Rethinking Performance Optimization: Why Short Sprints and Rest Beat ‘Slow and Steady’

We are all familiar with the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare. The moral of “Slow and steady wins the race” (and many such variations) has become part of our cultural narrative. Yet, this concept is rarely questioned.

It’s interesting (and important) to note that our biology, a wealth of current research, and sample anecdotal evidence upend the validity of this common belief.

While consistency over time is an important tool in success and performance, the concept of slow, steady, continuous effort without stopping is an ineffective lesson to follow. To achieve true performance optimization, it’s crucial to understand the power of strategic rest.

The power of strategic rest for performance optimization

While the Hare in the fable was a cocky braggart prone to grandstanding (that attitude isn’t something I feel is worth emulating), the general concept of short sprints followed by brief rests is much more conducive to long-term success and performance in all areas of life than people believe.

If we look at it from a purely biological perspective, humans have evolved to follow circadian rhythms. These are the natural cycles of night and day that impact everything from our hormone levels to energy, alertness, sleep drive, and more. Understanding and aligning with these rhythms is key to effective work-life balance and performance optimization.

Daily, we are set up for higher efforts of activity and productivity during the day, and rest/regeneration at night. Even the breaks we take throughout the day are critically important to our energy and productivity (meals, activity breaks, etc.). This is one of the most overlooked productivity tips for those striving to achieve more in less time.

This format plays out weekly (weekends), monthly (long weekends), semi-annually (vacations), and even at the decade level (sabbaticals, extended leave/travel). At the most fundamental level, the human body and mind need rest and recovery for performance after periods of intense focus and effort.

High-intensity interval training

This even shows up in fitness in the form of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). Research continually shows that we can dramatically increase our fitness level in less time by doing short, intense bursts of activity followed by short rest breaks. The same principle applies to mental and professional tasks: periods of intense effort followed by rest.

The benefit of consistency comes into the picture when we can stack up many highly productive work/rest cycles one after the other, daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. THAT’S what produces exceptional long-term results and true performance optimization.

Unfortunately, too many people think, “If I am so productive now, I can be MORE productive and effective by skipping the rest breaks.” Sadly, it doesn’t work that way!

How to optimize performance with rest

My performance coaching clients consist predominantly of corporate professionals. Each day I see the negative impact of their attempts to be “The Tortoise”, and the benefits that happen when they begin thinking (and acting) like “The Hare”. This shift often involves integrating practical productivity tips that support effective rest and recovery.

You may be tempted to think that you are already following the sprint/rest approach since you have a set work day and go home at night (and on weekends). However, there is an unwritten expectation in many organizations (and by many employees) that “bums remain in seats” for at least 8 hours per day…regardless of their productivity, focus, or performance.

This model is highly ineffective and hurts both performance and morale across the organization. Due to poor productivity (among other things such as increased workloads and remote work environments), workers are taking an increasing amount of work home in the evenings and on weekends. This can further cut into rest and recovery for performance unless key strategies are in place (see below).

As an entrepreneur and business owner for my entire adult life, I completely understand that work doesn’t always fit into the 9-5 model. That’s OK (and sometimes preferred). This is when it’s even more important to understand the process of curating periods of extreme focus and effort, followed by periods of strategic rest and recovery. It’s a core principle of work-life balance that enhances productivity.

Productivity tips for better performance optimization

Here are some productivity tips you can use at work and home to be more like “The Hare” and elevate your performance, productivity, and fulfillment in life:

• Take 5 minutes to plan your day the night before (Top 3 priorities, schedule, notes, etc.)
• Get a good night of sleep…each night!
• Implement a morning success routine before you start your workday
• Move your body at regular intervals throughout the day
• Fuel your body with healthy food and water at regular intervals during the day (plan to make sure this is available)
• Work in short bursts of focused activity on a specific task (40-90 minutes)
• Set up your environment to minimize or eliminate both internal and external distractions
• Follow these bursts with 5-20 minutes of rest, recovery, and regeneration (for your mind & body).
• Perform 4-8 bursts of focus and productivity during your work day (depending on the length of each focus session)

There are many options for your “rest” breaks. Here are some ideas and tips:

• Working on a different, more “mindless” task (emails, phone calls, basic paperwork, etc.)
• Going for a short walk
• Meditation/Mindfulness
• Mindfully eating a meal/snack in a relaxing environment
• Visit with a friend/colleague (no work talk)
• Read a non-fiction book
• Listen to motivating music
• Listen to or watch something that makes you laugh
• Avoid social media/devices (unless it’s ONLY to do one of the previous 3 points)
• At least 1 minute, preferably 5 or more of this time should be physical activity/movement (micro-workout, mobility, stretching, walking, etc.)
• Aim to “switch gears” and give your mind a break for a few minutes

Here are a few questions to get you started:

• How many of these tips are you currently implementing daily?
• Which ones can you strategically add to your workday to boost performance?
• What personal and workplace barriers exist that may hinder the implementation?
• What can you do to remove the barriers?

Conclusion: the power of rest in achieving peak performance

The challenge is that the corporate culture in many organizations frowns upon these strategies as being “unproductive” or a “waste of time” when they are extremely valuable to health, happiness, and productivity, which ignites long-term employee and corporate performance.

When employees and executive leadership understand and embrace the benefits of this approach, and support each other in implementation, everyone wins. Integrating these performance optimization strategies and productivity tips can foster a culture of work-life balance that enhances overall success.

Try these out for a week or two and let me know how it goes. I know you will love the productivity and performance increases you get from them. Of course, if you have questions or challenges with the implementation, I’m always here to help.

If you are in leadership and want help structuring your corporate environment and culture to promote greater employee performance and morale, please reach out. I would love to learn more about your organization and goals.

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