Hello, and welcome to "The Resilient Leader," broadcasting this week very casually from a hotel room as I've been traveling for work.
This week's topic is slow starts.
Have you ever had one of those mornings when you didn't have to rush? No alarm demanding you to jump out of bed, no early meeting, no long list of things that absolutely had to get done, just a slow start. I've learned that sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to have those days.
We live in a world that celebrates being busy. We fill our calendars, we rush from one responsibility to another, and sometimes we start thinking that every available minute needs to be productive. But rest is productive too. Sometimes that slow start can help you begin a day where you have enjoyment of that cup of coffee or hot tea, and you don't rush through it.
Maybe it means reading, praying, studying the word of God, taking a walk, having breakfast with someone that you care about. And here's what's important. You don't have to feel guilty about it. A slow start doesn't mean that you're not productive. It doesn't mean you're lazy. It means you're creating margin for yourself.
Think about your phone. You wouldn't expect it to operate indefinitely. Sometimes you have to plug it in overnight and get it recharged. We aren't any different than that. Well, we are in many ways. But we need that time to recharge.
As leaders, business owners, and parents, and people who carry a lot of responsibility, there are going to be plenty of days when we have to move fast. Meeting deadlines, looking at that full calendar. There's going to be mornings when we have to hit the ground running. That's exactly why the slow start matters. It gives us an opportunity to reset, to think, to breathe, to enjoy life, and that life that we're working so hard to build.
So the next time you have a morning without a packed agenda, or maybe you should plan one, don't immediately rush to fill it. Protect it. Give yourself permission to move a little slower. Enjoy that coffee or hot tea. Sit a little longer. Take care of yourself, because sometimes the best way to prepare for everything that's ahead is to start slowly.
Have an amazing week, my friends.