Please forward this to a high-impact leader who needs the energy edge. If this was forwarded to you, get plugged in here.

⚡ QUICK SPIN:

Everyone tells you to take the break.

But no one tells you how to come back.

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Let’s fix that.

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This week, I came back from my very real family vacation. (Doing my best to avoid “working remotely,” avoiding the "fake unplug".)

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It gave me new ideas, clarity, and space I didn’t know I needed.

But the lingering digital inbox hanging over my head?

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​Boom.

Emails. DMs. Missed calls. Slack pings. Scheduling backlogs.

And a voice in my head saying, “Catch up. Now.”

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That’s when I remembered:

And it’s even harder when you run the business alone.

So here’s what I’ve learned about how to re-enter without losing momentum, or your mind.

🛠️ MY TURN:

After over two weeks unplugged (as much as humanly possible) in LA, Tahoe, Napa, and San Francisco…

I came back with:

• Refreshed ideas across content and coaching
• Some thoughtful shifts I want to make in my offer
• A deeper WHY behind everything I’m doing right now

But none of that mattered…

Because this morning, I almost burned it all to the ground trying to “catch up.”

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That’s the trap.

We take space to find clarity.

Then destroy it trying to clear the clutter.

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And as a solopreneur? There’s no buffer.

No assistant to protect you.

No team to absorb the noise.
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It’s all on you.

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So I built a better way to come back. One that honors the clarity you just fought for.

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🛠️ THE COMEBACK FRAMEWORK:

How to Return Without the Collapse

#1: 🧭 Reboard Before You React

Block 90 min for you, before opening the floodgates.

Reconnect to your mission, what matters now, and your top 3 energy-givers this quarter.

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#2: 🧹Inboxes Are Triage, Not Tasks

Skim for urgency and alignment. Archive or defer everything that’s just noise.

If it’s been 10+ days and it’s not mission-critical? It’s already solved or irrelevant.

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#3: 🧠 Clarity Dump > To-Do List

Open a blank doc and write down everything that hit you while you were away.

Ideas. Shifts. Insights.

Then pick ONE to protect and move forward.

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​ #4: ⚡ Start with Energy, Not Urgency

Pick your first action based on momentum, not backlog.

Momentum compounds. Chaos burns.

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🧠 RESEARCH-BACKED (The Real Stats Behind the Fog & the Fix):

Cognitive Overload Shrinks Your Working Memory by Up to 38% According to the American Psychological Association (2022); post-vacation “cognitive congestion” leads to a steep drop in executive function and short-term decision-making. Your brain is trying to sort both backlog and fresh insight, which results in mental freeze.

📌 TL;DR: Too much too fast = no momentum.

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Reboarding Prevents Leadership Amnesia McKinsey & Company (2023) found that leaders who block intentional time on re-entry retain up to 2X more of the ideas and innovations they captured while away. The difference? A reboarding system that bridges inspiration → implementation.

📌 TL;DR: Don’t re-enter accidentally. Reboard on purpose.

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Cortisol Spikes 30% in the First 3 Days Back According to Harvard Business Review (2021), returning from time off without structure triggers elevated stress hormones—up to a 30% spike in cortisol—which crushes creative access and derails recovery benefits.

📌 TL;DR: You’re not “lazy” post-vacation. You’re chemically off-balance.

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Only 1 in 5 Leaders Retain Breakthroughs After Time Off In a Leadership Energy Index Report (2023), just 19% of leaders said they “acted on” the clarity or breakthroughs they gained while away. Why? Lack of systems. No post-break rituals.

📌 TL;DR: Time off only works if you know how to protect what it gives you.

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And a BONUS: I didn’t plan this moment. But it reminded me why I stepped away in the first place.

After a long hike through Muir Woods to see the Redwoods, I randomly ran into my college friend Steph, who I hadn’t seen in 20+ years. She lives in Arkansas. We both laughed at how wild the universe is sometimes.

But it hit me: these kinds of moments don’t happen on Zoom. Or Slack. Or sprinting between meetings.

They happen when you create space. When you pause.

And when you’re actually present enough to receive them.

🤗 YOUR TURN:

How do you come back?

Do you protect your post-vacation insights, or bury them under backlog?

Reply with your #1 re-entry ritual...or the one you need to create.

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👊 Let’s Talk

If you’re a solopreneur, founder, or executive running full-throttle and still trying to lead from clarity…

There’s a better way.

I coach leaders to build energy systems that hold up during growth, so they don’t collapse after breaks.

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Let’s protect what your time off just gave you.

👉 adamwbarney.com​

Cheers, Adam

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