Did a friend forward this to you? You can subscribe here.

All eyes are on the Olympics in Paris this week, but looks are deceiving. Most people have no idea just how unique these games are.

Olympians are competing on a shortened three-year cycle instead of the usual four (thanks COVID). Essentially, the world’s greatest athletes are being asked to do just as much—if not more—with less time to prepare and recover physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Sound familiar?

In the working world, teams are constantly doing more with less time and resources, which means every player shoulders more of the collective burden. Are people still performing? Absolutely. However, operating in a perpetual state of survival mode doesn’t translate to peak performance. 

How do you get there? You have to pull back (a little bit) to go hard. 

Most of us know this. Why don’t we do it? Because even Olympians catch flack when they take a break (see Simone Biles, Caeleb Dressel, and Sha’Carri Richardson ).

And yet we know the outcome. They came back better—and society quickly forgets how that happened. As per usual, it’s not a fluke and the lesson applies to everyone. Your daily performance is directly tied to your rest and recovery.

You’re going for gold in your daily life. Here’s how you stick the landing heading into Q4:

1. Plan your “training cycles”: We all know work picks up post-Labor Day through year-end. Don’t let that faze you. Instead, consider when your busiest times will be and proactively think of an option (or two) for a rest day.  

2. Optimize your time on & off the track: Here’s how to hack public holidays in 2025 (think taking 1 day, but it’s really 3). Also, quick reminder to use your 2024 PTO. 

Do Daily Active Recovery: You can’t always take a day, but remember that physical activity reduces stress. When you detect yourself feeling overwhelmed, take the quick 1-minute lap or 5-minute walk—it’s a proven way to get some energy back.

One Simple Thing

This Easy Way to Implement Active Recovery This Week

Look at your calendar (legit, look). Find at least one meeting this week that could be a walking meeting or call. Better yet, if the meeting should be an email, scratch it and just take the walk.

Pro Tip: 45 seconds left—perfect for active recovery. Consider reading the rest of this newsletter in a wall sit, plank, or while taking a quick walk. 

Dilagence on the Move 

Your mind needs short breaks. Check out my recent MSN feature for 60-second movements to get your energy back during the day. 

Dose of Dilan

What I’m Reading:

Fake History: 101 Things That Never Happened. Debunking fake news has been a great mental break from the real news. Fun Fact: We’ve been misquoting Einstein—a lot. (And he didn’t fail math.)

Where I’m Resting: 

Hiking in Kitzbuhel this week. Leave it to a Nigerian to visit a world-renowned ski area—during the summer.    

How I’m Approaching Vacation: 

I’m leaving my Apple watch at home. I enjoy time way more when I have no awareness of it. Even better, I generally forget to check my phone because there’s no buzz prompting me to do so.

In a world that glorifies the hustle, rest isn't self-care—it's a strategic advantage.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on LinkedIn for more productivity and well-being hacks and strategies, and if you know someone who’d benefit from this newsletter, invite them to subscribe here.