I had a small operation on my foot last year and had to keep it up for 2 weeks.
That meant no playing with the kids, walking the dog, leaving the house, playing golf. And after 2 days I was bored rigid - no amount of TV sport or ice cream could compensate.
And then came a surge of ideas and creativity. Why is that?
The best I can explain it is that the complete down time created the space to let new thinking in.
My body was truly rested (I completed fewer than 5,000 steps in the week after the op) and I recognised my abject boredom as my mind was truly at rest - devoid of the chatter, static and noise that is usually there.
And in that fully rested space bloomed a whole host of new ideas about all manner of things - professional and personal - some of which will be of great benefit to my family, colleagues and clients.
If you are a leader, is the answer another away day, course or book? Or 48 hours of not moving a muscle and being bored rigid?