I’m not much of a journaler these days, but I still value the practice writing out my reflections long hand during my regular Sabbath break. I’ll write more about these practices as I go along, but its enough to say right now that time for reflection is a gift from God that many of us don’t engage in frequently enough to add fuel to our leadership fires.

One way I like to approach journaling is like a conversation with a trusted coach. I begin by focusing my writing on the following two questions: 1. What have I done particularly well in the last week or month that has been unusually fruitful? And the 2. How can I do even more of that in the coming week? With these two questions as a basis, I can continue writing in a variety of directions like reflecting on how I used my gifts, ways that my skills have improved and who helped me in the process. I find this line of reflection very energizing. These reflections motivate me to keep leaning forward.

What Sabbath practices revitalize you?