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The pause that refreshes

Now if that doesn't date me nothing will!

But I'm not going to write about soda.

I'm talking about knowing when to take a little break if things aren't going well.



So here's the thing. I had an idea rolling around in my head. It often goes this way when I wake up in the night and don't get back to sleep right away. Design ideas occupy my thoughts and most of the time I try them at the bench the next day. All well and good.

But this particular design was really fiddly and difficult. I had to wear my 2.50 magnification glasses just to see what I was doing. Then I had to use a loupe to see the really fine detail. Crazy!!

And it wasn't working. I messed up something and got quite frustrated at my inability to make it work.

Rather than force it and continue on, feeling bad the whole time, I put it down and walked away for a little while. I can't remember what I did, but it had nothing to do with the business or the bench.

Not every idea is going to work the first time. Some designs take more work than others. This might be one of them, but even if it's not I have to keep it in perspective.

The design might not be good, but I am. It's important not to let your negative feelings about a project bleed over into your whole business or talent. Feelings of frustration or anger are part of the process, but you can't let them rule you or even the day.

So take a break. Do something else. Do something you rock at.

Come back refreshed, revitalized and get your best work done!

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