The Beauty of a True Day Off
Image by Meritt Thomas from Unsplash
The connection between fulfilling work and life satisfaction runs deep. Put in simple terms, find someone who loves their work and you’ve likely found someone who loves their LIFE.
People who love their work share certain habits. One is that they are purposeful about rejuvenation — they schedule, look forward to, and protect it. They make time off and rejuvenation important. They also protect their time, peace and energy. Time after all is fixed, but energy is not. We are not meant to go and go and go.
You may have forgotten what a real day off feels like.
This could be costing you more than you realize.
If this is you, the truth is you’re not resting on your day off - you’re just changing what type of work you’re doing. Here's what I've learned from advising, teaching, and coaching high performers: Those who sustain their peace and success long-term understand something profound about rest. They are respectful and strategic when it comes to rest.
How True Rest Changes Things:
You Model What Matters
As a leader, your relationship with rest sets a tone. When you honor genuine restoration, you signal its importance, increasing the likelihood that others will do the same.
Your Energy Is Your Currency
You’re not your best when you operate from a state of depletion. Real rest doesn't make you less productive—it makes everything you touch more impactful.
You Decide What Will be Part of Your Life
Success is liking who you are, what you do, and how you do it. It’s about creating a life that serves something bigger that you love living. You decide who you’ll be and how you’ll be - Rest and calm help you do that.
Why take real time off? For high-achievers like you, three reasons to rest rise to the top:
You’re a leader so lead on this.
You need it.
You will be better because of it.
Image by Josiah Gardner from Unsplash
What to do? Treat your time, rejuvenation, peace and energy like the strategic Executive leader of yourself, people, projects and processes that you are. Here are five tips to get a real day off on your calender:
5-steps to a real Day OFF:
Put Time Off in your calendar, then forward to your day.
Be less aware of Time on off-days. On vacation be less aware of time. Eat when you’re hungry, drink when you’re thirsty and sleep when you’re tired.
Leave shoulds for another day. Don’t worry about what you should or should not be doing. Three naps? Breakfast for supper? That works - it’s your day off.
Rest, Renew, and Delight-in what rests, renews and delights you.
Decide you won’t spend the next day second-guessing your day off.
Leaders understand that rest isn't earned—it's required. It's not a reward for completing everything on your list - it's the foundation that makes enjoyable impactful living possible.
Your relationship with your own rejuvenation will shape and define your relationship with your leadership and your work. Attending to yourself isn't selfish—it's strategic. True strength and leadership includes knowing when to pause, when to breathe, and when to be.
Your next day off is time toward the person you're becoming and the life you're creating. Let’s g Executives. Let’s go Leaders. Let’s get to it.