Love Your Work

83. 12,500 hours of deliberate rest. Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.

Jul 20, 2017

Author Alex Soojung-Kim Pang discusses the importance of deliberate rest in enhancing creativity and productivity. Topics include the hypnagogic state for creativity, optimal nap times, and strategies for improved productivity. Explore the fallacy of the 10,000-hour rule, the power of naps for creativity, and the significance of deliberate rest in structured routines for creativity.

01:02:03

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Episode guests

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

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Quick takeaways

Deliberate rest is essential for creativity and productivity, aiding in skill absorption and neural strengthening.

Strategic napping enhances creativity by fostering relaxation, memory consolidation, and subconscious ideation.

Deep dives

Understanding the 10,000 Hour Rule and Beyond

The significance of the 10,000 hours rule in achieving mastery is explored, highlighting the need for not just practice but also deliberate rest and ample sleep to excel in a particular field. Examples of successful individuals like Bill Gates demonstrate the importance of structured practice and rest in achieving excellence.

The Benefits of Napping and Creativity

01:33

The Importance of Deep Play for individuals not controlling their daily schedule

02:21

The Importance of Structured Leisure Time for Creativity

01:44

The 10,000 Hour Rule Revisited

03:45

Introduction

6min

Exploring the Fallacy of the 10,000-Hour Rule and the Role of Deliberate Practice in Expertise

5min

The Power of Naps for Creativity and Productivity

19min

Exploring Deliberate Practice and Structured Creativity

4min

The Power of Deliberate Rest and Structured Routines for Creativity

14min

Exploring Deep Play and Serious Leisure

12min

Exploring the Connection Between Rest, Creativity, and Productivity

3min

By now you've heard that you need 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become a master of your craft. The story you don't hear is that it also takes 12,500 hours of deliberate rest.

When you rest, you let what you've learned sink in. The ties connecting concepts get stronger, and weak connections get cleared away.

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang is author of the book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less. He's also a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and founder of The Restful Company, where he helps companies use deliberate rest to be more creative and productive.

I picked up Rest to help with research for my upcoming book. You should pick it up, too. It's fascinating. It's packed with research and stories about why rest is critical to creative productivity. I had to have Alex on the show to learn more, and have him break it down for us.

In this conversation, learn:

Why should you be deliberate about using rest to make your work better?
What's the hypnogogic state, and how did the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí use it to get more creative ideas?
Why did Ernest Hemingway always stop writing when he knew what was going to happen next.
When's the best time to take a nap for optimal creative output? How long should the nap be?

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Show Notes: http://kadavy.net/blog/posts/alex-soojung-kim-pang/