Rob Davis’ typical day as a Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Senior Salesforce Developer begins with a sacred ritual: a meditative walk with his dogs.
“We walk past a historic cemetery on our way to the trails that run through the scrub pine woods that nestle up against the salt marshes of Massachusetts Bay,” said Davis. “These woods are filled with smells to inventory, bunnies to chase through the underbrush and the occasional wild turkey.”
It is there that the dogs — and Davis — come alive, he told Built In Boston.
This daily pilgrimage isn’t just a stolen moment of peace, it’s a powerful tool for maximizing productivity. According to a study from Landscape and Urban Planning, finding regular time to walk in nature can improve concentration and overall cognitive function — in addition to being a pleasant, flexible opportunity to destress.
Davis’ morning walk is one of the daily staples that Davis relies on to prevent burnout: practicing a morning routine, drinking good coffee, getting outdoors — and saying no.
Built In Boston caught up with Davis to hear about his daily routines and the core lessons he’s learned in reducing burnout and balancing work and home life.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is an extension of the central bank of the United States, promoting financial stability through conducting research, policy-making and providing financial services.
Tell us about a day in your life.
My day always begins the same way. Around 6 a.m., my wife and I are awakened when one of our dogs is overcome by a deep-seated fear that today is the day we forget to feed them.
After breakfast, it is time for walks, and the bigger of my two dogs has the strongest opinions about how things should go. My wife and I took great care to find a home with a pleasant backyard — but she still needs many daily walks.
After our walks, I pour myself a cup of coffee and meander upstairs to my office. I am dutifully followed by the dogs. We each take our seats and settle in for the day, me at my desk and each of them in the respective corners of the old couch they claimed as their own. As they curl up into little doggy donuts, they hit their internal snooze buttons. Those go off at noon when walks must be repeated.
Why are these rituals important to you? How do these activities enhance your work each day?
It is in the story of these two dogs that I have learned four important lessons.
First, coffee is life. Find a cup of coffee you like. It doesn’t have to be expensive or come from a fancy machine, it just needs to be something you enjoy. For me, a light roast from a cheap drip machine is perfect.
Second, routine is important. It allows us to find a comfortable, memorable and easily repeatable process to ensure our essential daily wants and needs are met. But we must also remain flexible, or we will be left waking up before dawn assuming that we will starve if the routine is broken.
Third, find time to enjoy nature. My morning walks give me a chance to put down my cell phone and turn off the constant dopamine drip of the internet’s infinite scroll. This daily disconnect gives my mind the time and space to think. t It’s an uninterrupted time where my mind can wander and chase the ideas that fly through it.
Finally, don’t be afraid to say no. I learned this lesson too late in my career. I spent my early years answering “yes” to every request. It was easy in the moment. It pleased the person asking, and I thought it was the best way to prove myself as a capable go-getter ready for more. Over time, the small requests grew larger and more frequent. But my answer was always yes. Eventually, this led to repeated burnout.
“Don’t be afraid to say no.”
But “no” by itself is rarely the right answer. Work with the person coming to you with the request. Make them aware of what you are working on and your priorities. If they are a supervisor, ask them to help you prioritize the new work. They may realize the task isn’t as important as they thought, and it can wait or even be ignored. Or they can help you reshuffle work and deliverable dates so that higher-priority tasks take precedence. This allows you to establish boundaries and manage expectations collaboratively. It will demonstrate your ambition while protecting you from career immolation sparked by inevitable and repeated burnout.
What advice do you have for tech professionals hoping to build sustainable and energizing daily routines?
A career is a long and varied path. But it is only one of the many paths we walk, along with our friends, family, hobbies and an endless internet. Be certain, along the way, to follow this advice from John Muir: “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.”
