Imagine the greatest songs ever written—from Beethoven to the Beatles. No song has nonstop sound. The vast majority of great music is composed of 10% to 20% silence. Small doses of stillness propel the moments of action. 

The same is true with visual art. DaVinci and others paintings contain ~30% or more of empty space (often called negative space). This emptiness creates visual momentum.

Momentum isn’t constant motion; it’s the rhythm of effort and rest.

Archimedes solved impossible problems in the bathtub, where his mind was free to wander. Einstein would go sailing to keep his momentum. The Jewish Sabbath, rooted in centuries of practice, commands a weekly pause as a renewal.

Humans are a part of nature, and all of nature itself moves in cycles: day fades to night, winters yield to springs, rivers slow before they surge. 

For the modern man, rest feels like a betrayal of duty or a luxury you can’t afford. You’re wired to push, to provide, to prove. But strategic pauses recharge the engine that drives your life.

Science confirms it: short breaks sharpen focus, deep sleep boosts problem-solving, and unplugging sparks creativity. Momentum requires stillness. 

This stillness and silence isn’t passive, but rather a deliberate strategy to amplify your output. Think of it like interval training: you sprint, recover, then sprint harder. Strategic pauses build momentum by keeping you sharp and energized. 

Here’s how to make rest work for you:

• Micro-Pauses: Every 90 minutes, take 5 minutes away from screens. Walk, breathe, or stretch. A 2014 study (published in Cognition) showed these breaks cut mental fatigue and boost decisions.

• Daily White Space: Carve out 15-30 minutes daily for “nothing”—no phone, no tasks. Journal, think, or just sit. Steve Jobs swore his best ideas came in quiet moments.

• Weekly Reset: Claim one evening or half-day weekly to unplug. Read, hike, or talk with family—really talk. A tech CEO credits his Sunday tech-free ritual for outpacing rivals.

• Sleep as Strategy: Get 7-8 hours nightly. Sleep rewires your brain, consolidating learning and rebuilding energy. LeBron James, still dominant at 40, banks 8-9 hours to stay elite.

An old parable tells of a woodcutter chopping trees from dawn to dusk. Day after day, he swung his axe, but each swing yielded less wood. His arms ached, his pile shrank, frustration burned. A friend said, “Stop and sharpen your axe.” The woodcutter replied, “I’m too busy cutting!” But exhaustion forced a pause. He sharpened the blade, and when he swung again, the axe sliced clean. In half the time, he felled twice the trees.

You’re the woodcutter, and like most men, you have been convinced that pausing is failure. But your energy dulls without care, like a blunt axe. A deliberate no-phone walk, a quiet hour, a full night’s sleep—sharpens your edge. You don’t just keep going; you cut through challenges with clarity and force. That’s the rhythm of momentum.

Building Your Rhythm

You don’t need a retreat or a month off to harness rest’s power. Start small, but be intentional. 

This week, pick one:

• Schedule two 5-minute breaks tomorrow. Notice your focus afterward.

• Choose one evening for a phone-free hour. See what ideas or conversations spark.

• Track your sleep for three nights. Cut one late-night habit (like scrolling) to hit 7 hours.

Just as a great rock song isn’t 5 minutes of non-stop guitar wailing, a productive workday isn’t 8 hours of task-tackling.

Momentum is built by men who have the discipline and trust to stop and pull back. They move with purpose, not frenzy, because they’ve mastered the rhythm of recharge. Make today a day where you pause and sharpen your axe.

Insights

The EVRYMAN Podcast: Creating Safe Spaces For Men To Heal With Sean Harvey: Sean Harvey and Dan Doty explore masculinity, healing, and the emotional cost of hyper-masculine culture, particularly in law enforcement and military spaces. They unpack male isolation, extremism, and the need for safe spaces where men can express themselves fully. The conversation also looks at the role of corporate environments in men’s work, the path to professionalizing the field, and how compassion and emotional intelligence can create meaningful change. (~1 hour listen)

Men, We Need To Talk About Friendship: Friendship Takes 200 Hours: In an era of chronic loneliness and shrinking social circles, proximity might be the key we’re missing. Abigail Rue draws from Mel Robbins and recent research to explore why male friendships are fading and how to bring them back. A wake-up call to invest in real connection before isolation takes its toll. (2 min read)

Sleep Is Essential: Researchers Are Trying To Work Out Why: Sleep takes up a third of our lives, but its full purpose remains a mystery. In this sweeping look at the latest research, Tammy Worth unpacks how sleep affects everything from gut health to brain function. Featuring pink noise experiments, memory studies, and gut-brain revelations in flies and mice, this piece reveals why sleep isn’t just rest—it’s essential maintenance for the entire body. (6 min read)

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