Sometimes you can't see the picture when you're inside the frame.
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to work, your judgment will be surer.” Leonardo da Vinci
Da Vinci painted Mona Lisa's smile over many, many years, not because he lacked focus but because he understood something that in today's always-on world it is easy to forget: the power of walking away.
It’s ironic today that most people going to look at the Mona Lisa’s smile see it for a split second, through an iPhone lens.
This isn't another call to switch off your email or take up paddleboarding (though we're very pro both). It is a call to remember that real clarity, the kind that makes the hard decisions easier, only arrives when we stop trying so hard to chase it.
And right now, when most of us in the northern hemisphere are supposed to be taking a summer break, it's a rare and precious chance to do just that. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, just coming back after a winter break, you might feel like you’re ready for another holiday soon.
We know what you're thinking. “I'll relax once I've written that policy / replanned that curriculum / convinced the Board that yes, we really do need another learning assistant…”
The work will always be there. What won't always be there is the chance to step back and see it with fresh eyes.
That's what Da Vinci knew. Genius isn't forged in the frenzy. It's shaped in the gaps.
What would it look like if you actually used a break as a break? No guilt. No strategic planning in disguise. Just space. For silence. For noticing. For letting your mind wander because that's often when it wanders back with the gold.