Do Pause: You are not a To Do list

by Robert Poynton

Machines are designed to run constantly; people aren't. Our coping mechanisms are meditation apps, weekend breaks and annual holidays, but things soon revert. To prosper, we need a more sustainable approach - an ability to pause.

Do Pause looks at the importance of this subtle yet powerful idea to communication, creativity, relationships - as well as our wellbeing and sanity. With practical tools to help you create new habits or make more significant lifestyle choices, you'll discover ways

· Reset and regenerate
· Deepen your thinking and experiences
· Take back control of your time
· Reconnect with other people - and yourself

From taking a breath to taking a sabbatical, a pause can be many things. And the good news is, even just a small pause every now and again can make a real and lasting difference.

‘An essential book that makes you pause. And then think about time. And then change.’ Leila Ferreira, writer & journalist

‘Knowing when to stop, disconnect and reassess things isn’t a mid-life crisis or a sign of weakness – it’s a fundamental necessity. Recommended to help you slow down.’ Courier

‘Most self-help guides give you tips to cram more into your life. But Do Pause will ensure the reverse – that you get more out of your life. Pressing the pause button is the key to being happier and healthier.’ Inspire, Daily Mail

‘Robert Poynton’s incisive new book…encourages us to make a little more time for pauses in our lives.’ The Essential Journal

‘What an excellent book this is. Warm, wise and explains how you literally create time.’ Nick Parker

‘Even a briefest moment of idle time, or pauses, are important says Robert Poynton, author of Do You are not a To Do list’ The Washington Post

2019 Robert Poynton (P)2019 Do Books Audio

Audible Audio

Published July 25, 2019

About the author

I live off grid in rural Spain, 3km outside a small town that no-one has heard of. My most recent book, 'Do - Pause', was shaped by this place and its rhythms - both natural and human. I continue to write about pause. I think we need constant reminding that our best ideas and best selves come from variation, not from being 'always on'. 'Do - Pause' received so much attention when it was published last year, that I also decided to create The Pause Project (for more information see: www.pauseproject.space).

'Do - Improvise' and 'Everything's an Offer', my two previous books, are both about improv and how the ideas and practices it rests on can help us in every day life and work. I believe that creating the conditions where good things can happen is more powerful than trying to control events or people. It is amazing to me that a body of ideas I first encountered nearly thirty years ago continue to be so helpful and so relevant.