Timeout.

Hi there,

You know that feeling when your brain is fried, but you just keep going like a glitchy robot?

Re-reading paragraphs, opening emails and then marking them as unread, switching tabs for no reason, and now somehow you're watching suggested YouTube shorts on your desktop (or maybe even reading this email).

Your eye balls are dry, you're out of water at your desk, and now you don't even remember what you're supposed to be doing...

So since you ended up here, lemme share a stupidly simple idea I got from NBA coaches that's helped me be more efficient with my time.

I've been watching the Golden State Warriors lose a whole lot lately, but something I've been noticing about any NBA basketball team is how they use their timeouts.

It's usually when the opposing team goes on a scoring streak, to keep possession of the ball, to control the pace of the game, or to come up with a winning play to execute in like 1.8 seconds.

Basically, they use a time out to quickly reorganize.

But they only get so many timeouts in a game, so coaches have to be strategic about when to use them.

You and the crowd can feel when a timeout is coming. Missing point blank layups, stupid turnovers start happening, and free throws are being given away like it's a charity event.

Like an NBA team on a bad streak, your desk-time brain might start turning the ball over with useless clicks, forgotten tasks, and dumb mistakes.

"Maaaaaan, TIME OUT, get it togetherrrr 👏🏾"

Once I start draggin' ass in my work, or when my eyes start to feel like sand paper, I say, "Alexa, set a timer for 5 minutes."

Then I shift gears into tidying up, unloading the dishwasher, or swiffering up Tobi's endless amounts of dog hair.

Quickly organizing my environment helps me organize my brain.

Plus, doing a micro chore keeps me from using my phone and being all will-nilly with my timeout.

But the key is that I need to respect the clock when Alexa goes off—otherwise I risk deep-cleaning the microwave instead of getting back to work.

Taking a timeout isn’t failure—it’s strategy. Respect them and see what happens.

But remember, you only get so many of them!

✌🏾TTYL!✌🏾

Simie

P.S. Sometimes on my timeouts I use this little eye mask that my optometrist recommended for my dry eyes. I love this almost as much as my egg steamer lol.

P.P.S. Are you into sports? Hit reply and lemme know what you're into, I'm curious.

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