For the last 19 years (except during Covid), I’ve gone away by myself once a year to take a break, get off my technology, and just relax. This year my reset ritual took place over Memorial Day weekend, and as a bonus, I brought my two daughters.
As we drove out of NYC to the country, I got a little nervous about how I would get off my phone, while at the same time staying connected enough so that I wouldn’t worry about my son, my husband who was out of the country, and of course, Cruiser. (Even on a reset trip the mental load of moms doesn’t go away!)
In other words, how could I find the sweet spot between tech and connect?
Then I remembered: Oh, I do this for a living!
In my work with clients, I have a framework to help leaders find the sweet spot in their workplace called the Three P’s—Purpose, Protocols, and Presence—and I decided to use it on myself.
Purpose:
First, I asked myself the same question I ask leaders: What’s the purpose of this trip (or meeting or gathering or phone call)?
For me, the purpose was not only a physical reset of exercise, sleep, and healthy eating, but also a technology break from liking, commenting on social posts, and going down the doom-scroll hole of all of the bad news in the world right now. The purpose was REST.
Protocols:
My next question is always—okay, how? What protocols will you create and maintain to stay connected to your purpose?
The place where we stayed offered vegan food, hiking, a weight room, and yoga. That was the easy part. Given what was going on in my life—my traveling family, parental health issues, etc.—I knew a cold-turkey turn-off would create more stress, so I created some protocols.
- I deleted all of my social media apps from my phone so I wouldn’t be tempted. Sounds easy, but I wouldn’t have done it without intention. And, if I’m being honest, without deleting them, I would’ve cheated!
- I didn’t check my emails. There was nothing “mission critical” going on over the long weekend, and if someone close needed to reach me, they would text.
- No news or TV (the only exception was two Rangers playoff games. LGR!)
Presence:
My goal during an annual reset ritual is always to be present with myself and in this case, with my girls. Declaring the purpose and creating protocols gave me the best chance of being present.
So, how did it go?
I feel lighter, more energetic, and more calm than I’ve felt in months. I slept better because I wasn’t scrolling before bed. And, as of the writing of this newsletter (Tuesday AM), I still haven’t added the apps back!
I know it’s not realistic to be off socials forever, as I learn so much and need them for work, but like all resets, with just a little bit of space, I get the chance to reflect on the role this tech plays in my life (for good or bad).
One of my most popular workshops is called Discovering the Hidden Magic of Workplace Rituals. But what I’ve found during this year’s reset ritual is that sometimes the magic of rituals isn’t very hidden at all. All we have to do is look at our lives.
5/29/24
