Some Rest and Some Recovery - Both Matter

Summer is winding down and I thought I'd share what I've been up to since going off-grid. You see, I took a full month away from coaching for focus and recovery. I know a few of you assumed that meant I would be laying on the beach soaking in that Vitamin Sea. I want to set the record straight on that, because what actually happened teaches something worth passing along.

I began the configuration of CaPeevo. If you haven't heard me talk about it, ask me and I'd love to share! My parents visited me, I took the family (pups included) on a staycation to the Big Island, finally got through an allergy test and an eye exam I had been putting off for longer than I want to admit. I had breakfast with a couple of friends I don't see nearly often enough. I also caught a matinee, had a margarita at a favorite local spot, painted for fun and played golf (8 holes and then I bird-watched).

Some of that restored me, while other pieces were just life that needed attention but got deferred as work demanded more. I am learning that both belong under the same word, and that leaders who wait for one clean, uninterrupted kind of rest before they call it recovery will be waiting a long time.

Recovery is not retreat or something you earn only after depletion sets in with subsequent melt down. It is maintenance of the instrument - Yes, YOU!. Recovery requires the same discipline that lets an athlete sustain performance across a season instead of just surviving one event.

Don't mistake that your hustle without recovery easily gets wrapped up into identity and often over-functioning. This is not new information to your body. This spotlight just gives it a name.

July Practice Move

Now having felt the benefits of a recovery month, I'm recommitted to integrating more of this into my weekly rhythm. It feels like the right thing to do. And if any of this sounds familiar here's what I can offer:

Pause and ask: What genuinely restored me this week, and what was simply tending to life I'd been putting off?

Then experiment: Name both out loud or on paper, so you can start noticing the difference between how you rest and what you delay. Then get intentional about one thing you will integrate daily and/or weekly as a recovery strategy.

Friends, capacity holds up longest for those who can distinguish their patterns and treat recovery as real leadership work. Oh, and don't apologize for it either.

I'm glad to be back in the saddle! If you are a coaching client, be sure to get your next session scheduled. Remember, making time for you is a powerful way to practice recovery.