On my first Monday back from a week away, the first work block on my calendar started at 9.
That took some choosing.
Everything that had piled up while I was gone seemed to have an opinion about when I should start and how fast I should move.
The backlog is very good at impersonating a boss.
I started with spiritual practice at 5, then a walk. At 9, I reviewed what needed my attention. There was plenty to do, and I wanted to choose where to begin.
At 9:59, I had sixteen minutes of breathwork scheduled before my first session.
An actual appointment on the calendar. Because I know how easily “I’ll make time for that” becomes the thing I never get to.
We also paused a live series while we rethink its timing. The hour it would have taken took on a different name on the calendar:
Spaciousness.
That choice feels more revealing to me than the breathwork.
A live series has a purpose. People might come. It could lead to conversations, connections, business. There are good reasons to keep doing it.
And we chose to leave the hour open.
I can talk all day about building a business that supports my life. These are the decisions where I get confronted with whether I truly mean it.
I’m practicing letting being have more of a say in how I work. Giving myself enough space to notice what needs my attention before I commit the whole day.
I find doing easier. There’s a task, a next step, a small satisfaction in getting through it. Leaving an hour open brings me into contact with how quickly I want to fill it.
Of course, some weeks ask more of us. Launches happen. Deadlines matter. A 9 a.m. start isn’t a rule I’m suggesting or handing anyone.
What mattered was coming back from the retreat and making a choice about the rhythm I wanted to return to.
A week away can help you feel what you’ve been missing. Then Monday arrives, and that insight needs somewhere to live.
For me, this Monday, it had sixteen minutes at 9:59.
When you come back from rest, what’s the first thing you give up to catch up?
Try giving it a place on next week’s calendar before the inbox gets a vote.
With Love,
Phil
