We always hear about habits and routines.
But what about rhythm?
No, I'm not asking if you can dance. I know I can't (or can I?).
I'm talking about the rhythms of life.
And the more I looked the more I found.
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How embracing rhythm can grow your business
In the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day, Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
The event is held every February 2nd and is based upon the cultural tradition that if the groundhog emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks.
If the shadow is not seen, that means spring is nearing and that the winter weather will be ending soon.
Phil Connors is tasked with covering this weird tradition for his news station.
So, this story starts the morning of February 2nd.
Woken by the alarm radio, he goes to the bathroom and washes his face.
Showers.
Gets dressed.
Goes downstairs and makes himself coffee.
The same day, the same people, over and over and over again.
We’ve all been there.
5 days a week waking up at the same time, going to the same place, talking to the same people, and often repeating the same conversations.
Routines are often good. They:
- Reinforce good patterns
- Increase our productivity
- Improve our time management
But, even good routines can turn stale. And when stale, the inflexibility can backfire. Next thing you know, burnout and stalling personal and professional growth are on the horizon.
I’ve done this time and again myself.
I implement a new routine and stick to it for weeks at a time… no deviation.
Then, a busy day, sickness, or a bad mood results in a missed day. One missed day compounds into two, then three, then complete abandonment of the routine altogether.
All progress made is soon gone and you’re starting from ground zero again.
What if there was a better way?
I was recently reading a collection of books on the idea of the Sabbath, which is the Jewish tradition of a day of rest and worship. It’s observed each week, Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
In this, I came across the idea of the rhythms of life.
Rhythms, not routines.
A rhythm is simply a repeating pattern.
But, with its relationship with music, it has more feeling to it than routine.
The Interaction Design Institute talks about 5 types of rhythm:
- Random
- Regular
- Alternating
- Flowing
- Progressive
Random is as it sounds, but over a large time scale, patterns can be picked up.
Regular is like the beating of a heart… the same rhythm over and over again.
Alternating rhythm is a regular rhythm with more complexity. The chess boards black and white squares, for example.
Flowing rhythm are rhythms that aren’t quite the same, aren’t quite perfect. It’s the comfort of sitting and listening to the waves on the beach.
Progressive rhythm is following a pattern of movement, like watching a video frame-by-frame.
These same rhythms are themes in our life.
With Sabbath, there 6 days of work and 1 day of rest. This regular rhythm is repeated week after week. With the Jewish tradition, this pattern is also repeated with crops. 6 years of planting, 1 year of rest.
The annual rhythm of the calendar.
Single to married to kids to empty house.
Seasons and the changing weather.
School to work to retirement.
Changing of jobs.
Rhythm is even built into our biology (pulled from Healthline):
- circadian rhythms: the 24-hour cycle that includes physiological and behavioral rhythms like sleeping
- diurnal rhythms: the circadian rhythm synced with day and night
- ultradian rhythms: biological rhythms with a shorter period and higher frequency than circadian rhythms
- infradian rhythms: biological rhythms that last more than 24 hours, such as a menstrual cycle
So yes, routines are great. But what if rhythms are better? They’re built into us. They are us.
2 types of rhythm
When I think about personal and professional life, I put the types of rhythms into two categories:
- Time-based rhythms
- Feeling-based rhythms
Time-based rhythms are on a schedule.
We’re saying at this time and place, we’re going to do this thing.
This may seem like a close cousin to the routine, but it’s different. Rhythm, even time-based ones, are about leaning into the ebbs and flows of our world.
It’s saying that I review my financials around the 5th of every month, but if it’s the 6th or the 10th, that’s fine too.
But even more importantly, it’s setting aside time and space for the things that often get squeezed out.
The afternoon away from the office to think. Making time for the quarterly planning retreat that always seems to get squeezed out. The blocked-off morning to plan the day. The sacred lunch meeting with your food to take a breath and reset.
When we put these rhythms in place we’re acknowledging our limits and putting guardrails in place to avoid reaching them.
But also, we then unlock a new level of performance.
When I’ve practiced Sabbath in my life, I’ve seen an uptick in performance for the next week.
When I’ve taken the lunchtime walk, my afternoons are supercharged.
It’s like the break clarifies thinking and renews energy (who would have have thunk it, huh?).
Feeling-based rhythms are an acknowledgment of our physical and mental state.
It’s listening to what’s going on around you and adapt your output to those conditions.
Have a lot going on at home? Work less and take care of the family.
Have a big project coming due? Push hard to complete it, with rest at the end.
Not converting sales as you expect? Be patient because it’s a rhythm of life and an opportunity to focus on something else.
As business owners, we don’t often give ourselves this grace.
It’s head down and grind it out. It’s working all the hours necessary to get this project across the line.
And don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for that. But in those in between, what about inserting a feeling-based rhythm? Something that allows you to rest and recharge?
The impact on your business
So, how does this apply to you and your business?
A few things.
Rhythm creates room for creativity
We’re often so close to our limits that we don’t allow for breaks.
It’s when we allow room that our creativity flourishes.
By not allowing room, we’re focused solely on measurable outputs and today.
Rhythm helps you and your team bring your best
The reality is tired people don’t perform well.
Overworked employees make more mistakes and are measurably less productive.
Rhythm honors the natural ebbs and flows of growth
Constant pushing leads to burnout and relapse.
When working out, you don’t lift the heaviest weights 7 days a week.
You naturally peak and then rest, allowing your muscles to recover.
By acknowledging rhythm, you’re acknowledging that each end of the spectrum (work and rest) is needed for growth.
Rhythm improves happiness and well-being
Studies have shown that working less makes you happier.
When you abandon all hobbies and work becomes all-consuming you lose the balance that makes the extremes enjoyable. Work hard, play hard right?
Rhythm encourages connection
When we acknowledge rhythm, we acknowledge that not all work is done with your head down.
You’re not rushing your employee out of the office because their “time is up,” you’re talking about their family, hopes, and dreams.
It’s when you let that conversation go long, refusing the pressure to rush back to work, that you really connect with those around you.
What are some ways we can apply this?
Without intentional action, we will fall into our same patterns. So, what can we commit to now to embrace the concept of rhythm in our personal lives and the lives of our coworkers?
- Plan breaks. Build in breaks to your day, week, and year. Plan these in advance and stick to them.
- Limit your hours. Stick to an 8-hour day and/or limit yourself to 4-hour sprints. As you work more (and for longer), our return on your hour get worse and worse.
- Encourage connection. It’s hard to schedule this and feel authentic, but you still should. And then, when you have openings, take employees to last-minute lunches or coffee breaks that send the signal that connection is okay.
- Build in fun activities. Fun creates a mental break and builds on connection.
- Practice openness. Be open with your experiences and schedule. When you need a break, tell them. When people are comfortable in the environment they’re in, they’re more willing to acknowledge the rhythms of life.
I write about this because I’ve been historically bad in it.
But this summer, I told myself I’d do better. I planned to play golf regularly, taking breaks during busy weeks. I planned to take my son, alone, to do activities. I planned to do mid-day walks. I planned to go to lunch with my wife once a week.
I didn’t always succeed, but I tried.
I accomplished less than I hoped (what’s new), but also experienced something crazy: nothing broke. No one was admonishing me. No one correcting me.
Turns out that judge had always been in my head.
And I also realized… I never accomplished everything I thought I should, even when working more and ignoring these rhythms.
So nothing changed. Well, nothing except me and a little less stress, a happier family, and a happier me.
So it was worth every minute of it.
