At last… summer is finally here.
There is something about that first real shift in the air: the way the light lingers a little longer in the evening and the world seems to exhale … it causes us to pause and take stock. As leaders who are constantly doing our best to keep things moving, we often spend our winters and springs in high-gear. We navigate change, we manage crises, and we push for progress.
But when the heat of July arrives, a different kind of question starts to bubble up from the soul.
I recently put this question to our Little Engines REAL Success Support Community:
“Which of these two do you feel your mind, body, soul, and spirit really need most right now:
Rest or Adventure?”
And here’s what made the question even more interesting: the poll came back almost split right down the middle. 52% voted for Rest, while 48% voted for Adventure. Just a slight lean toward rest… but only slight.
That reveal says a lot.
It tells me that most of us are living in a very real tension right now. Part of us is craving stillness, recovery, and room to breathe. Another part is hungry for movement, freshness, and something that wakes us back up again.
In addition to the results of the poll, the additional comments were honest, raw, and reflective. They highlighted a struggle that almost every leader faces but rarely talks about in the office: the tension between the need to recharge and the fear of letting go.
The Stigma of Stillness: Why Rest Isn’t “Lazy”
For many of us, the word “rest” comes with a side helping of guilt. We’ve been conditioned to believe that if we aren’t producing, we aren’t valuable.
One community member captured this perfectly in a response to the poll. They went straight for Rest, but it wasn’t an easy choice to make historically.
“I’m going for REST! Don’t get me wrong… I LOVE adventure, but for many years I felt that ‘rest’ was being lazy. It was always ‘go, go, go,’ and maybe it’s wisdom that comes with age… I’m definitely realizing that the ‘go, go, go’ all the time is NOT good for our mind, body and soul.”
That response hit on a profound idea I was first introduced to earlier in my career, when I worked in the motorsports (stock car racing) industry. Around the race track, you’d often hear people say: “Sometimes you have to slow down to go faster.”
Perhaps that seems counter-intuitive, but in racing (as in life), being over-aggressive and pushing the car too hard often has the reverse effect of what the driver is aiming for. Just as important as having the courage to put your foot to the floor is knowing when to take it off the throttle and apply the brakes. At most NASCAR-style oval tracks, the car has to be allowed to coast around at least part of the corner, otherwise it won’t be able to handle the speed. In other words, if you don’t know when to slow down (part of every single lap), the car won’t take it. It’ll “push” up the track … and crash.
And besides that healthy rhythm of lap-to-lap momentum, no race car makes it to the checkered flag without several stops to refuel, have adjustments made and to receive a fresh set of tires.
There’s a good lesson there.
As that same community member noted, “I find when I do spend time reflecting that there’s more growth.”
Rest isn’t the absence of progress; it is the infrastructure that makes progress sustainable.
The “Both” Factor: When Adventure is the Antidote
Then there was another community member, who simply asked: “Both?”
And honestly, they’re onto something.
While the poll asked for one, the reality of leadership is often a blend. Sometimes, the “rest” our soul needs isn’t just a nap or a quiet afternoon with a book. Sometimes, we need a “mastery experience”: something that challenges us in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with our jobs or roles at home.
In psychology, this is known as active recovery. If your work is mentally taxing and stationary, “rest” might actually look like a mountain hike, a kayak trip, or learning a new skill. Adventure re-energizes the parts of us that have become dormant under the weight of spreadsheets and strategy sessions. It rebuilds our confidence and sparks our creativity.
If you feel stagnant rather than just tired, you might need adventure to jar you back into your flow.
The Burden of the “What If”: Navigating the Overload
Perhaps the most relatable response came from another community member, who chose Rest with a sense of urgency: and a heavy dose of leadership reality.
“1000% rest. I’ve never been so overloaded!!! I feel guilty for turning off, but then I know I need to, but then what if a client needs me, or an employee, what if a crisis occurs…”
Does that sound familiar?
This is the central conflict of the modern leader. We know we are running on empty, but we feel like we are the only thing holding the entire structure together. We fear that if we step away for even a weekend, the “drift” will take over and the ship will run aground.
But here is the hard truth: If you are too tired to lead yourself, you are too tired to lead anyone else.
When we talk about communicating effectively or leading with dignity, we have to start with our own internal state. A leader who is “1000% overloaded” is a leader who is at risk of making reactive, fear-based decisions. By refusing to rest because of the “what ifs,” we actually make those crises more likely to occur because our judgment is clouded by exhaustion.
People First, Professional Second
Anyone who has attended a Little Engines LIVE event has heard me say this: We’re “people first, professional second.”
This isn’t just about how you treat your business or your career; it’s about how you treat yourself. You are a human being before you are an entrepreneur, business owner, manager or representative.
Leading with dignity means recognizing your own humanity. It means being resourceful enough to find a way to step away, effective enough to trust yourself to recognize what’s actually needed versus what’s faimliar, and authentic enough to admit when you need a break.
The Little Engines community exists because we know that leadership can be a lonely road. When one member shares a struggle with overload, or another shares a realization about the “busy” trap, it gives everyone else permission to breathe. It’s a reminder that we aren’t alone in the “what ifs.”
Finding Your Rhythm This Summer
So, what does your soul really need right now?
If you aren’t sure, try looking at your “energy tank” rather than your to-do list.
- If you are feeling “Drained”: You likely need Rest. Physical rest, mental detachment, and a complete break from the “go, go, go.” This is the time to put the phone in a drawer and remember what it feels like to just be.
- If you are feeling “Bored” or “Stuck”: You may need Adventure. You need to stretch your muscles: either physical or creative: in a new environment.
- If you are feeling “Overloaded”: Perhaps you need both … along with community. You may need to talk it out, delegate, and realize that the world will not stop spinning if you take a Friday off.
We don’t find our “flow” by pushing harder against a brick wall. We find it by navigating around the obstacles with clarity and intention.
Join the Conversation
The wisdom shared by community members is just a small sample of the authentic, heart-centered conversations we have every day. Whether we are “unpacking” a poll question or deep-diving into a leadership challenge, we do it together.
If you’re looking for a place where you can be “People First” and find the support you need to navigate the changes in your life and business, we’d love to have you.
Join the Little Engines REAL Success Support Community by clicking here.
Let’s navigate this summer – and whatever comes next – together.
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