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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">So, Christmas break is almost here, and you’re&nbsp;<em>trying&nbsp;</em>to take some time off.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Ever notice that’s what driven leaders say all the time?</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">I’m going to&nbsp;<em>try&nbsp;</em>to take two weeks off.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">I’ll&nbsp;<em>try&nbsp;</em>to unplug.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">I’m&nbsp;<em>trying</em>&nbsp;to relax.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">We A-types stink at vacation, don’t we?</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">It’s also really tough if you’re married to us. Or, we’re your parents.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">How do I know this?</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Because I’m one of you.&nbsp;I’m speaking my native tongue.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Being a driven kind of person, the idea of doing nothing but resting is unsettling for me.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">But I also understand how important it is.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Sabbath is God’s idea. And, as I discovered when I burned out, if you don’t take the Sabbath, the Sabbath will take you.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">I know people who can take time off easily – they don’t worry, they’re never tempted to check email, they can easily shut down social media for a week, and they find a hammock to be relaxing.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">That person is not me. I think a few of you can relate.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Over the years, I’ve developed these 5 rules for rest that, if observed, make shutting off all the devices and truly taking a break easier. I’ve shared them before, but I have to come back to them again and again.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">When I don’t follow them, I ruin my holiday. And I’ve done that a few times too.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Overall, the rules help me, as a driven person, relax better.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">See if they help you.</p>
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<h3 class="has-black-color has-text-color has-extra-large-font-size" id="h-1-don-t-just-take-christmas-break-prepare-for-it">1. Don’t just take Christmas break, prepare for it.</h3>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">I used to run into my holidays full speed, and it would take me half my holidays to unwind.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Take some time before your holiday to prepare for your Christmas break. Use your evenings to rest up before you leave.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Pack ahead of time. Build the anticipation. When I do this, I can start day one of vacation fully rested and ready to enjoy.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Last year for the first time, I took a week off <em>before </em>our family left for a week together, just to unwind alone and be ready for them when they were free. It helped me be more fully present, so I could focus on what truly mattered in the moment – making new memories with my loved ones.</p>
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<h3 class="has-black-color has-text-color has-extra-large-font-size" id="h-2-equip-your-team-and-yourself-for-your-break">2. Equip your team, and yourself, for your break<strong>&nbsp;</strong></h3>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Leaving work behind is hard work.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">I wasn’t good at this for years. Now I spend time before leaving asking, “What does my team need while I’m away so they can run optimally and so I can rest?”</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Or this year, what do we ALL need to do so EVERYONE can have a full break?</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">If all of that is lined up, then they have what they need and I can get what I need: peace of mind, knowing everything will be okay.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">The next step is even more important: Let go.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">If you do this right when you’re away, your ministry will grow even when you’re not engaged in it. I’ve taken a month off more than once. And when I truly release the team to do what they do best, our church has grown.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Last year, when I was off for a month, my podcast had the single biggest month in its history to that point (I lined up all the episodes before I left and gave my team the job of posting them).</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">You know what I learned? When you let go, you grow and things grow.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Early in my leadership, I never would have believed it. Now I do.</p>
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<h3 class="has-black-color has-text-color has-extra-large-font-size" id="h-3-delegate-authority-and-responsibility">3. Delegate authority and responsibility</h3>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">While this is good practice all the time, make sure you leave behind real decisions, real authority and real responsibility.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">If you can’t give the entire team a break, then make sure those who are off are truly off, which means delegation. Let your team can call the shots while you’re away. Don’t look at email at all or let your assistant handle it for your entire break. &nbsp;If you don’t have an assistant, use an autoresponder and plan to spend your first or second day back sorting through email.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">And if your assistant is off, everyone should just hit the auto-responder.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">If you plan for it, you won’t worry about it while away. A solid plan defeats worry.</p>
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<h3 class="has-black-color has-text-color has-extra-large-font-size" id="h-4-focus-on-what-fuels-you">4. Focus on what fuels you</h3>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Christmas break can be draining for anyone with all the gatherings, travel, and people.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Smart leaders know what refuels them and decide to at least sneak in some time for themselves.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">For some, that might be reading a book by the fire. For others, it might be movies and dinner. And, for others, it might be throwing parties and having a full house.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Everyone’s different.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Don’t let someone else’s idea of rest determine how you will rest, or you’ll end up returning to work exhausted.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">That’s exactly why, so many times, you end up saying you need a vacation to recover from your vacation.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">If you don’t know what fuels you, even your vacation can drain you.</p>
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<h3 class="has-black-color has-text-color has-extra-large-font-size" id="h-5-pick-a-goal-for-your-holidays">5. Pick a goal for your holidays</h3>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">My drivenness can make me feel like I waste time while away. Obviously, one of my goals is to spend meaningful time with my family; I also use vacation time as a time to connect with God.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">But I’ve learned if I pick some goals for my holidays, it makes me feel better and enjoy my time alone and with my family more. Your goal can be as simple as reading a few books, taking some pictures, or even a fitness goal.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Or it might be to sleep eight hours every night or hike for 10 miles.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">I feel less restless and more rested if I set a few goals.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">If you’re a driven person, maybe you can relate.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Without a new strategy and approach, it's easy to continue to:</p>
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<ul class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size"><li>Sacrifice family on the altar of work</li><li>Overcommit and underdeliver</li><li>Have no time for what you actually want to do</li><li>Struggle to get time off to refuel and relax</li></ul>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">Worst of all, other people—other tasks, jobs, and projects—will continue to hijack your life.</p>
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<p class="has-black-color has-text-color has-large-font-size">It’s time to change that by implementing a strategy that works.</p>
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<p>To read the full article, <a href="https://careynieuwhof.com/5-keys-to-making-sure-your-christmas-break-doesnt-break-you-or-your-family-a-post-for-driven-leaders/">click here.</a></p>
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