How I went from “always on” to actually leading on purpose.
There was a season — The Great Laptop Era of 2020.
My phone and computer didn’t just follow me around…
They moved in.
They jumped into bed with me.
Followed me to the kitchen.
Joined me on walks.
I’m pretty sure one even tried to join my yoga class.
And I let them.
Because back then, I thought being “always on” was what high performers did.
Turns out, being “always on” is the fastest way to short-circuit your leadership.
💬 “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” — Lou Holtz
🧠The Leadership Lie That Almost Took Me Out
“Sleep is for the weak.”
“Winners never rest.”
That lie built a generation of burned-out leaders.
I was one of them.
I wore exhaustion like a status symbol — until I realized I was running a multimillion-dollar brain on 20% battery.
💬 “If you don’t schedule recovery, your body will do it for you — through burnout.” — Arianna Huffington
⚡The Crash That Changed Everything
COVID blurred every line between work and life.
My “home office” was my bed. My breaks were… nonexistent.
One night, after answering just one more email at 1:00 a.m., I woke up foggy, fried, and done.
It wasn’t lack of motivation — it was lack of maintenance.
So, I did something radical.
I shut the laptop at 7.
I stopped checking emails on weekends.
I learned to protect the pause.
And here’s what happened:
My creativity exploded.
My EQ sharpened.
My business grew — because I finally had the energy to lead it.
💡The Downtime Rebellion
At first, rest felt wrong.
I’d walk the beach and think, “I should be doing something.”
But when I stopped forcing output, insight started showing up.
💬 “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.” — Anne Lamott
Rest isn’t downtime. It’s data time.
That’s when your brain downloads patterns, clarity, and your next best move.
🧭 Even the Greats Hit the Wall
Arianna Huffington collapsed at her desk.
Elon Musk admitted he was so burned out he forgot his own birthday.
Serena Williams took a year off before her greatest comeback.
These aren’t stories of weakness.
They’re reminders that high performance without recovery is just performance waiting to collapse.
☕ The CEO Energy Loop™
Here’s the system I live and teach now:
Rest → Clarity → Execution → Results → Rest.
You can’t scale chaos.
But you can scale calm, focus, and flow.
💬 “Take care of your energy first, then your strategy.” — Lisa G.
🌱 Two Micro-Rest Tips That Changed Everything
1️⃣ The 90-Minute Rule
Work in 90-minute focus blocks. When the timer goes off, move, stretch, breathe — don’t doom-scroll.
You’ll be sharper in half the time.
2️⃣ The Sunday Reset Ritual
Before the week starts, review your top three outcomes and your non-negotiable rest windows.
Block recovery like a board meeting. No one cancels on that.
💥Protect the Pause Like Profit
Now my phone sleeps in another room.
My laptop has a curfew.
And my brain finally gets to breathe.
I don’t need a week in Bali to reset — I just need boundaries.
Rest isn’t lazy. It’s leverage.
And the ROI is clarity, creativity, and connection.
🌟 Final Mic-Drop Moment
If you’re that high-achieving CEO thinking, “I can’t slow down right now,”
that’s exactly why you need to.
Your next breakthrough won’t come from another 14-hour grind.
It’ll come from the moment you finally exhale.
Because rest isn’t a break from your goals — it’s the bridge to them.
✨Key Takeaway
Rest isn’t weak. It’s weaponized clarity.
Your legacy depends on your energy — not your hours.
Your next big idea is waiting on the other side of your next good night’s sleep.
So tonight, when your laptop gives you the side-eye from across the room —
tuck it in early.
You’ve got leadership to recharge.
💬 Ready to stop leading on empty?
DM ENERGY and I’ll send you The CEO Energy Loop™ — the framework I used to recover from burnout, rebuild my rhythm, and lead with unstoppable clarity.