Project Pause

Project Pause is my call to the wild, my time to find purpose and meaning in the rat race we live in. A prized opportunity to soak up fresh mountain air and immerse myself in an altogether simpler life. Truly disconnecting brings us clarity, focus and a new sense of appreciation. I’ve started filming my own such ‘pauses’ to inspire others to enjoy their own. Read more…

Project Pause is my call to the wild, my time to find purpose and meaning in the rat race we live in. A prized opportunity to soak up fresh mountain air and immerse myself in an altogether simpler life.

Remember the old inflight movie set up on long haul flights? Back in the day, films were shown on a huge big screen, shared by the entire cabin. Starting at set times, if you woke up half way through a movie, tough luck… you’d only see the remainder of the film. These days of course, we all have personal screens with a vast audiovisual world at our fingertips. And not just on planes, but in our everyday lives, at home, at work and in our pockets 24/7. We spend much of our time, eyes glued to a screen, much of this, a social media screen. Addicted to feeds, updates, posts and photos. There are, of course, times when this is ok. There’s something wonderful about the ability to stay connected.

But there are also times when we need to disconnect and this is what Project Pause is really all about. Time away from distractions, vibrating pockets, to-do lists and status updates. Opportunities to enjoy nature, quiet time and a simple routine. Letting the day unfold with more chance and less planning. Seeing the sunrise and watching the sunset. Reading a powerful book next to a fire. Waking up by birdsong. All this, and so much more, brings with it a true sense of appreciation and gratitude.

Every year, I book a week out in the wild. No phone, no email, no lists, no connectivity. I film these periods of ‘Project Pause’ because I want to share them with you and because I believe there’s great value for us all in chasing similar experiences. I hope that by seeing me pause, you might seek to pause yourself. Just do it. It really is as simple as that and I guarantee you’ll come back stronger, wiser, more focused and more relaxed.

Project Pause has three prerequisites. You must be surrounded by nature (the more remote the better), you must do it on your own (being self reliant is an important element of being fully free) and you must totally disconnect from the (digital) rat race. For safety, you can take a satellite phone but other than that, resist all temptation and have no gadgets at all. Trust me, as much as we like to believe otherwise, the world does not collapse in our absence. Other than that, make it your week. Live your dreams!

Imagine just living in the moment. Reading. Relaxing. Sleeping. Standing. Wandering. Observing. Exploring. Snoozing. Being. Just being.