You have spent the last 11 months redlining your engine. You built the career, chased the side hustle, and managed the daily crisis. Now, the calendar gives you a 96-hour window to change the pace.
But for high-performers, idling is often harder than racing. When the forward motion stops, restlessness and guilt often creep in. This isn’t a lack of discipline; it is a stuck gearbox.
Thanksgiving isn’t about the food; it is about proving you can manually shift your system into “Neutral” without stalling. A car that can’t stop isn’t fast; it’s broken. True autonomy is the ability to redline when needed and downshift when appropriate.
Thursday: The Discipline of Presence
Forget the macros. Forget the health hacks. Today, the mission is Communion. Eat the food your family made. Sit at the table until the very end. The “discipline” today is staying in the chair and being part of the group, rather than escaping to a screen.
Intrusive questions and bad opinions are often part of the menu. Do not engage in the “War for Rightness.” You don’t need to win the debate. You just need to witness the people. Practice Sonder: realize they are just as complex, tired, and hopeful as you are. Listen to understand, not to correct.
Friday: The Discipline of Enough
Friday morning brings a choice. You can dive into the “Black Friday” scarcity loop that screams “You are missing out,” or you can stay in the Thanksgiving abundance loop.
Stay in “Neutral.” You do not need to hunt for deals on things you didn’t want yesterday. Use Friday to audit your Assets, not your wish list. Look at the gear you own, the home you have, the health you’ve built. Realize you are likely already wealthy in the things that matter.
The Weekend: The 48-Hour Idle
By Saturday, the “Sunday Scaries” often try to creep in. The impulse to get a head start on next week arises to relieve the anxiety of stopping.
Hold the line. Working on Saturday signals to the brain that rest is dangerous. Maintain the idle for the full 96 hours. Do something Non-Instrumental. Walk without a destination. Read fiction. Fix something with your hands.
The Final Command: Prove You Are the Driver
This weekend, the only job is to be human. The work will be there Monday. You might not be. Prove you are the driver, not the engine.
Shift down. Enjoy the feast. We ride at dawn on Monday.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login