There is a term in agriculture called lying fallow, the definition of which is to remain uncultivated, unused, unproductive, for a time. Studies show that a field that has been allowed to lie fallow for just a year produces a higher crop yield when it is again used for planting.

Idle time is important for both our physical and mental health and we are sorely lacking in it. Listen in to hear how I turned two weeks of downtime into the most creative two weeks I’ve had in my business in years.

Drink of the week….The Friday Afternoon Downtime

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I entered this January in a panic.

I didn't have nearly as many speaking gigs booked as I was comfortable with.

I felt like I had everything and nothing to do at the same time.

I then found myself questioning all of the changes I had made in my

company over the past year or changes.

I knew I wanted.

But with so much time to think.

And overthink those changes now seem scary.

Welcome to episode 1 34 of this shit works.

I'm your host, Julie Brown speaker, author and networking coach.

And today I am discussing why downtime is a vital part of the creative

process and your business cycle.

There's a term in agriculture called lying fallow.

The definition of which is to remain uncultivated unused.

Unproductive for a time.

And agriculture, we're obviously talking about the soil.

Allowing the soil to be unused unplanted for a period of time.

And studies show that a field that has been allowed to lie

fallow for just one year.

Produces a higher crop yield when it is again, used for planting.

This January, I didn't have any big presentations to prepare for travel

to book or clients to kick off.

I began to panic.

I looked at the downtime.

I was experiencing as a negative as if I had not done enough to

prevent this lull in my calendar.

It seemed like a real kick in the crotch that my downtime was happening

at the beginning of the new year.

I mean, aren't we supposed to go into the new year with guns,

blazing running on all cylinders, ready to crush some fucking goals.

Again, I was in a bit of a panic.

Thank God.

Thank God for my business manager, Kate, Kate, and I meet every Monday.

Her job is varied and includes helping me make business decisions.

Especially go no-go decisions when it comes to potential

speaking engagements or clients.

Brainstorming new offerings, keeping my website up to date and interactive.

So many things, too many things, probably not the least of which is talking me

off the ledges that I find myself on.

When I get stressed out.

The second Monday in January, I came into our meeting in a tizzy.

I was so upset about how not busy.

I was wheel spinning on how I could turn this round and get busy.

Right.

Fucking now.

It was then that Kate told me that I needed this downtime that I had been

going too fast for too long that this downtime serves a purpose, not the least

of which is to allow me to be creative, to really think about new offerings to

design the workshops I've desperately wanted to, but haven't had the time.

To discover new information to weave into my keynotes.

She told me that this town time wasn't going to last and then he needed to

save her it and make the most of it.

It was in that moment that I remembered that term to lie fallow.

And to remember that downtime has a purpose.

Idle time is important for both our physical and mental health.

And we are sorely lacking in it.

I was sorely lacking in it.

And when it came, it felt so foreign and wrong that I

didn't know what to do with it.

According to a psychology today.

Article writer and artist, Tim Grieger explains that idleness

is necessary for productivity.

Taking a break and doing nothing, gives our brains a chance to sift through

data, make connections and creatively problem solve using our unconscious mind.

It helps us store and consolidate memories.

Downtime may even help us be more moral in authentic.

Each day after that meeting with Kate, I went into the office and instead of

sitting at my desk and pounding away on my computer, I sat on my couch.

With my laptop.

Madeline curled up beside me and I just started writing.

I wrote about networking and new ideas.

I wanted to incorporate into my talk.

I spent time reading studies and gathering data.

Each day, I let my mind wander wherever it wanted, asking myself what I wanted

to learn about that day and then seeking out information on that subject.

I did this for two weeks straight.

At the end of those two weeks, I had completely outlined by new half-day

workshop, designing it around the information in studies that I discovered

when I let my mind wander and be curious.

And what is amazing is that information and the learning points

within this new offering are so much more fun and interesting.

Than they ever would have been.

If I had sat at my desk and tried to design a new workshop by forcing

it out of my brain while trying to juggle a million other things.

And Kate was so right.

The third week of January, brought a flurry of inquiries about new speaking

gigs and potential long-term clients.

My time of lying.

Fallow was officially over.

I was officially back to being busy.

Without Kate, I would have spent those first two weeks of January, wringing my

hands, wondering what I had done wrong.

Why the phone wasn't ringing in the inquiries weren't coming in

second guessing all of the decisions I've made over the past year.

And so they took her advice and turn that time into two of the most creative

weeks I've had in my business to date.

We think about taking micro breaks throughout our day, you

know, stretching, taking a quick walk to refocus our energies.

Maybe we need to take extended breaks from how we normally work so

that we can really get creative and discover new ideas for our businesses.

I know this will happen again, but I know that going forward, I'm going

to look at downtime differently.

I'm going to look at it as an opportunity to turn up my creativity

and to work on something I've been wanting to work on for a while.

But.

I've just been too busy to do it.

Okay.

Onto the drink of the week, which is appropriately named

the Friday afternoon downtime.

Here's what you're going to need.

One ounce of gin.

One ounce of passion, fruit liquor, one ounce of lemon juice,

half an ounce of simple syrup.

And then some lemonade.

What you're going to do is you're going to mix everything in a shaker with ice

and shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, and strain into a glass with new ice.

And then top all of that with lemonade and garnish with a lemon twist.

All right friends.

That's all for this week.

If you like what you heard today, please review and subscribe to the podcast.

Also, please remember to share the podcast to help it reach a larger audience.

If you want more, Julie Brown, you can find my book.

This shit works on Amazon or Barnes and noble.

There'll be a link to it.

In the show notes, you can find me on LinkedIn, actually brown BD.

Just let me know where you found me when you reach out.

I am Julie Brown, underscore beauty on Instagram, or you can just pop on over

to my website, Julie Brown, bd.com.

And until next week, Tears.