Big Girl Panties Diaries – Entry 98: Why My Best Strategic Planning Happens in Pajamas
Sunday mornings have their own kind of magic. The world hasn’t quite sped up yet, and if you catch it just right, you can sit in the hush before the week takes off. For me, it’s usually caffeine in hand, Ash stretched out at my feet, and a long exhale I didn’t even realize I was holding.
It’s the pause before the sprint. The space to reflect on what worked last week, what didn’t, and what deserves my attention next. Sometimes that looks like lists and color-coded plans. Sometimes it’s just staring out the window and letting my thoughts wander until the right ones land.
Of course, by 10 a.m. the hush has been replaced by grocery runs, laundry giving me side-eye, and the creeping urge to check email “just in case.” But for a brief moment, I get to pretend I’m the CEO of Stillness, Inc. (my only employee is Ash, and her benefits package includes belly rubs and Pupsicles).
Ash has mastered the art of presence. No agenda. No performance review. Just a tail thump and a reminder that being here, right now, is more than enough. She’s basically a four-legged mindfulness coach—minus the hourly rate. If you’ve read What My Dog Knows About Leadership, you know this is not her first rodeo as a teacher.
If I’m honest, I used to skip this pause because it felt indulgent. But skipping it cost me more—snappier emails, rushed decisions, a shorter fuse. Turns out, five quiet minutes can save five apologies later. Reflection and rest aren’t luxuries; they’re leadership tools. (I wrote about a similar lesson in Pause Before You Pounce—because sometimes the most powerful move is the one you don’t make right away.)
And just like leaders who don’t stop to listen or plan can drive a team straight into chaos, skipping my Sunday pause is basically guaranteeing Monday Meltdown Mode. I’ve been there: inbox avalanche, caffeine crash, zero patience for anyone’s nonsense. That version of me doesn’t lead well at home or at work.
Here’s the thing: the pause isn’t about wasting time, it’s about reclaiming it. You either spend ten minutes upfront setting your tone—or ten hours untangling the fallout from charging ahead without one. It’s the same lesson I leaned into when I realized the value of Creating Margin—space isn’t weakness, it’s strength.
The Sunday pause is also my defense against Overthinking—a chance to stop spiraling about what could go wrong and instead ground myself in what’s right in front of me.
So here’s to quiet Sunday mornings—the reminder that pausing before the sprint matters. Whether you’re running a team, a household, or just yourself, a deep breath at the start of the week makes the rest of it so much more doable.
Big Girl Panties Diaries Rule: Protect your pause. Pajamas are optional. Caffeine is not.