647: My First Day Back After 31 Days Away From Our Business

It is my first day back and my mood is curious. Today is July 31st, on June 30th I sat in the Houston airport awaiting a flight to Paris, then Rome, and promptly deleted my email and Slack apps from my phone.  For the next 30 plus days I would not be available to the BOP team for any business-related items.   Of course, we could send some personal pics and updates, but no business communication.   While away the BOP team had a straightforward mission: grow the business by one client. After founding Business On Purpose (BOP) over 8 years ago in 2015, it was time to take an extended time away from the day to day of the business.   Ashley and I just navigated a string of massive life milestones; our daughter’s wedding, our final son’s graduation from High School, and celebrating 25 years of marriage all within two months of each other. I also wanted to test the sea-worthiness of the BOP ship with me not at the helm.   As I write this I still do not know anything that happened over the last four to five weeks, I still have not opened my email or checked our internal Slack since June 30th. I am sharing how I plan on re-entering in such a way that does not overwhelm the team nor myself here on day one of my return. First, I spent time quietly thinking and reflecting back on the last month in gratitude for a gracious creator who provides opportunities and a vast world to explore along with a strong passport that gains access to those places.  That gratitude continued as I think about the team that has led BOP in my planned absence, and the clients I serve who were kind and flexible to adjust coaching schedules and plans.   Our clients were curious and excited as well because this is in part a model for what I push each of them to do as well.  Overwhelming gratitude is a wave that flood’s my mind on re-entry. Second, I wrote down a list of the things that would be most helpful and least intense on day one.  My tendency is to come in a rain down a list of revelations and ideas that will be sure to revolutionize what we are doing. Throughout our time away, I continued to quietly repeat a Pilgrim’s Credo I read that was attributed to Fr. Murray Bodo: I am not in control I am not in a hurry I walk in faith and hope I greet everyone with peace I bring back only what God gives me Hurry must not be priority mode on re-entry lest I alienate and put our team on the defensive.   My first trip to Nigeria was a lesson for me when I returned home and began to tidal wave Ashley with all of the details of this new adventure.  Over time I began to realize that while I was away, she was still parenting a 5, 3, and 1-year-old; right now she needed a husband and dad at home until the home calmed down at which time she would be ready to really listen and embrace the adventure.   One of the things on my list is to have a simple call with each of our directors to simply see how they are doing and listen to whatever they would like to share, and then we will have a more intentional conversation about the last month when they are ready; now or later. Third, I intentionally delayed my start time today just to remind myself to be slow.  I typically work from home on Monday’s beginning immediately after exercise and getting ready.  Normally breakfast comes upstairs with me as I launch into the work day.  Today, I took my breakfast on the back porch with no work just to remind myself that I am not in a hurry.   Finally, I will not open my email or Slack until later in the day; likely around mid-day.  This is a step I am taking to intentionally remind my mind that email and digital communication are not the priority of our mission to liberate owners from chaos to make time for what matters most. Email and Slack (or whatever internal messaging system you use) are supporting tools instead of life or death tools like we have allowed them to become; they should never be the primary actors. Well, here we go; the time has come to go play my role on the BOP team to help liberate owners from chaos!