work on a desk, to arrive home and start making music on a desk. What are your workarounds to this problem?

I mentioned this in the Rick Wade interview. I finally got round to rendering it. Mellow techno with some Robert Owen vocals from one of his Loopmaster packs. https://soundcloud.com/lambdoid/nikal-might-peaceful-feeling

What do you prefer and why? Share your Pros and Cons…