Taking a break isn’t a weakness, it’s a leadership skill

As I mentioned last week, I started a new habit:
- At the start of the week, I define my key priorities for the week.
- Each night, I plan out what I want to accomplish tomorrow.

But I knew this past week was going to be different.

The July 4th holiday was coming up.
I had extra family commitments.
And I was headed to Skydive Orange for three days of throwing myself out of planes — with zero plans to think about leadership or writing posts. (Although, let’s be honest, there are plenty of leadership and life lessons I'd love to share from skydiving…)

So I set a shorter goal list for the week.

I gave myself permission to shut down early on Thursday.

And I let Friday be a true day off.

Here’s the thing...
- Rest is productive.
- Rest is progress.
- Rest is the reset that fuels growth.

Too many of us fill every spare moment with “more.”
More work.
More goals.
More pressure.

But the power of rest is real.
  - It protects your energy.
  - It refreshes your mindset.
  -  It helps you come back stronger.

So this weekend, I jumped out of planes and let go of the guilt for not “doing” more.

Because growth doesn’t happen in overdrive.
It happens when you refuel.

Rest isn’t a reward, it’s required.