Feel Good Friday (Premiere Post)
The Work That Saves You: Why You Need a Hobby That Has Nothing to Do With Your Mission.
There’s this unspoken rule in the social impact world.
If you’re not all-in, all the time, you’re not serious enough. If you take a break, you’re letting people down. If you rest, someone else is outworking you.
I believed that for years.
I stayed late at the office. I answered emails on Sundays. I said yes to every board meeting, every committee, every crisis that needed fixing, because the work mattered. Because people were counting on me. Because if I didn’t do it, who would?
And then one night, I sat across the table from my cousins and their best friend, a wildly successful event planner I’ve always admired. Someone who’s built something beautiful and profitable while still showing up for her family and her community.
She looked at me and said something I didn’t expect.
“Stop rushing. Take a step back. Rest. Really figure out what you want to do. What your brand should be.”
I wanted to protest. To tell her I didn’t have time to rest. That there was too much to build, too much at stake.
But the truth was, I was already burned out. I just hadn’t permitted myself to admit it.
What Hobbies Taught Me About Leadership
These days, I spend my free time doing things that have absolutely nothing to do with strategy sessions or business growth.
I foster animals. I volunteer with rescues like Wise Animal, All About Rabbits, A Purrfect JC, and Jersey Cats. I watch Marvel movies with my tia. I read fairy books. (Yes, really. Don’t judge me.)
And here’s what I’ve learned: Those hours away from work aren’t wasted. They’re essential.
When I’m bottle-feeding a kitten or figuring out how to coax a scared rabbit out from under the bed, I’m not thinking about funding proposals or client onboarding. I’m just present. Focused on this one small creature who needs care right now.
It’s humbling work. I’m not the expert. I don’t have all the answers. I have to ask for help, try things that fail, and start over. Just like when I was new to nonprofit leadership. Just like when I started Saint Impact Ventures.
That humility keeps me grounded. It reminds me that I’m still learning. That it’s okay not to know everything. That asking for help isn’t a weakness.
The Power of Stepping Away
There’s research that says switching contexts completely, stepping into something totally different from your work, actually makes you sharper when you return.
I see it happen all the time.
I’ll be stuck on a problem. A system that’s not working. A message that’s not landing. A decision I can’t seem to make. And then I’ll spend an afternoon at the shelter or curled up with a book, and suddenly the answer becomes clear.
My brain needed a break. The space. The permission to think about something else entirely.
When you’re deep in mission work, it’s easy to believe that stepping away means falling behind. But the opposite is true. Stepping away is what keeps you in the game for the long haul.
The Skills You Didn’t Know You Were Building
Here’s the other thing about hobbies: They teach you things you didn’t set out to learn.
Fostering animals has made me a better listener. More patient. Better at reading body language and noticing small changes that signal something bigger.
Spending time with my tia reminds me what actually matters. Family. Laughter. Showing up for the people you love, not just the people who need you professionally.
Reading fairy books (okay, fantasy novels, but let’s be real, they’re basically fairy books) keeps my imagination alive. It reminds me that magic exists. That impossible things happen. The underdog wins more often than you’d think.
Those lessons show up in my work whether I plan for them to or not.
A Permission Slip You Don’t Need (But I’m Giving You Anyway)
If you’re reading this and thinking, “That sounds nice, but I don’t have time,” I get it.
I’ve been there. I’ve told myself the same thing.
But here’s what I know now: You’re not helping anyone by running yourself into the ground. You’re not saving more people by skipping rest. You’re not building something sustainable by treating yourself like a machine.
You need something that’s just for you. Something that has nothing to do with your mission, your clients, your board, your team, or your bottom line.
Not because it’s productive. Not because it teaches you a skill or grows your network.
Just because it makes you feel like yourself again.
So this week, I’m asking you to try something.
Pick one thing that has nothing to do with your work. Something that sounds silly or indulgent or like a waste of time. Something that makes you feel a little lighter just thinking about it.
And then do it.
Go rescue a rabbit. Watch a Marvel movie. Read a fairy book. Bake something. Garden. Paint. Dance in your kitchen.
Let go of the guilt. Let go of the hustle culture that says rest is earned only after you’ve burned out.
You deserve to do something just because it brings you joy.
That’s not selfish. That’s survival.
And your mission will still be there when you get back. Probably with a clearer mind and a fuller heart to give it what it needs.
Your Turn: Share Your Feel Good Friday Story
This is the first post in a new monthly series I’m calling Feel Good Friday.
Every last Friday of the month, I’ll be sharing stories from my life about rest, joy, hobbies, and the things that keep me grounded outside of the mission work. Because if we’re going to build sustainable businesses and lead sustainable teams, we need to talk about what sustains us as human beings.
But I don’t want this to be just me talking at you.
I want to hear from you, too.
What’s bringing you joy outside of work? What hobby or practice helps you stay grounded? What permitted you to rest this month?
Reply to this email or tag me on Instagram with #FeelGoodFridaySIV. I read every single one, and I might feature your story in a future post (with your permission, of course).
📝 Weekend Prompt
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write down one thing you used to love doing before you got “too busy.”
Then ask yourself: What would it take to do that thing this weekend, even for 20 minutes?
You don’t have to commit to making it a regular thing. You don’t have to be good at it. You just have to try.
See what happens when you permit yourself to play again.
Until next month,
Carol