Yesterday was a soggy day here in the mountains and I purposely did not fire up my computer. I had a hard jigsaw puzzle that commanded my full attention. And I read a thought-provoking book that challenged some assumptions I’d been carrying for years.

Disruptor days — days where you deliberately break the routine — are some of the most productive days I have. Not in the traditional sense. But in terms of what they do for my thinking, my creativity, and my energy. The insights that arrive in quiet, unstructured time are different from the ones that come during focused work. Give yourself a disruptor day. You might be surprised what you find.