Why I’m Learning to Embrace the Clarity Break—And Why You Should Too

Let me start with a confession: I’ve struggled with taking clarity breaks.

Not because I don’t believe in them, I absolutely do. As someone who leads a company running on EOS® (Entrepreneurial Operating System), I talk about the importance of clarity breaks all the time. But when it comes to my own schedule, I’ve often felt guilty pressing pause. There’s always another client need, another proposal to write, another email or text message I could respond to "real quick."

Sound familiar?

If you’re a nonprofit leader or changemaker, you know this feeling all too well. The work is urgent. The mission is meaningful. And taking time off, fully off, can feel selfish or even irresponsible.

But here’s what I’ve learned: you can’t lead well if you don’t make space to think clearly.

EOS defines a clarity break as “a regularly scheduled appointment on your calendar with yourself to work on your business instead of in it.” But this summer, I’m expanding that definition: I’m challenging myself, and inviting you to use your vacation time, PTO days, or even a long weekend as a true clarity break.

Not just a time to relax, but a time to reset. A chance to come back renewed and reconnected to the purpose behind the work.

And I’m not doing it passively. I’ve made a few commitments that I want to share, in case they help you too:

3 Ways I’m Protecting My Clarity Break This Summer

1. I’m being honest in my away message.

I used to send the typical, “I’m out of office with limited access to email.” But now, I try to let my message reflect my values. This time it might say something like:

“I’m taking this week off to unplug and enjoy the North Carolina mountains with my family. I’ll be back [insert date], refreshed and ready to support the incredible work of our nonprofit partners.”

That simple sentence tells people something about me, not just my availability, and it gives permission for others to do the same.

2. I’m (finally) considering removing email from my phone.

I haven’t done it yet, but I’m closer than ever. Several people I admire swear by this one. It’s the ultimate boundary setter because let’s be honest, even with good intentions, it’s easy to sneak a peek at your inbox. If you're not ready to remove it entirely, try disabling notifications for a few days. Baby steps count.

3. I’m preparing ahead of time.

You can’t truly take a break if your mind is spinning with what you left unfinished. I’m spending the week before my break tying up loose ends, communicating with my team, and creating a return plan. That way, I’m not dreading my inbox when I return and I’m not mentally checking emails while hiking.

Clarity breaks aren’t just for CEOs of Fortune 500s (though many of them swear by it too, LinkedIn famously gives employees a “Discretionary Week Off” each year to fully disconnect and recharge). Clarity breaks are for you. Especially if you're navigating the high-stakes, emotionally-charged world of nonprofit leadership.

The truth is, we can’t afford not to take clarity breaks. Burnout in the nonprofit sector is real. Turnover is high. And if we want to build healthy organizations with lasting impact, we have to model healthy habits ourselves.

So whether you’re headed out of town or just using up your PTO for the year, I hope you’ll join me in treating time off as sacred. Not a luxury, but a leadership tool.

Your mission needs the best version of you and sometimes, that means turning off your phone and stepping away.

Here’s to clarity, calm, and coming back with purpose. Happy Summer!