The Family Calendar Was Full — But My Soul Was Exhausted

How I Learned to Honor Rest So I Could Truly Show Up for My Family

There’s a kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix.

The kind of tired that hits you not because you’ve been doing the wrong things — but because you’ve been doing too many of the right ones.

That was me a few weeks ago. It started with something good: picking up my dad from the airport. That was Saturday evening — normally a time I reserve for slowing down. But instead, I was driving across town, navigating airport traffic, and loading up luggage. Then the very next day, we bumped grocery day up by 24 hours. No big deal, right? But that decision — small as it was — meant my entire weekend got swallowed up by activity. No time to reset. No time to breathe.

By the time Monday hit, I was already depleted.
Tuesday? Worse.
And by midweek, I wasn’t just tired. I was resentful, sluggish, snapping at the people I love most, and avoiding work I usually enjoy.

That’s when I realized: I had broken the rhythm that keeps me sane. And my soul was paying for it.

The Lie That Busyness = Effectiveness

I used to believe that if I wasn’t busy, I wasn’t being productive. That if every moment wasn’t filled, I wasn’t doing enough. I thought effectiveness was tied to motion — the more I did, the better I was leading.

But that week reminded me of a deeper truth:

Busyness doesn’t equal effectiveness.
It equals depletion if it's not built around the right priorities.

Being faithful doesn’t mean doing everything. It means doing the right things in the right rhythms.

When I skipped my usual rest — even for good reasons — the effect wasn’t just physical. It was emotional. Spiritual. It pulled me away from the steady posture I try to carry as a husband and father. And the scariest part? I didn’t notice how far I was drifting until the irritability set in.

Reclaiming Margin, Reclaiming Leadership

I had to take a hard look at the patterns I broke — and why.
Here’s what I learned:

• Boundaries aren’t selfish. They’re sacred. The moment I broke the boundary around my weekend rest, everything else became harder to carry.
  
  

• Good things still drain us if they’re out of bounds. Picking up my dad wasn’t wrong. But stacking that on top of a grocery run and other tasks without any recovery time? That’s how burnout sneaks in.
  
  

• I don’t serve my family well when I’m always depleted. I serve them best when I lead with presence, patience, and peace — and I can’t access any of those if I’m running on empty.
  

So I re-established my rhythms.

Monday through Friday, I work.
Saturday, I serve — but with a hard cutoff at 4 p.m.
Sunday, I rest. No meetings. No major planning. Just presence.

I even try not to talk about work from Saturday afternoon through Monday morning. That mental boundary is life-giving.

And in the middle of the week? I make time for little joys and passion projects — not because I have time, but because they help me stay grounded. Stretching. Writing. Reading. Creating. These aren’t luxuries. They’re part of staying whole.

Letting Faith Reset the Pace

My faith played a big role in helping me recalibrate.

When I started feeling off, it was the Spirit that gently nudged me to check what I was ignoring inside. To slow down and pray through it instead of powering through. I don’t think I would’ve had the same clarity without pausing to ask, “God, where did I lose the thread?”

And what I heard back — not audibly, but in that deep place of peace — was this:
Your soul needs rest.

For the Dad Who’s Doing Everything and Still Feels Empty

If you’re a dad who’s been trying to do everything right… and still feel like something’s missing — I get it. You’re not alone.

But maybe the issue isn’t your effort. Maybe it’s your capacity.

You’re not weak for needing rest. You’re wise for recognizing it.

Start small. Reclaim your boundaries. Protect your weekend. Go to bed on time. Breathe.

And if you need a framework to help you recalibrate across every area of life — not just your schedule, but your faith, your health, your finances, your family — then I’d recommend checking out the Five Pillars Alignment Course.

It’s not just about time management. It’s about learning to lead your life on purpose.
→ Learn more about the course here.