The Power of the Pause: How to Accomplish More By Doing Less

In today’s culture, hustling and working “hard” is worn like a badge of honor. I know for years I wore it like one.

When people asked me how I was doing I would take pride and saying, “Man, I’m busy.”

I had a belief system thinking if people believe I’m busy then they will think I’m successful and then they will like and admire me.

This belief system left me feeling like I was carrying a boulder up hill while I was building my business and creating the life I wanted.

I felt like growing a business was always a struggle and I was forcing all my “success” to happen.

Maybe you can relate to this?

While hustling and working “hard” certainly has it’s place in helping people launch a personal brand and business, for most people working long hours, day-after-day, is not sustainable for long term success.

Nor is it absolutely necessary.

I’ve learned there is a way to accomplish more by doing less. There is a way to make more money by actually “working” less.

And it’s probably not what you think it is. This is not some productivity hack.

This is the Power of the Pause and coach my clients on how to implement this principle into their life and business all the time.

What Is the Power of the Pause?

The power of the pause is your ability to remain calm amidst the chaos. It’s your ability to become the “eye of the storm.”

Many entrepreneurs and other high producing individuals always seem to have a habit of going, going and going.

It’s like they are all little “Energizer Bunnies.” Do you remember those commercials?

While this constant, never ending will power is a blessing, it is also a curse.

It is a curse for many because they are never truly 100% present with whatever task or conversation is at hand.

As a result, no matter what they achieve they always feel this never ending pull to do and accomplish more.

While this never ending drives serves them to create the momentum to get going and accomplish their dreams, in the long-term they usually get overwhelmed, burn out and burn whatever they’ve built to the ground.

Then after taking a little bit of time off, they start the cycle all over again.

What if there is a more simple way of doing things that empowers you to actually be able to produce more?

The Lesson

I used to think this idea of taking time to pause throughout the day, would actually produce more income, sales, happiness, etc in my life.

I was wrong and everything changed for me in a gym in Sedona, Arizona.

I had flown in to spend two days with one of my mentors to up-level my capacity in business and in life.

After spending the morning hiking up Bell Rock and digging into several things I felt were holding me back from hitting the targets I had for myself, he took me into the gym for the next phase of experiential learning.

He had me doing a circuit workout consisting of sit ups, cable curls, bench press and weighted back extensions.

After completing about 5 rounds of the circuit, he told me it’s time to burn me out doing what he called “Push Pause” Bench Press.

This consisted of doing 7 sets of 10 on the bench press. But, when he said, “Push,” I was supposed to lift the weight up and set it back on the rack, and when he said, “Pause,” I was supposed to let go of bar and pause.

After 4 sets of 10 my arms were shot.

At this point when he said, “Push,” my arms were shaking and it was a struggle to lift the weight up to complete a rep.

Then when he said, “Pause,” I would let go of the bar but was already thinking in my mind, “How in the world am I going to complete this rep, let alone the remaining sets?”

I’ll never forget this…

He said, “Pause.”

So I let go of the bar.

He said, “Pause.”

I said, “I am. I’m not touching the bar.”

He said, “Pause,” a bit more intensely.

I met his frustration by saying, “I am. I’m not touching the bar!”

Then everything shifted.

My mentor said, “Get up. Come here.

You’re not pausing. I tell you to pause and yes, you’re not touching the bar but I can see every muscle in your body tensed up. You’re already thinking about how in the hell you’re going to lift the weight aren’t you?”

I simply responded, “You’re right.”

He then went on.

“How is this pattern showing up in your life because the truth of this moment is how you do one thing is how you do all things in your life.

If you’re sitting here always thinking about lifting that damn bar when you should be pausing, where in your life is this pattern showing up.”

In that moment, I had one of the biggest breakthroughs of my life.

I realized for the first time, I wasn’t pausing.

Even in my down time, I was constantly thinking about work. Thinking about what I needed to get done. Thinking about better ways to serve my clients. Thinking about better ways to market. Thinking of better ways to sale.

My thinking never ended. Ever.

Then my mentor said, “This time when I tell you to pause, you better pause. Don’t think about the weight. Don’t think about lifting. Don’t think about me. Actually pause. Breathe.

Then when I say Push, when you’re ready, Push.”

So I laid back down on the bench and when he said, “Push,” I gave it my all and my arms were still shot from the previous reps and I was struggling to complete one single rep.

Then he said, “Pause” so for the first time in my life I actually paused.

I closed my eyes, took deep breaths, visualized nothing, visualized my fiance, visualized her smile, visualized our happiness and when he said “Push,” I lifted the weight with ease.

No struggle.

I accessed a new found sense of strength and power within myself I never knew existed.

I went on to complete the remaining 3 sets of 10 using this new found sense of power.

This is the Power of the Pause.

Here are a few questions for you to consider:

Where in your life, are you constantly going and how could you start to actually slow down for a moment so you can do more than you ever thought possible?

How might this concept allow you to tap into a deep sense of flow for your life so you can stop forcing outcomes?

What impact may this concept have on your life and business?

How to Access the Power of the Pause

Make a commitment to discipline your mind daily.

This is easier than you think.

Simply give yourself permission to take 4 three minute mind breaks a day.

I use an app on my iPhone called Insight Timer.

Every morning after I wake up I take my first mini mind break.

Then throughout the day, every two to four hours, I take another mini mind break.

To start out, set a three minute timer (I use Insight Timer) and simply count how many breaths you take in three minutes.

It doesn’t matter how many breaths you take. Just focus on your breathing and count your breathes.

If your mind drifts and you lose track, simply start over at one again.

This simple exercise of counting your breaths throughout the day will help you to start accessing the Power of the Pause.

As a result, you will be more present with your clients, your husband or wife and with life in general.

This way when life throws a stressful situation your way (and I know it will), you’ll be able to be calm amidst the chaos and as a result will be able to find solutions to problems faster.

You must remember, you cannot solve problems in the same state in which you created them.

You’ll also be able to accomplish more success in your life and business because you will no longer be forcing your way through life.

Rather you will be operating from a new inner core of personal power.

So breath my friend. Breath.

Next Steps

Now that you understand the Power of the Pause and see how it can help you accomplish more by doing less, if want to meet and learn from fellow entrepreneurs who are committed to living and building a life and business of freedom, then join the Entrepreneurs Creating Freedom Community.

In this community, you’ll connect with amazing like minded people, stop feeling like a lone wolf and how to equip yourself with the latest mindsets, marketing and mechanics so you can live life on your terms.

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