Canadian Government Executive - Volume 24 - Issue 01

January/February 2018 // Canadian Government Executive / 43 in pauses when she was a workaholic, non-pausing, achieve- ment-oriented graduate student. One night, she was invited to join others in a Friday evening meal, welcoming the Jewish Sab- bath, part of her heritage but not part of her personal tradition. The others, who did this once a month, seemed (unlike her) at peace. They were relaxed, convivial and joyful. She wanted what they had. But, of course, she was a workahol- ic, and simply went home and back to her grind. Still, she sensed she needed to learn how to take a time out. So she continued to attend the monthly gatherings. Then she extended the break beyond Friday evening and into Saturday mornings. She could only last until lunch time but gradually, over time, extended into a day – a Sabbath, if not a long-term sabbatical, with benefits she feels you should embrace. Sabbaths, of course, are part of many religious traditions. Since that can stir up negative as well as positive feelings, she prefers to call it an “oasis of time” that you give yourself. There are five gateways to that oasis, issues to think through to make it happen properly: • Protect and prepare: It won’t happen unless you plan ahead and protect the time – be it just time for a nap, an evening off, or a full weekend. There is always one more thing to do and you must resist that temptation. Keep in mind what she calls the “big why” – why you need this time off and what benefits will be provided. • Delineate begin and end: Know precisely when you will begin and end. This seems innocuous but is vital, since not know- ing the end time will keep you from starting as the break may seem too scary or endless. You should consider beginning with a ritual. It might be a glass of your favourite wine or a bubble bath to symbolically wash the week away. • Disconnect to connect: You need to turn off digital devices to find this oasis. Be deliberate, finding a place to store the smart- phone, tablet and laptop. Prepare beforehand. You may need to buy a watch to tell time if those devices have been your mainstay. • Slow down to savour: We can’t savour moments if we’re speed- ing along. Indeed, she found research suggesting speed reduc- es empathy. So be mindful, paying attention to your senses. • Let go of achieving to rest, reflect and play: For a little time each week, you can play. Enjoy what you’re doing for its own sake. Don’t use it to read a book for work if that draws you back to work. web http://canadiangovernmentexecutive.ca/author/harveys/ You can add to “pause” and “oasis in time” the notion of “the voice of slow,” something that Oxford, England business coach Jackie Jarvis turned into while walking the Camino. She says the Voice of Slow is within us all, but we don’t hear it as we’re too busy. But the “voice of slow” wants the best for you, so take some time to pay attention. She will often sit at night without the TV on, enjoying the qui- et and peacefulness. She urges you to build pockets of silence in your life. Give yourself time to reflect. It wouldn’t hurt to reflect on where are you running too fast in your life. Are there times when you would get more pleasure out of something if you slowed down? The barriers are beliefs about the need for speed. What do you believe to be true about slow- ing down? She recommends finishing this sentence since it will reveal what’s holding you back: “Slowing down will mean I …” Pause. Oasis. Voice of Slow. If any of that calls to you, it will take courage and determination to embrace a new approach. But these three writers are convinced it will help you enormously, and their books share their understanding in clear, practical ways. H arvey S chachter is a writer, specializing in management and business issues. He writes three weekly columns for the Globe and Mail and The Leader’s Bookshelf column for Canadian Government Executive, and a regular column and features for Kingston Life magazine. Harvey was editor of the 2004 book Memos to the Prime Minister: What Canada Can Be in the 21st Century. He was the ghostwriter on The Three Pillars of Pub- lic Management by Ole Ingstrup and Paul Crookall, and editor of Getting Clients, Keeping Clients by Dan Richards. The Leader’s Bookshelf It is a rare opportunity to access such a well-structured series on leadership in the public service, not just the theory we see in typical programs, but the practical and exciting/gritty reality of what public service leadership is really about. › 16 Master Presenters › Live On-line Panels › Next session begins April 20th, 2018 — David Morhart, Deputy Minister, Service Alberta and Past President, Institute of Public Administration of Canada Course Co-Hosts: Mary Garden and Ingrid Bergmann INSIDE PUBLIC SECTOR LEADERSHIP: PRACTICAL WISDOM www.publicsectorleadership.ca Mentoring from the Masters