Reengaging after rest

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I’m curious if you’ve ever experienced this. You are going at 100 mph for an extended time and notice yourself getting tired. You’ve seen first hand how hustle-culture leads to burnout and so you intentionally schedule a season of rest for yourself. Then, once your designated rest period is over, you struggle to reengage. The habits you’ve built don’t come as naturally anymore. You feel less motivated. Perhaps even stuck.

The last several weeks for me have been a gift. I traveled with the family, engaged in some hobbies, spent time on the water (my favorite thing), and disconnected a bit. As that time came to an end, I noticed that it was easy to jump back in with some things, but I experienced a bit of a struggle to reengage in all the areas I was committed to (this newsletter being one of them). Can you relate?

Once I noticed this was the experience I was creating for myself, I knew I wanted to disrupt that. So here are four things that I did to reengage — I hope they serve you also.

Reflect on the Time of Rest

I am a firm believer that gratitude is the rocket fuel of life. A grateful heart can take on any challenge, pursue any goal, and overcome any obstacle. When a time of rest is coming to an end, what if instead of thinking “bummer, I wish I had more time” you thought “I’m so grateful for that time away.” Which perspective would be more powerful in your life?

From a place of gratitude, I like to look back at the time, however long or short it was, and ask myself a few questions:

• What did I learn about myself?

• What new perspectives did I gain?

• Where do I feel more energized?

• What will I do differently during my next time of rest?

Reconnect to Vision

Once I’ve reflected on the time of rest and I’ve mined all of the value from it, I then look to the future. What is my vision? What was I committed to before my time of rest? Am I still committed to that thing?

Vision is the secret sauce in reengagement. At Novus Global, we define vision as a clear picture of the future that ignites passion in you and others. The passion-igniting part is key. That is where the motivation comes from. When we are chasing an ideal future state that produces passion, we are compelled to reengage. It doesn’t feel like a chore. It occurs as “man, I can’t wait to get back in the game.”

Reestablish Your Ideal Week

One of the most resourceful concepts I’ve ever come across is Michael Hyatt’s Ideal Week. I was first exposed to this in his Full Focus Planner (which I highly recommend and have been using myself for years) and have found it to be one of the most resourceful productivity hacks. In a nutshell, it involves laying out what and ideal week would look like for you. It’s more than simply a routine. Its a vision for your time.

When would you be working? What days do you take meetings? Where do you block out time for uninterrupted deep work?

Being clear on what things should look like in an ideal world is really helpful when developing your “no” muscle. If I know what my vision for my time is, it’s easier to say yes and no to the right things. When coming back from a time of rest, I reground myself in commitments as it relates to how I ideally want to me spending my time, and this helps me reengage more powerfully.

Renew Your Commitments

Aside from my time commitments as mentioned above, the final step for me is to renew my commitments. I use the word “renew” because I view it as an opportunity to re-up on what I’m up to. Am I still committed to these things? Would I like to renegotiate anything? Very often, time away helps me see more clearly as it relates to my vision and decide not to do things that I had previously held as priority. The things I am still committed to rise to the surface and I find a fresh energy by which to go after them.

A Question to Leave You With…

How do you typically reengage after time away? Do you want to do anything differently next time?

Go out and lead meaningfully friends.

Trevor

PS - If you found this valuable in any way, I have two requests. One, would you reply and let me know? I’d love to hear from you. Second, would you consider forwarding this to a friend or colleague who might also be eager to grow as a leader? I would be honored to be trusted with your people and promise to serve them as powerfully as I intend on serving you.

If you’re ready to dig in some more, here are a few ways you can grow meaningfully as a leader:

1. Beyond High Performance is out! Grab your copy today and learn how the best get better.

2. Have you ever considered hiring a coach? Click here to schedule a no-cost, 15-minute discovery call with me where we’ll explore how coaching might just be the greatest next step for your growth.

3. Check out the latest episode of the Beyond High Performance podcast from my fellow coaches at Novus Global.

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