What do you do to recharge?

I recently posted, “I just need time to think.”

Now I understand my statement a little differently.

I need time to recharge.

I coach a lot of leaders who are go-go-go. Their to-do lists are endless. Their calendars are packed. They move from meeting to meeting, decision to decision, problem to problem.

And they keep barreling through each day.

As I continue learning from James Garrett’s Brain by Design course, I better understand how our brains need time to recharge so we can improve and strengthen our focus.

I love one of James Garrett’s challenge statements: “Get More Done by Working Less.”

My takeaway is simple: taking a pause is not wasted time. It should be part of your daily workflow – and can make you move productive!

As leaders, we are often rewarded for being in executive mode: deciding, solving, responding, pushing, producing.

But the brain also needs creative mode: walking, wondering, breathing, stepping away, and letting the mind loosen its grip.

• That is often where clarity shows up.

• That is where ideas connect.

• That is where solutions emerge that were not available when we were forcing them.

This go-go-go mentality also connects to burnout.

Many leaders are not lacking discipline or drive. They are simply drained from trying to stay in focus mode all day long.

What if recharging became part of your leadership practice?

I coached a Regional Store Leader who discovered the power of sitting in his car for 5 to 10 minutes before walking into the store. He used that pause to gather his thoughts, set his human connection intention, and lead with curiosity and discovery.

Could you schedule 5 minutes to step away, breathe, stretch, or reset between meetings?

Could you protect 20 to 30 minutes to walk outside and let your creative mind sort through ideas, think openly, and discover new solutions?

What do you need to do differently to protect time to re-charge?