Often during seasons of transition we find ourselves in a place where we aren’t feeling as productive or capable as we normally do. This can feel untethering and also bring up guilt for “not being productive.”
I offer you both an explanation and something to try (and this reminder: your purpose for existing is not about being productive!)
The Explanation - You’re in the Neutral Zone!
One of my favorite frameworks for transition (thanks to William Bridges) is that transition has 3 phases and they happen in this order: Endings, Neutral Zone & Beginnings.
The Neutral Zone is by definition ambiguous, often uncomfortable and seemingly “less productive.” You’re on your way from one thing to the next, you’re in a space where you know what you’re not doing or being anymore but aren’t quite settled into something new or your new way. It can be tempting to try and bypass this phase all together, but the truth is there’s no way around it - eventually the neutral zone finds you.
And when the neutral zone finds you, it is completely normal and likely part of the process that you literally have more time and space on your hand than you’re used to. It’s also possible that you find yourself equally busy but feeling less capable and productive + more frustrated. Either way, there is likely an invitation in there to reflect, renew, rest, maybe do a little less and/or do differently.
In the book The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working by Tony Schwartz we are reminded that, “Human beings are not designed to run like computers—at high speeds, continuously, for long periods of time.”
He also suggests that many of us are, “so busy getting things done that we don’t stop very often to consider what it is we really want or where to invest our time and energy to achieve those goals.”
One could say that it is one of transition’s greatest gifts that once we find ourselves in the neutral zone suddenly there is space or at least necessity for reflection on what’s most important to us and how we actually want to live our lives.
Something to Try (daily) - The Concept of Pulsing
“By fully engaging in any given challenge for relatively short periods of time and then truly renewing every one of us is capable of getting more done, in less time, at a higher level of quality.”
Tony Schwartz calls this concept “pulsing”. For any given day for example, we are MOST productive and operate best when we carve out, commit to and prioritize (no matter what) consistent short blocks of focused time for our most important work or reflection (think 90 minutes) and then give ourselves breaks for renewal. And while the invitation to pulse and renew might be more pronounced amidst a season of transition this concept is actually a great prompt for any of us to consider in how we approach our work and productivity.
Activities that actually renew
Checking email and social media are definitely out. Activities that really give your mind a break are things like a walk or any sort of exercise, 15 minutes of meditation, coloring in a coloring book or my favorite, a jump in the ocean.
One of my favorite things about the concept of pulsing is that it’s guiding us to shift our beliefs about productivity and remember that rest and renewal are productive. This is always true and for my friends amidst a transition I think it’s even more important than ever to remember. So, I’ll say it again: