“I Need a Break” (A Quick Truby Tip)

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Last Updated on October 7, 2024 by Bill Truby

Need a break? It’s not about the time—it’s about perspective. Learn how one simple, 60-second shift made a big impact on a manager’s day, and how it can work for you too.

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Video Transcript

How many times have you said, or heard someone else say, “I need a break”?

I was working with a man once, a manager of a rather large firm, and he wanted a break so bad. He kept talking about it and finally I asked him, What does a break look like for you? And he said, a few days off going fishing.

And I said so you can’t take a break until you go fishing? He says, Nope.

I said, well consider this, a break is not necessarily defined by time.

I said, what do you enjoy about going out into nature and fishing? He said nature itself. I like to just stop and look at it.

Now I knew that this man walked from the upstairs third floor down to a second floor to another set of offices. And I knew that there was a window in that stairway that looked out over a river and trees and it was beautiful.

I said, why don’t you do this… every time you walk the stairs, stop and literally take 30 seconds, maybe 60 seconds, and just
take a deep breath and look at the river and look at the trees. A break is not defined by time.

He did that. And it made a meaningful difference in his ability to go through the day.

He felt refreshed, even it was just a moment of changing his perspective and focusing on what he loved.

He took a break, and it only took 60 seconds.

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